The electronic media, film halls and cable operators had stopped transmission of Hindi materials from last Saturday on request of the Maoists who have been on an anti-Indian campaign as part of their fourth phase of protests. The Maoists had asked the FM stations and film halls to transmit only Nepali materials till January 24. Cable operators, media houses and film halls said they obeyed Maoist directive so as to avoid problems in the future. [break]
“We stopped transmission of Hindi channels after the Maoists made verbal and written requests,” said Aman Shrestha, the operator of Chitwan Unique Cable Network. Similarly, Dolphin Cable Network has also stopped transmission of Hindi channels.
Maoists enforced the ban on Hindi materials to protest the ban on their leader Ram Bahadur Thapa and others by India during from visiting Rasiyawal-Khurdalotan Dam on the border with Kapilvastu.
Chitwan President of the Maoists´ United People´s Movement, Nepal, Danda Pani Poudel said the Hindi ban was part of their fourth phase of protest.