Skip to content Skip to navigation

Media figures call for release of Himal Editor Kanak Mani Dixit

By AT News |

Prominent editors and media figures as well as intellectuals, activists and scholars from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Australia, the UK, US and Sri Lanka have called for the release of Himal editor and prominent Nepali journalist Kanak Mani Dixit who was arrested on April 22 in Katmandu by anti-graft officials.
 
The following is the text of the statement:
 
It is with deep concern that we have learned of the arrest of Kanak Mani Dixit, the widely respected founder-editor of Himal Media and a courageous voice for transparency, freedom of expression and democratic rights in Nepal and across South Asia. The charges are related to alleged corruption but Kanak Dixit says it is part of a vendetta pursued against him by people in Government.
 
We have known Kanak Dixit as a true professional, human rights defender and energetic journalist whose credentials are built on robust research and tremendous courage. Himal Media, a pioneer in South Asia journalism, has published Himal South Asia, Nepali Times and Himal Khabar Patrika (in the Nepali language). He has written extensively for international media including leading newspapers in India and is chairman of Sajha Yatayat, a state run transportation company, which he has been turning around from a loss-making entity.
 
Kanak Dixit's detention comes at a time of increased pressure on free media across South Asia. We call upon all national and international media organisations, individual journalists and editors, defenders of media under pressure, on those who believe in the freedom of expression, to seek Kanak Dixit's immediate release and a fair and transparent trial, free of bias.
 
We call upon the Government of Nepal to issue a transparent and unequivocal statement on his detention for we are deeply concerned about his safety and rights. We condemn all forms of pressure tactics on editors like him and other courageous media figures such as Mahfuz Anam of the Daily Star in Dhaka, who is facing 80 cases of sedition and libel in Bangladeshi courts, as well as other media persons who are committed to the rule of law and justice.
 
Sanjoy Narayan, Editor, The Hindustan Times, New Delhi
Rajdeep Sardesai, Chief Editor, India Today TV Group, New Delhi
Siddharth Varadarajan, Founder Editor, The Wire, New Delhi
Karan Thapar, President ITV and TV anchor
TN Ninan, Chairman, Business Standard Pvt Ltd, New Delhi
Swaminathan S Anklesaria Aiyar, Consulting Editor, The Times of India Group
James Astill, Political Editor, The Economist
Maja Daruwala, Director, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, New Delhi
Sevanti Ninan, editor, The Hoot, New Delhi
Salil Tripathi, Journalist and Author, London
Imtiaz Ahmed, Executive Director, RCSS, Colombo
Mahfuz Anam, Editor, The Daily Star, Dhaka
Sara Hossein, Lawyer, Bangladesh Supreme Court
Zafar Sobhan, Editor, Dhaka Tribune
Afsan Chowdhury, Senior Journalist and Academic, Bangladesh
Dr. Naila Zaman Khan, Professor of Child Neurology and Development, Bangladesh
Shahidullah Khan, Publisher Daily New Age, Bangladesh
Lubna Mariam, Cultural activist, Bangladesh
Kalpana Sharma, independent journalist, Mumbai
Sanjib Baruah, Professor of Political Studies, Bard College, New York, US
Bina D’Costa, Australian National University
Pradip Phanjoubam, Editor, Imphal Free Press
Patricia Mukhim, Editor, The Shillong Times
Seema Mustafa, Editor, The Citizen, New Delhi
Akum Longchari, Founder-Editor, Morung Express, Dimapur
Subir Bhowmick, Senior Editor, BD24news, Kolkata
T. Monalisa Chankija, Editor, The Nagaland Page, Dimapur
Teesta Setlevad, lawyer, Mumbai
Sandhya Srinivasan, Infoexchange News & Features, Mumbai
Lalita Panicker, Senior Associate Editor, The Hindustan Times, New Delhi
Laxmi Murthy, Consulting Editor, Himal Southasian
Seema Guha, senior journalist (freelance), New Delhi
Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty, The Wire, New Delhi
Teresa Rehman, Managing Editor, The Thumb Print
Aruni Kashyap, Writer and Asst Professor of English, Ashoka University, Haryana
Nalaka Gunwardene, Columnist, Sri Lanka
Dr. Xonzoi Barbora, TISS, Guwahati
Dr. Sanjeeb Kakoty, Associate Professor, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Management Shillong
Catherine Masud, Film-maker, US-Bangladesh
Rubana Haq, Writer and Business, Bangladesh
Dr. Anjuman Ara Begum, Forum-Asia, Katmandu
Sanjoy Hazarika, independent columnist, New Delhi
Kamayani Bali Mahabal, Blogger and human rights activist, Mumbai
Geeta Seshu, Journalist, Mumbai
Anusheh Anadil, Musician and Cultural activist, Bangladesh
Babul Gogoi, Assam Times, Guwahati

 

Author info

AT News's picture

Assam Times Staff. editor@assamtimes.org
  • 8700 reads

Add new comment

Other Contents by Author

Uneasy calm atop Karbi Hills

An eerie silence is prevailing in Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong districts following the death of two people belonging to different communities amid growing demand to evict the non tribals from the hills districts on Tuesday. Mobile internet has been suspended and the authority has imposed some restrictions on public gatherings to ensure peace and tranquility in the tribal dominated hills districts. Security forces are patrolling on the streets in the vulnerable areas to avert any untoward incident. But the tribal leaders and their followers have blamed it all on the government for allowing the non tribals to settle there which is contrary to the laid down rules. " We are...

