Kathmandu, April 23

Chairman of the Federation of Nepalese Indigenous Nationalities Journalists Danda Gurung today asked the government to find out who the founder chairperson of the Nepali Journalists Association was.

Addressing the second national conference of National Forum of Newa Journalists in Kirtipur today, Gurung claimed that Satya Narayan Bahadur Shrestha was the founding president of Nepal Journalist Association but history had been distorted. He claimed that Shrestha had formed the association in 2008 BS but he was not recognised as he was from the indigenous community.

Chairperson of the NFNJ Shree Krishna Maharjan also said that NFNJ would also pile pressure on the government to recognise the fact.

Inaugurating the function, Minister for Information and Communications Sherdhan Rai spoke about the role media played in disseminating news related to development and other issues of public concern.

On the occasion, chair of the High-level Communication Committee Kashiraj Dahal, Press Council Nepal chairperson Borna Bahadur Karki, Federation of Nepali Journalists President Mahendra Bista and Minimum Wages Fixation Committee chair Poshan KC, among others, urged the media to be responsible while disseminating sensitive news.

During the function, Minister Rai felicitated late Dharmaditya Dharmacharya – the first journalist of the country who wrote in Newari language and the founding chairperson of the Nepal Journalist Association Satya Narayan Bahadur Shrestha.

Earlier, a rally of Newar journalists was taken out through different thoroughfares of Kirtipur. The inauguration function was followed by a closed session, which was attended by more than 150 representatives.