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The expulsion of a Nepali stu­dent from an American college for allegedly possessing fire­arms and threatening to open fire at a poetry event has sparked heated exchanges, both for and against him, in the social media. Supragya Rijal, 21, who hails from the eastern city of Biratnagar, was the subject of legal and institution­al action, following an incident at Colby Sawyer College in New Hampshire. Legal charges have been pressed against Rijal.

The incident revolves around a dinner conversation between Rijal and another student at the college, identified by news reports as Hunter Fitzsimmons. Rijal claims that the conversation was about possession of a firearm by Rijal’s grandfather during his hunting days, back in Nepal. Reports have suggested that Rijal may have told Fitzsimmons, “My grandfather used to hunt, back in Nepal, and he taught me how to shoot guns. I am very good at it.”

The other student regarded that as a legitimate security threat, asserting that Rijal was “planning to shoot people at an upcoming poet­ry event”. Reports have suggested that Rijal said he “had a gun and a permit” and “no one at the school could do anything about it”. Fitzsim­mons then reported the incident to campus security, which forwarded the claims to the local law enforce­ment authority, the New London Police Department (NLPD). Rijal was arrested on October 3.

“He misinterpreted the entire con­versation and understood some­thing completely different,” Rijal told APEX. Rijal accepts that he did plan to attend the poetry event but has denied allegations of planning to incite violence. He declined to comment on other specifics.

Rijal was held in the local county jail for two days, after he, as well as his dorm room, was subjected to a thorough search by local law enforcement authorities. It is not clear if they found any incrimi­nating evidence. Rijal says he was released after that due to “personal recognizance”, asserting that he had received “character references” from other peers and faculty at the institution.

In light of the legal action against Rijal, Colby Sawyer College decided to expel him based on “security con­cerns”, and due to his previous his­tory of “drinking and assault”. Rijal has denied these allegations, stating, “The campus safety report about my prior violation at Colby-Saw­yer as assault is completely false. I have never been a part of any kind of assault”. The campus security department did not respond to our request for comment.

Rijal says his arrest was followed by an email sent to the entire stu­dent body, informing them about the dinner conversation.

When questioned about his own­ership of a firearm, Rijal said, “I have never had a gun or a gun license for a firearm in the United States.” Rijal would not be able to possess a firearm legally in the United States. He has stated that the dinner con­versation was entirely centered on his grandfather’s possession of a firearm back in Nepal.

Colby Sawyer College has also declined to comment on specifics, owing to its student privacy poli­cies. Kate Seamans, senior director of communications, responded to an email request for comment by APEX, stating: “Because of student confidentiality laws and policies, Colby-Sawyer cannot disclose any details regarding the circumstances surrounding any student’s standing with the college… It also seeks to balance the needs and the rights of the individual with the welfare of the community.”

Rijal has vociferously claimed his innocence and has repeatedly stated that charges against him will very soon be dropped. He has also said that he will appeal against the col­lege decision, hoping to be reinstat­ed to the student body.

Colby Sawyer College has provid­ed assurance that all claims will be handled in a professional manner, citing the possibility of appealing the investigation’s decision. The department of communications for Colby Sawyer College has offered this statement on Rijal’s possible appeal: “Students who are found to be responsible for violating the college’s Code of Conduct receive penalties which are based on the nature of the violation.” And, “All appeals are heard by an Appellate Board that is comprised of at least three board members who were not involved in the investigation or prior parts of the hearing process.”

Rijal can appeal only if he is acquitted of all charges, or charges against him are dropped by the pros­ecutors at the Merrimack Superior Court in Concord. Regarding the possibility of acquittal or dropping of charges, Rijal has said, “There is a high chance that they will be dropped soon”. But if Rijal is con­victed, he faces the possibility of deportation. He could be also be deported even if his expulsion isn’t revoked, as he needs to be part of an institution to continue to be eligible for his F1 student visa.

A complete detailed report of the incident is likely to emerge only after due process, both legal and institutional, is completed.

 After more than 100 days of detention, multiple bail pleas and worldwide pressure from media and humanitarian agencies, senior Bangladeshi photographer, teacher and social activist Shahidul Alam was released on November 15. The veteran photojournal­ist had been arrested on August 5 following an interview with Al Jazeera in which he had criticized the government’s violent response to popular protests against poor road safety. This touched a nerve in Nepal as well, where Alam has helped many aspiring photojour­nalists to get proper training and establish themselves.

Earlier, Alam had been refused bail five times. Now that he is free, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam says his office would lodge an appeal with the Supreme Court seeking a stay order on the bail, according to media reports.

The award-winning photojour­nalist, whose photographs have appeared in The New York Times and National Geographic, had been accused of violating Section 57 of Bangladesh’s Information and Com­munication Technology Act. Section 57 has in recent times been widely criticized for restricting freedom of expression and for leading to scores of arrests. The case against him is still under investigation and if convicted, the 63-year-old Alam, who also has a PhD in chemistry from University of London, could face between seven and 14 years in prison, a prospect that makes his supporters in Nepal shudder.