Two Killed, Dozens Injured as Violence Erupts in West Karbi Anglong Over Land Eviction Demands

Tension gripped West Karbi Anglong district for a second consecutive day on Tuesday as clashes between protesters and security forces in Kheroni area left two people dead and over 45 injured, including 38 police personnel. The deceased have been identified as a differently-abled youth from the Karbi community, who succumbed during police action to disperse agitators, and another individual who died in arson attacks on shops in Kheroni market. Reports indicate the violence involved stone-pelting, use of crude bombs, arrows, and bows by mobs, prompting police to resort to lathi-charge, tear gas, and blank firing. The unrest stems from long-standing demands by Karbi organisations for the...

Flames of Frustration: Why Karbi Anglong's Eviction Crisis Exploded into Violence

The hills of West Karbi Anglong district in Assam witnessed a dramatic eruption of violence this week, underscoring deep frustrations over land rights and perceived governmental inconsistency. On December 22, 2025, protesters demanding the eviction of alleged encroachers from protected tribal grazing reserves torched the ancestral home of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) Chief Executive Member Tuliram Ronghang in Dongkamukam and set fire to several shops in Kheroni Bazaar. The next day, despite prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), clashes between opposing groups led to stone-pelting, injuring several people, including protesters,...

Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty Becomes First Woman President of Press Club of India

New Delhi: Senior journalist Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty has created history by becoming the first woman to be elected President of the Press Club of India (PCI), marking a significant milestone in the institution’s long-standing legacy. Her election is being widely hailed as a landmark moment for gender representation and leadership in Indian journalism. A respected name in the profession, Pisharoty is known for her incisive reporting, editorial leadership and long-standing commitment to press freedom, ethical journalism and the welfare of media professionals. Over the years, she has earned wide credibility for her work on politics, governance and social issues. The Press Club of...

People’s Declaration for a Resilient Brahmaputra Basin Adopted at People’s Consultation in Jorhat

A two-day ‘People’s Consultation on Strengthening Humanitarian Response and Climate Resilience in the Brahmaputra Basin’ concluded today at Hotel Clubway Grand, Jorhat, with the adoption of the People’s Declaration for a Resilient Brahmaputra Basin. The event was organised by the North-East Affected Area Development Society (NEADS) in collaboration with the Inter Agency Group (IAG) of Assam and various local humanitarian civil society actors from across the Brahmaputra valley, with support from Start Network. The consultation brought together humanitarian practitioners, climate workers, community leaders, civil society organisations, youth groups and women’s collectives to deliberate on...

9th Chalachitram National Film Festival Concludes in Guwahati

Guwahati: Curtains came down on the 9th Chalachitram National Film Festival at the Jyoti Chitraban premises in Kahilipara on 30 November 2025, as distinguished guests at the closing ceremony handed over awards, certificates, and cash prizes to the winning filmmakers in the presence of eminent film personalities, emerging director-producers and cine-goers. Organized by Chalachitram, a subsidiary of Vishwa Samvad Kendra-Assam, the two-day CNFF-25 showcased over 30 short features and documentaries across competitive and screening categories. ‘Koli’, directed by Jyotirmoy Mazumder, was adjudged the best short feature in the Northeast India category, while ‘Joba’, directed by Indira Baikerikar,...

NEHU Hosts IIC Regional Meet 2025; Over 500 Attend Innovation Summit

The North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) on Friday hosted the IIC Regional Meet 2025, drawing more than 500 participants from higher educational institutions across the Northeast. The day-long programme, organised under the Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell (MIC) and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), was held at the Multi-Convention Hall on the NEHU campus. The event commenced with the traditional lighting of the lamp, followed by an introductory address by Prof. Dinesh Bhatia, SPOC of the Regional Meet. Prof. G. Bez, Chairperson of the Meet, delivered the welcome speech, while Prof. I. Hussain, Dean of the School of Technology, NEHU, offered brief remarks....

Tirtha Prasad Saikia Elected to Executive Body of IUCN India National Committee

Guwahati: Tirtha Prasad Saikia, Director of the North-East Affected Area Development Society (NEADS) — a local organization and an Indigenous Peoples’ Organization member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) based in Assam — has been elected to the Executive Body of the India National Committee (INC) of IUCN, representing the North-East India region. NEADS works at the intersection of humanitarian response, resilience building, climate action and environmental sustainability, adopting a nexus approach to address the human dimensions of environmental crises arising from both natural and human-induced disasters. The organization emphasizes community well-being...

PLF Awards Conferred at Pragjyotishpur Literature Festival 2025

Guwahati: The Pragjyotishpur Literature Festival (PLF) 2025 concluded this evening at Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra, wrapping up three days of rich literary discussions, cultural insights, and powerful storytelling. Organized by the Sankardeva Education and Research Foundation, the festival began on 14 November with acclaimed author Shefali Baidya delivering the keynote address. On the final day, the organizers announced the recipients of this year’s prestigious PLF awards. Eminent researcher and author Moneswar Deori was named the recipient of the PLF 2025 Award, while promising young writer Srotashwini Tamuli, a researcher at Birangana Sati Sadhani State University, was declared the...

NEADS Assam Brings Voices of Flood-Affected Communities to Global Climate Summit at COP-30

As the world gathers in Belém, Brazil, for the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP-30), the North-East Affected Area Development Society (NEADS) from Assam has stepped onto the global stage to ensure the voices of the region’s flood-affected and climate-vulnerable communities are heard. Representing NEADS as an Observer of the Start Network, Tirtha Prasad Saikia, the organisation’s Director, said the participation marks a crucial moment for the North-East, one of India’s most climate-sensitive regions. “We are here because climate change is not a distant issue for us — it’s our everyday reality,” said Saikia. “Assam’s communities have been battling floods, erosion,...