“Ek Patrakar ko bakpatra”, a memoir written by Veteran-Journalist Khil Dhwoj Thapa has now hit the shelves of almost every bookstore in Nepal. A Nepali writer, Thapa was the Ex-Editor-In-Chief of the National News Committee, then the only news agency in Nepal .Having joined the Nepal National news Agency in 1979, the memoir is a retelling of his experiences of working in the media world since the times of the Kings.
In the book Thapa mentions the state of the government media under the royal family. He mentions how the media was obliged to be under the wing of the press secretariat of the Royal Palace, reporting exclusively on what the King, the Royal Family and the Panchayats were up to.
He recounts how he was made to arrive 3 hours prior to any event at the palace, go through 3 tiers of security screening and then wait until the event started at the palace. The security made it difficult to even use the washroom and eating any food served at these events were a far cry.
In the book he also recalls his high-profile mistakes that became matters of national debate, Thapa mentions how he got the timings for the parliament meeting wrong causing a national uproar, similarly whilst covering the Pashupati visit by the then Queen for the Teej festival, he hadn't attended the festival but simply reported the same articles the previous year given the repetitive nature of these events, only to later find out the Queen hadn’t even attended the festival due owing to her periods. Thapa says that this was the first and last time he was ever made to give a public explanation in his entire life.
From being offered wine by the Queen, making nationally reverberating mistakes and owning up to it, tailing the royal family all across the country and the world for reports, to following the royalty to its downfall and the democracy at its earliest, Thapa’s book written in Nepali is definitely worth a read by any media or royal family enthusiasts looking to gain perspective on the lives of the people in the past.
Filled to the brim with stories of historical significance, this literary piece shall serve as a document that shall permeate generations and find itself invaluable in years to come.
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