Nepal is a least developed country. Much like the economy which is literally in tatters media sector, too, was in disarray in the years following the restoration of democracy in 1990. The restoration of democracy led to development of the press, with private daily newspapers hitting the stand.
This was a departure from a state of largely unorganized functioning of the media. Journalism at some point of time was restricted to committed variety, with readers dished out partisan view of the political process. But it will not be wrong to say here that in much the same way as the politico-socio-economic process was in tatters, press too was out of step with what was going on.
The problem, of course, was journalism had yet to evolve along professional line. Much of the anomalies emanated from the fact that there were no media fora, which could contribute to the evolution of the press along informed line by organizing interaction sessions on the issues of current interest. The yawning gap was filled up by RCN which is now into its tenth year and going strong every day.
In fact, RCN was the only forum of journalists which has evolved as a campaigner on almost every front. It gained further role after the year 2000 when the now deposed monarch Gyanendra Shah virtually staged a coup by dismissing the popularly elected Prime Minister on October 13.
With parliament no longer in place (since Sher Bahadur Deuba had dissolved the same by declaring fresh election) King Gyanendra tended to launch a direct rule in what was the misinterpretation the constitutional clause. One can say the nation had landed in a state of political flux while political parties too had no role at all, with elections standing ruled out owing Maoist insurgency.
While much was to follow, the fact that the monarch had tended to bulldoze democracy was a golden opportunity for RCN. With no parliament in place, it evolved as a big forum for political parties to speak from and step up pressure on the monarch to yield to popular aspirations.
Fast forward to the year 2005, the year when the king took direct control by dismissing even the pitch-forked Prime Minister. The first casualty was the media, with army visiting news rooms and media hubs in what was gross intimidation of the members of the press to refrain from disseminating news against the king and his government.
But the RCN went into overdrive here and started organizing media-persons. It did it by organizing interaction sessions even through curfew. Those were the days when RCN team ferried journalists and political speakers by braving the curfew. That was the period immediately after February 1, 2005.
The period after 2005 was partly devoted to a fight against direct rule of King Gyanendra before the Maoist insurgency petered off in favor of talks between the CPN-Maoist and the seven-party alliance. The RCN was also in the thick of things when it came to give voice to the Maoist leaders who were not yet part of the mainstream politics. All that led to peace talks, restoration of the dissolved House of Representatives, its dissolution and election to constituent assembly on April 10, 2008. RCN is proud of the fact that it has worked close in cooperation with the democratic forces in the country before the nation turned into a republic on May 27, 2008.