Himal of Nepal: A Salute To A Pioneering Magazine

Kanak Mani Dixit, and his team of journalists, have played a pioneering role in Nepal for over a decade through their magazine Himal South Asian. On April 8, this gentle man with a sly sense of humor was abruptly tossed in jail. About 200 other Nepalese journalists also have been rounded up in the last two weeks.

Dixit is the editor of Himal, Himal Southasian and the fortnightly news magazine Himal Khabarpatrika, all published from Kathmandu. He contributed an interesting essay to Foreign Policy In Focus.

The latest issue of Himal South Asian says: “Himal Southasian magazine happens to be based in Kathmandu, from where with increasing horror we have watched the evolution of the Maoist insurgency in Nepal – and in the latest instance, the palace activism in particular following the royal takeover of 1 February 2005.

“Looking out over the Southasian landscape, we realise that a country that had made relatively good progress as a democracy following the People’s Movement of 1990 is being forced backwards in time, by rebel and royalty alike.

“In the cover feature of this issue, we have charted the course of both of these forms of extremism, scrutinising the continuing warfare and sudden democratic deficit in the country where we happen to be based. We also believe that editors and reporters must stand up as citizens when a society’s most basic values are under threat.”

Edited and published by Kanak Mani Dixit from May 1987 onwards, Himal was an English language monthly on the Himalayas with a particular focus on development and the environment. While this important magazine eventually grew into Himal South Asian, which maintains its own extensive online archives, back issues of Himal were increasingly hard to come by. The Digital Himalaya project continues to work collaboratively with staff at the Himal Association in Kathmandu to scan and digitise back issues of this journal.
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The writer has worked as journalist with national and international media. At present he is Media Consultant with Press Institute of India, New Delhi. He is also Trainer/Mentor with BBC World Service Trust. Email: swaraaj47@gmail.com