Journalist Presented New Camera After Police Abuse

By David Caprara
KATHMANDU, Nov 10:

A new DSLR camera was presented to Mountain Television journalist Bikram Rauniyar on Monday after having his camera destroyed by Nepali Armed Police Forces (APF) in September. Rauniyar was photographing police brutality take place in the Terai city of Janakpur when his camera was thrown to the ground and destroyed beyond repair.

Funds were raised through crowdfunding organized by Madhesi Youth, Code for Nepal, and Story South Asia. Over $1,000 USD were raised and cash that exceeded the costs of the camera were used to buy camera accessories and to fund photography classes to help advance Rauniyar’s career.

Over 40% of the funds gathered by Code for Nepal came from Chaudhary Group Executive Director Rahul Chaudhary. He said that he hopes the new camera will help Rauniyar continue along his path in journalism, which Chaudhary described as “one of the greatest services to society.”

Rauniyar was brought to tears while retelling how he was beaten by members of police and armed police force after trying to photograph a man being pried from the bars of a fence and beaten in the street.  When asked in a Q & A session by a local journalist from Nepal Media Watchdog if he felt he had anywhere to go to after having been exposed to this injustice, he replied that he did not.

“What was most saddening about the destruction of Bikram’s camera was the complete lack of response by the general community,” said Ravi Kumar, one of the chief organizers in fundraising for Rauniyar’s new camera. “It is as if people have come to accept that this sort of injustice against journalists is something to be taken for granted in Nepal,” he added.

Rauniyar stated that he was very happy to get back to shooting photos. His goal is to share with the world the beauty of Nepal’s southern plains of the Terai.

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