A Farmer’s Festival and a Journalist’s Funeral

November 21, 2024 – Nepal –

In Nepal, the contrast between national celebration and national tragedy came sharply into focus this June. On the one hand, the government observed National Paddy Day with festive rice-planting ceremonies intended to symbolize agricultural renewal. On the other hand, Dalit journalist Suresh Bhul was murdered in a brutal act of caste-based violence that exposed deep fissures in Nepal’s social fabric.

National Paddy Day was marked with symbolic gestures from top officials, including Agriculture Minister Beduram Bhusal, who participated in transplanting paddy in Bhaktapur. He assured farmers that fertilizer shortages would soon be resolved, and pledged support for improving national rice production. Parliamentary committee chair Kusum Devi Thapa and Agriculture Secretary Deepak Kharal echoed this optimism, encouraging collaboration among federal, provincial, and local bodies to reduce Nepal’s dependence on rice imports. Despite the monsoon being underway, only around 15.6% of fields had been planted nationwide, underscoring ongoing logistical challenges that hamper Nepal’s food security.

While leaders posed for ceremonial photos in muddy fields, news emerged of the gruesome killing of Suresh Bhul in Kailali district. Bhul, a Dalit journalist known for his work with the marginalized Tharu and Dalit communities, had recently been falsely accused of goat theft. Though proven innocent and fined by a village body, he was later cornered and beaten to death by a mob in what rights activists have called a premeditated, caste-driven murder. Seven suspects have been arrested, but the National Dalit Journalists Association alleges police inaction and demands a full investigation and compensation for Bhul’s family. They decried the killing as an attack not only on a journalist but on the entire Dalit press community.

The events highlight a jarring dichotomy in Nepal: a government publicly celebrating its farmers while failing to protect a journalist rooted in the very soil of rural injustice. Bhul’s murder has reignited calls for justice, caste equality, and safety for reporters, particularly those from marginalized backgrounds. While St. Patrick’s Day symbolizes hope, Bhul’s death is a sobering reminder that for many, systemic injustice still runs deeper than the rice fields the nation celebrates.

Reference – 

https://www.dignitypost.com/news/2024/11/143

https://english.hamropatro.com/news/details/8744330914240066?ns=

https://risingnepaldaily.com/news/52372