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About the Blog
The Radiant Star is a personal blog of Ujjwal Acharya, 29, - a professional journalist and a hobbyist blogger.
This blog features personal posts with occasional opinion on media, citizen journalism and blogs of Nepal; and resources for the journalism students.
Mar
20
Maoists left jungle ending their decade long war and entered the capital. The leaders will be in the government soon, but the foundation for their biggest failure is on the making. The people, who had hoped something from them, have slowly losing the faith. And, they should blame themselves for it.
The major reasons why the normal people are unhappy with them include their politics of terror. Somehow most of the leaders and cadres, who enjoyed the domination based on guns they had in their hands, are not ready to stand in line with the normal people.
They believe they are special (which they are not) and they should be treated in that way. Be it the beating of a driver because he asked for the fare or threatening of people here and there is not going to make them good despite their efforts to gain the public support through various interesting programs (like helping the traffic, and cleaning an area).
For sure, the asking for donation hasn’t stopped. The cadre who will come to ask for donation would leave no words to make sure that the owner (of house or hotel or school or business) understands they can suffer if they deny.
The brutal beating of an hotelier is causing much uproar in the capital. It was brutal and condemnable activity. If the Maoists want to join the mainstream politics then they should make everyone understand that there is law in the country that everyone should follow. No political party can make their own law to impose the people.
The Maoists are still relying on the power of the bullets which can help them to beat up people, get donations, and terrorize people but for sure that’s not going to give them the people’s faith which they will direly miss once they are in the mainstream politics.
And, secondly, people had started believing that Maoists are not as serious about the social changes or the revolution that they had promised as they are for the positions. After all, it looked like the Maoists want to fight for ‘chairs’ not for the people.
The Politics of Protest
Who cares the citizens?
When there were closures and bandas, it was the industrialists that spoke most against it. They didn’t even hesitate to give our figures of what the country would lose due to a day closure. They were most vocal critics of the bandas requesting others to find the alternative ways of protest.
And when their turn comes for protest, the first thing they announced for their protest program was the indefinite closure. Easy to preach but hard to follow!
That’s probably because no body cares about the citizens. Take for example the decision by Internet Service Providers to close down internet for two hours, an hour in the morning and another in the evening. What they gained by that? And aren’t they violating the consumers’ rights by that? They need to provide 24-hour internet if they sell the scheme saying that unless there is circumstances beyond their control.
Let’s condemn the Maoists’ brutality!
Let’s condemn the closures!
Let’s condemn the closing down of internet!
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Mar
18
All About Blog Meet III
Filed Under BLOGAN | 10 Comments
The Blog Meet III looked like a failure to the few who reached the venue at the scheduled time. The earlier two meetings had attracted exactly 12 bloggers each time – though there were changed faces. On Saturday, when I reached the Freedom Forum, there were only three – Deepak, Rosha and Tajim; and it was already a few minutes past noon.
After some minutes, RP Dahal joined us – for the first time. And, KP Dhungana as usual said when I called him that he was ready to be scolded but was making to the venue in a few minutes.
I had a list of bloggers who informed me they couldn’t attend (the ISL) and then it was James Gomez, whom I had invited in the meeting, who called me saying that he was nearby. James, who is a Singaporean politician/writer/blogger, is in Nepal for his professional work and since we had been friends since meeting in Manila and Seoul, I invited him.
As he was coming, I asked Utshab, who was working in his office nearby, to come for half-an-hour, and he did it. Ghanshyam Khadka also made it. Tapas too arrived despite having family function as his home and that made 10 of us.
James talked about his own personal life and how he raised his profile. He started from his family background, writing on book called Shame of Singapore (on the self-censorship of the Singaporean press) and then moving to politics and all.
Then he suggested a few ideas for moving BLOGAN ahead including the writing an research based report on blogging history of Nepal (so that some foreigners can’t come to study blogs and mis-interpret) and then possibility of blog growth (in terms of number and role as the media) in coming years due to the political situation of Nepal.
It was indeed wonderful listening to James and we all appreciated his ideas for BLOGAN.
And, there were of course our regular talks about updates and all. We, after much discussion, agreed that it’s better for us to move ahead with a formal, registered organization rather than remaining a loose network. The idea was basically based on our future plans as we found that we won’t be able to work on the plans like conference and trainings.
And, we also talked on having very clear agenda and aims. KP took the responsibility of formulating the first draft for discussion (which will be sent to all Nepali bloggers and posted at NepaliVoices soon). Then there was issue of membership; I took the responsibility of drafting the membership criteria for discussion.
Then we also decided that to move forward on the web-hosting services. Initially, we have been offered the space of 25MB, top-level domain registration and pre-installed Wordpress along with a number of themes and plugins for Rs. 2500 per year. All of us agreed it was cheaper and then we are moving ahead with the plan. It will be soon finalized.
Despite having a great meeting, something that we all felt pessimistic was the number of bloggers attending. Probably also because I only sent invitation on Friday, next time I will send invitation a few days earlier. The next meeting is of course the first Saturday of Baisakh, same venue same time.
Post about the Blog Meet III by other bloggers
Utshab Pokhrel
Deepak Adhikari
RP Dahal
Mar
17
Blog Meet III
Filed Under BLOGAN | 7 Comments
James Gomez, a Singaporean blogger visiting Nepal for his professional work, was the guest of honor in the third meeting of Bloggers’ Association of Nepal (BLOGAN). He talked about his experience in blogging, the situation in Singapore, and suggested a few ideas to move BLOGAN forward. Read more
Mar
14
Is abdication of throne a safe way out for King Gyanendra?
I pondered the question after reading Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala’s interview on Monday. And I see, in the current situation, King has two more options. First, he can choose to wait till the decision on republic and second, he can, of course, try for a coup.
Many will laugh at the second option. But, there is every chance that King will try for it. Announcement of republic nation and throwing out him will be a dishonor to him and before suffering that, he will try to do something. Just imagine, if you are losing everything you had, won’t you give a last try (even if there are 1000 of armed people around you)?
He may have already given the last try. Who knows?
Is Koirala trying to suggest the king that he can consider a third option, and take a respectful retirement? And, he can then continue as a businessman or politician or whatever he likes to be.
If I am put into King Gyanendra’s position, of course, and if I am finished with my pack of options, I will not hesitate choosing abdication than waiting for the decision on republic.
That way, he will not only earn some praise and a respectful retirement but it will also help to prove him what he did by taking up the executive power in Feb 1, 2005 is because of need of the time.
And, there are more he can claim of, like his action has been instrumental in ending the bloody Maoists conflict (’Do you think, hadn’t I taken up the executive power, the Maoists would have shaken hands with political parties and come to a peaceful settlement?’).
The idea of coup is a bit absurd one. Let’s forget it.
Mar
14
Nepali Blogger Threatened
Filed Under BLOGAN | 13 Comments
Umesh Shrestha, the blogger behind hugely popular MySansar.com, has been threatened of ‘action within 24 hours if he publishes anything that directly or indirectly supports Maoists or terrorists’.
An email with subject line reading ‘last information’ by Maoists Defense Group, an anti-Maoists group not known so far, has threatened him. Bloggers Association of Nepal (BLOGAN) and NepaliVoices.com strongly condemn the threat and ask the who-so-ever behind it to let all the bloggers enjoy the ‘freedom of expression’. Read more