So Unpredictable...

CONDOLENCE

Last time I had written about Indra Lohani...this time, i'm writing about him again...the only difference is, that time he was alive and now he is not......

i had written about his questioning style which i quite didn't like...yes, at times, he used to be harsh on his guests, but he had the courage to ask tough questions, a quality which no other interviewer had shown...

now that he's passed away, i really feel our country has lost a bold presenter, a tough questioner, and above all a gutsy lawyer and journalist ....i also feel Nepal is having an 'alachhin' time, as they say in nepali, in the field of journalism..

my heartfelt condolence to his family.....

may Late Lohani's soul rest in peace

but i still can't believe he's no more....oh god, what life we have...we're here today, YOU only know whether we will still be here tomorrow or not...

He knows all...

Mr Know All

When Kantipur TV's popular show Bahas comes on air, I make it a point not to miss it. It's a great program, with such a bold presenter who does not hesitate to ask any kind of questions to anyone, especially the politicians. But no matter how I try not to be disappointed, Mr Indra Lohani disappoints me eventually, with his humiliating questions.

His latest guest was Rajiv Kafle, one of the bold men who did not fear the stigma and publicized his HIV-infected condition at a time when only a certain population was aware of it. For thousands of Nepalis, he has become a role model, and when I saw this guy on Bahas, I thought Kafle's boldness and dedication would be respected.

But no, the first question he is asked is: "Do you have AIDS or HIV?" Maybe Lohani wanted to show the public what the difference between the two was through Rajiv, but he did not think how the guest would feel. And he was not an ordinary guest—a person who dared and challenged the mentality of people that even HIV-infected could stand up from the crowd.

In the course of interview, Rajiv said how his dream to be a pilot could not materialize. He also talked about a donation-based hospital that he was running. Also, he shared he spent a lot of time with around 40 children—some whose parents had died of the infection and some who had the infection.

Listening to all these, Lohani fires another question: "Don't you think HIV-infection gave you an opportunity to be popular?" For a moment, I myself was hurt. How could he ask such a question to a person who has been fighting the condition to live a better life? A person has to positively take all kind of facial expressions when people know of the infection...

Rajiv Kafle is not my relative or my friend or anyone linked with me. But since my school days, I have known him as a bold guy who publicized his condition irrespective of the isolation he was bound to face and then began working for people like him, to protect them. So, I respect him.

Mr Lohani may have all the knowledge in the world but that knowledge would do good to no one if he invites people in his show just to show them he knows better. One may think I am no better either as I am publicly criticizing someone, but there is a difference. I am a nobody but Lohani and Kafle both are public figures, and both of them should be respected in their own ways.

Kafle & Lohani on 'Bahas'