Not just in Nepal. International organizations like the Lucie Foun­dation, Amnesty International, the Committee to Protect Journalists, Reporters Without Borders, and Index on Censorship, to name a few, had each issued strong statements against his arrest. As had Nobel Lau­reates Amartya Sen and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

The 102 days of his detention was also a somber occasion for Nepali photojournalists, who had marked the first 100 days by photo­graphing themselves with his card­board cutouts. November 15 was thus a day to rejoice. But they also know that Alam’s battle for justice is far from over.

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Free at last

The support for detained Bangla­deshi photojournalist Shahid­ul Alam was strong in Nepal. Photojournalists, media personnel and activists here thus joined the online #FreeShahidulAlam cam­paign with gusto. His supporters in Nepal even picketed outside the Bangladesh Embassy in Kathmandu and from the day of his detention, they had been organizing various other forms of protests. On October 26, Alam was awarded the Photo Kathmandu Award of Excellence during a month-long photography exhibition. Alam has been visiting Nepal since the mid-1990s and many profession­al photojournalists consider him an important figure. “Shahidul da has played a pivotal role in nurturing photojournalism in Nepal since its early days,” says senior photojour­nalist Bikas Rauniyar, recalling his first interaction with Alam in the mid-1990s. “We were just starting then, had no formal education or training and no resources whatsoev­er. That is when we met him.”

At the meeting Alam informed the assembled photojournalists, including Rauniyar, who had only just started in his career, about a free photography course in Dhaka. “So Raj Bhai Suwal, who is now a renowned photographer in Nepal, and I, accepted the offer and went to Dhaka for the three-week training.”

In their own reckoning the train­ing did the duo a world of good. Lat­er, Alam would provide many other Nepali photojournalists opportuni­ties to work with international pho­tographers and learn from them. Rauniyar recalls a time after the formation of the National Forum of Photo Journalists when the media personnel in Nepal wanted to orga­nize a World Press Photo event. The WPP exhibition would be expen­sive. “Since Shahidul da was the first jury member in WPP from our region, he got the fees waived for us,” Rauniyar says. “Thus we suc­cessfully organized the three-week exhibition in 2002 and many local photographers got a chance to learn vital skills.”

Personally, Rauniyar finds Alam warm, friendly, genuine and empa­thetic. “He is like an elder brother,” he says. “Thus I address him as Sha­hidul da.” On Alam’s detention, Rau­niyar is of the view that he was only exercising his freedom of speech, his constitutional right. “The Article 57 levied on him was a draconian and undemocratic clause,” Rauniyar says. “They misused the article to arrest him.”

Another photojournalist Sailendra Kharel remembers Alam as someone with an honest smile, warm hug and charismatic personality. “I first met him during the Ladai Ma Janta photo exhibition that was held at the Nepal Art Council in 2006,” he recalls. “I would meet him again in 2009 in Dhaka at Chobi Mela V, a photo exhi­bition he founded in 1999.” Kharel’s photos on Nepal’s conflict was the only solo exhibit from Nepal at the Dhaka event, in what proved to be a huge boost to his fledgling career in photography.

When asked if the photojournal­ists in Nepal get to exercise more freedom than those in other coun­tries in the region, Kharel replies, “I started my career in 2005 when the country was under the grip of a civil war. I had to report from Nepalgunj and other conflict-hit areas. Those were tough times. But Nepal has progressed a lot in terms of press freedom,” he adds. In the case of Alam, Kharel felt that justice would soon be done because the world was watching and “People are not idiots.”

While his photos have been acclaimed the world over, Alam is also popular as an educator. He set up the Drik Picture Library in 1989 and Pathshala South Asian Insti­tute of Photography (later Pathshala South Asian Media Institute) in 1998, both in Dhaka, from which hun­dreds of students have graduated.

“Dr Alam is a visiting faculty in our college and our college also has a partnership on photography, media and communication training with his institutions,” says Man­ju Mishra, Chairperson of College of Journalism and Mass Com­munication (CJMC). “I am really impressed by Alam’s dynamic, inno­vative and creative personality,” says Mishra, who was also a part of the ‘Free Shahidul Alam’ movement in Nepal.

“Dozens of Nepali photographers have studied at Alam’s Pathshala and he has played a key role in the development of photojournalism in Nepal,” says Nayan Tara Gurung Kakshapati, the founding director of photo.circle and someone who has nurtured countless photographers in Nepal. “I met him around 10 years ago, before we started photo.circle. He has been encouraging from the start. Nepali photographers have not only studied at his institutions but also gotten internships and paid positions in international media through him,” she says.

