Kathmandu, December 23:

Senior journalist Kanak Mani Dixit, also editor of Himal Khabarpatrika, today said attack on Himalmedia on Sunday was a symbolic and balanced hit to warn the media.

“We had thought that we will be targeted next. But we got it in a new style - thrashed right in the newsroom,” he said. It seems to be a symbolic attack which was ideally balanced and was just intended to warn the media, Dixit added. “We don’t need any probe commission. We just need a proper investigation on the people indicted,” he said.

Comparing the government with the royal regime, another senior journalist Harihar Birahi criticised the government, claiming that the attitude of the government has not changed.

He said the leader of the union that systematically attacked The Himalayan Times and Annapurna Post had been politically promoted to Constituent Assembly and also the killers of the journalists, including Birendra Shah, had been protected and promoted. Birahi also said other parties in the ruling coalition should also take the responsibility of this incident and act accordingly.

Pratik Pradhan of Dhumbarahi Publications said attack on press freedom had begun long ago due to which reporters working outside the valley had been forced to practice self censorship. Bigger attacks, which will outsmart the ex-king are in the offing.

Chairman of Sagarmatha Television Nirmal Gurung said the actions of the Maoists were irresponsible and reminded of the people of the 18th century.

Puskar Lal Shrestha, founder president of Media Society Nepal, said that Maoists had begun to attack the free press in the guise of workers’ right. “They attacked our media house first. They may have thought that they should now physically attack media to stay in the government for long,” he said.

Om Sharma, media advisor to the Prime Minister, condemned the attack “Media should be aware of the fact they many people are trying to fish in troubled waters during this transitional

phase to defame the Maoists,” Sharma said, adding that the PM has already assured to punish

the culprits.

Bindu Kanta Ghimire of Nepal Press Union said rights of working journalists would be secured only if big media houses existed.