tons of people in kathmandu read nepali times because it offers ck lal's column - i am one of them. the duty of an intellectual is to expose lies (to use the famous words of noam chomsky) and i can't think of anyone (at least not in the english-language press of nepal) who performs this duty as well as ck lal. plenty of people know, but very few dare to speak out. thank you, ck lal, for your wisdom and courage. you have become the conscience of our degenerating society where 'the freedom of the press' has started to mean 'the freedom to tell lies'.

(i have been wanting to tell this for a long time.)

lately, those individuals or groups or media who really do not support (give or take) any individual or party are being blamed of being bias by those who are blindly supporting some individual or party.

this is going on may be cause it does not cost to speak, or majority of public do not respond to those hyperactives.�

[by the way, why CK LAL has become pro maosit?

is it cause maoist support ethnic states or cause maoist are thrashing, killing pahadis?

trust me, if, maosit take over and some how they get N-bomb, madeshis will face genocide for being like bihari and � newars will face the music for not supporting maoist.]

regarding govt media, TV, most of their news are tasteless and in case of programs, they do have a few pro maoist shows but do not have pro other party show.�

so, we can say, NTV is pro maoist. and the reason i think is if democratic force go after them they can protest, go to court, ,,,,,,,, but they go against maoist, ycl will thrash them, ,,,,,,,,,, that is why they are not afraid of pro democrats but supports maoist cause of fear.�

the way i see,

there are one maoist TV channel and many FM, 2/3 ex royal TV channels and 1/2 pro forum channels.

but i do not think there are absolute NC or UML channels.

but what amazes me is, its NC and UML who are suppose to complain, but no, its maoist and their supporters, and madeshis who complain.

O may be cause pro maoist channels are garbage so they do not count.�

i have heard the pro maoist channel, fms, and i can feel their class.

anti maoist channels may focus on anti maoist news, exaggerate some what, sometimes do present imaginary news,

but have you watched, heard the pro maosit news. they are more like a propaganda, lie, they make up things.�

there is the similar case going on with pro maoist and anti maosit columnists.

"state-controlled media is less biased than the free press"

Sounds like a statement of a finding from a really interesting scientific study of the press conducted in Nepal!! But don't believe it folks. These journalists try to act like social scientists and experts without a single input from such experts.

Hello Kunda-- I cannot believe an editor such as you, with a firm grasp on journalistic ethics, gives a free ride to CK Lal. Just because CK Lal believes or feels that something about something, you print it as a fact in your esteemed newspaper. CK Lal never says "I feel" or " I believe" or "My hunch is" but declares that state-controlled media is "one of the least biased newspaper in the country." Who told him so, are there any studies to prove that, what is the basis of his assertion? He may be right in his judgement, but does not he  have to say "May be state media is one of the least biased" etc.? Just because you guys can throw up some flowery English writing, you seem (mark the word "seem"-- I am not using the definitive "are" because I know as a human being I cannot be perfect in my assertion) to think you can fool your readers.

@nisha Let CK explain himself, if he could kindly in his another column since Kunda himself, I think, might find this a worthy topic! Nobody is asking him to beg those experts, obviously, as you know very well,  we don't have that many around and that good. I for one would not read a report in the newspaper and jump to conclusion. Since Lal reads all those newspapers (at least that is what you tell me-- I am amazed you keep tab on his reading every newspaper), how many reports in the government press were biased as against private newspapers, and which ones? If one proclaims the state press is "less biased", and one beats, as you assert, "most social scientists in nepal" then understandably he does not need to beg experts for their permission to "decide" bias, and that is always good, nothing wrong with it.But  I tend to think that he owes an explanation to his readers how he was able to "decide" it after all. You don't get to read that in his article, do you? It's a pity that a columnist of the stature of CK presents his opinon and impresssions as facts.The problem is not that he wrote the article (he should continue to write more and correct his valid flaws), but the fact that he must not fool the readers. A little editing by Kunda Dixit should help. A disclaimer, such  as this would be useful: "this is according to CK Lal" If CK Lal himself finds my comments genuine and fair, he can as well begin his future pieces "this is simply based on how I feel or what I  believe." Is that too much to ask? Don't fool readers with your deceptive language of an expert when you don't share with them any expertise, but only your opinion  and hunches.

Arthur(19), I regret to inform that Nepali newspapers are equally if not more anti-Maoist than the English-language press. Kantipur is downright anti-Maoist both in its news reports, editorials and even the so-called "letters to the editor" (One or two occasional columnists like Hari Roka and Yug Pathak might be an exception). Himal Khabarpatrika, another major Nepali magazine, is run by the Dixits so you can imagine (it does contain interesting feature articles and a couple of good columnists to make it worth reading). Nagarik is the sister publication of Republica, so you can imagine that too. Perhaps the most sensible Nepali daily from mainstream media is Naya Patrika, a left-leaning paper that also gives space to right-wing voices. Mulyankan is another important left-wing weekly; former editor was Shyam Shrestha, a brilliant civil society activist. I strongly recommend that you go over these papers with someone who can identify and translate good articles for you. Because the English-language press is severely limited. And the last thing I'd do is rely on the "from the Nepali press" section of this paper!