Alam, she says, includes Nepal in almost every international proj­ect and has arranged for student exchange programs for Nepali pho­tographers in Norwegian and Aus­tralian universities. It helps that “Alam is open and accessible to all budding photographers.”

From protesting on social media to hitting the streets, Nepali photo­journalists were one in their support of Shahidul Alam. But the Bangla­deshi government under the ruling Awami League was unmoved for long. Alam’s release comes with­in a week of Bangladesh’s Minis­ter for Cultural Affairs, Asaduz­zaman Noor, speaking at the Dhaka Lit Fest, assuring that the contro­versial imprisonment would be “resolved soon”. For his countless supporters in Nepal and around the world that day could not have come soon enough.

Eminent Nepali writer and journalist Aswini Koirala has been honored in Japan for his contribution to Nepali literature and journal­ism. He was feted at the Inter­national Nepali Haiku Conven­tion 2018, jointly organized by the World Haiku Organization and the International Nepali Literary Society, Japan Chap­ter. The program was held in the premises of the Nepali Embassy in Japan. Eminent Japanese writer and director of World Haiku Association, Ban Ya Natu­ishi, honored Koirala with a certificate and cash. At the event, Koirala’s new book ‘Parijat’, a collection of Nepali haiku poems, was also launched. Koirala is the writer of bestselling Nepali novels Premalaya and Zukerberg’s Café.

“I am really happy to honor a celebrated Nepali writer in Japan. I hope this opens doors to a strong literary bond between Nepali and Japanese literature,” said Natuishi.

“This kind of program will strengthen cultural ties between Nepal and Japan,” said Krishna Chandra Aryal, First Secretary of Nepali Embassy in Japan.

Sampada Malla is an estab­lished name in Nepali media and entertainment industry. She is the creator of “Drishyansha” nationwide mobile filmmaking competi­tion, as well as a journalist, writer, filmmaker and a board member of Sarwanam The­ater. She is as well known in India as she is in Nepal. Most notably, she wrote the screen­play for the popular Hindi tv serial ‘Ishq Ka Rang Safed’ that was broadcast in Colors TV. Malla was recently honored by Navaratna Award, given by the International Nepali Literary Society (INLS). Sabhyata Jha of APEX caught up with Malla this week for some insight into her life and work. How did your journey into the world of theater and films begin?

I grew up in an artistically stimulating environment. From a very young age, I would accompany my father to various events and I started doing radio shows and adver­tisements when I was in grade two and three. I started writ­ing when I was in grade five and have never looked back. I found my niche in writing and as I grew up, this pas­sion has taken different forms, spanning from journalism to writing screenplay. All of my seemingly scattered achieve­ments fall under the broad canopy of writing.

Would you say writing is your calling then?

Everybody in this world is born for something, is born with a purpose. When you discover your purpose your work becomes your motivation. I would like to think that I was born to write. Writing is like meditation to me. It is cathartic, as well as my passion.

You have worked on many Hindi soap operas. As someone who writes screenplays for them, don’t you think they are rather formulaic?

It happens due to extreme commercialization of the entertainment industry. Indian television shows cater to a specific audience and it produces what this section of population wants to see. At times, trying to be differ­ent goes against these mar­ket interests. Also, the sto­ryline tends to be similar to match the huge demand. As the operas are telecast every day, writers are under great pressure to constantly come up with new material. All of these take creativity out of the task but because of the sheer amount of money involved, this is what you will continue to get. It is very difficult to find your voice as a writer when you are bound by so many limitations. This is also one reason I left this work and returned to Nepal.

Having worked in enter­tainment industries of both India and Nepal, how would you evaluate Nepali entertainment industry?

After my return to Nepal, I have realized the potential of Nepali entertainment indus­try—TV, music and movie alike. We have the capability to be as good as, if not better than, the Indian entertainment media. We are now seeing the audience embrace Nepali movies and songs. We have multiplexes showing Nepali movies and Nepali songs get­ting over seventy million hits on YouTube. So I am positive about the prospect of Nepali entertainment industry and I believe that this, the present, is its golden age.

How is the entertainment industry in Nepal different to its Indian counterpart?

It is the diverse stories that we have and we can have. People want to hear these sto­ries and since we have started exploring these unique sto­ries, the market of Nepali movies has increased. So, we need to delve deeper into these stories.

Any suggestions for those who want to follow on your footsteps into the entertainment business?

I have said it before and I will say it again: everyone has a passion, something that you love to do. If you cannot fathom retirement from a task, pursue it. Find your pas­sion, make it your profession and be the best in whatever you do.

What’s next for Sampada Malla? What are you work­ing on right now?

Currently I am working on a Nepali horror feature film “Eka Deshma” starring Gauri Malla, Mithila Sharma, and Karma. I am the writer as well as the executive producer of this movie. It is going to be directed by Bhimshen Lama. I have other projects lined up as well but this is my primary focus right now.