Himal Southasian magazine to suspend publication

The decision was taken by the Southasia Trust’s Executive Board on August 22, citing non-cooperation by regulatory state agencies in Nepal

Himal Southasian , a Kathmandu-based international magazine promoting ‘cross-border journalism’ in the Southasian region, announced the suspension of its publication on Wednesday. The decision to this effect was taken by the Southasia Trust’s Executive Board on August 22, citing non-cooperation by regulatory state agencies in Nepal “that has made it impossible to continue operations after 29 years of publication”, a release from the organisation said.

One of the founding members of the 29-year-old magazine told The Hindu over the phone that the suspension was the outcome of pressures exerted by the country’s anti-graft body.

The release undersigned by S. Mishra, Member-Secretary, for The Southasia Trust Executive Board, decried “the use of the arms of bureaucracy to paralyse its functioning”. “Though Nepal has been a leader of free press since the introduction of democracy in 1990, continuous socio-political chaos over two decades has progressively weakened the commitment of the political class to open society,” it said.

Funding crunch

The statement said that no notification or explanation was offered by Nepal’s government before grants meant for Himal were kept pending without approval for over seven months. Obtaining work permits for non-Nepali editorial staff too became impossible, and there were unreasonable delays in processing payments for international contributors, the release said.

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Himal is being silenced not by direct attack or overt censorship but by the arms of bureaucracy.

Himal will continue to publish till November 2016 and meet all its outstanding obligations before suspension of operations… [It] will resume publication when circumstances in Nepal [or elsewhere] make it possible,” the organisation said in a statement.

The magazine continued production despite repeated challenges over the past three years. It withstood the repercussions of the political attack on Himal in Nepal’s Parliament in April 2014, as well as the escalating targeting of Kanak Mani Dixit, Himal ’s founding editor and Trust chairman over the past year. In April, Kanak Mani Dixit was jailed for abuse of authority while running a cooperative transport company in Nepal and for owning disproportionate assets .

The statement said that the magazine will continue to publish till November 2016. It will resume publication when circumstances make it possible, the statement said.

Himal started publication in 1987.

(With inputs from Kallol Bhattacherjee)