Killing anyone is a crime itself. Killing someone for criticism is an act of people who have already lost a portion of humanism. Attempting to kill a journalist for what she wrote – that too by gradually cutting her right fingers and pushing off a cliff – is simply inhuman.
Tika Bista, a 22-year-old Rukum-based lady journalist, was brutally attacked for murder and thrown on the 20-meter deep cliff and left to die. She was found next day, airlifted to Kathmandu for further treatment and she is still fighting for life.
A few things indicate that the attackers though unknown as yet are Maoists.
Reports say Bista had been receiving phone threats in connection with her recent commentary on local Jantidhara weekly titled – “Why Maoists need Tirtha’s sindoor?”
She wrote the article in response of Maoists using a slogan about martial symbol (sindoor) of former MP Tirtha Gautam, widowed due to murder of her husband by the Maoists in 1999, while waving black flags to a minister.
Bista had issued a press release last week on the threats she was receiving from unknown people after the article was published.
While talking to her friend at the Nepalgunj Hospital when she regained consciousness briefly, Bista quoted a male threatening her on mobile as saying:
Writing about the widows?.. Should I send you to heaven? Yadu Gautam is already there and you can meet him there.
According to The Himalayan Times, the brave journalist told the friend: I’ll never be intimidated by such attacks. Nor do I want my name to be among killed journalists.
Such first-degree murder attempt to people for what they write/think/believe should stop!
NepaliVoices strongly condemn the attack and demand government to arrest and punish those involved!
