It took the launch of the People’s War led by the then CPN (Maoist) party for the NA leadership to realize the need and importance of developing what is now famously referred to as civil-military relations since it was founded in 1744 by late King Prithvi Narayan Shah. It was only in April 2, 2002, when the government under the NA initiative formally recognized the need for a separate body in the NA, which would disseminate information to the public regarding its activities and policies. It was then the cabinet approved establishment of a directorate within the organization that would cater to the insatiable want of the Nepali society, especially the media, to gain knowledge on Army’s activities and initiate dialogue with its top ranks.
With the establishment of the Directorate of Public Relation (DPR), NA began to explore the fields of audio-video and print journalism along with the realization that media had begun to play an unprecedented role in shaping and contributing to the country’s political mechanisms. NA came to accept that the contribution of a vibrant media had become a crucial factor in Nepali polity. The need for a dedicated directorate was, more specifically, dictated by the “necessity” of counter-insurgency involvement. The NA was mobilized to fight the then insurgents in November, 2002. Thus an insignificant media cell with hardly any teeth within the Directorate of Military Intelligence, where the public relation cell was located before, could have hardly served the interest of the institution.
At such delicate times, Nepal Army wants to push ahead its agenda and portray a clean image through building media partnerships. The Army Defense Course for journos was a step towards that.
“There was a need for a body to disseminate accurate news on our counter-insurgency strategies,” Brigadier General Ramindra Chhetri, who has been heading the DPR since two-and-a-half years said, adding, “That too a dedicated one to answer queries and disseminate accurate facts about NA’s activities.” The main objective behind the formation of DPR, therefore, Chhetri said was “to provide information of public interests pertaining to the NA in a timely, accurate and transparent manner.”
With this primary aim, its implied tasks came to be to advise the Chief of Army Staff on public relations matter and media issues; prepare and disseminate press releases; issue rebuttal of misleading news items; hold press conference and seminars; deal with mass media; impart media trainings to officers and other ranks on regular basis; arrange for media visits for its trainees to various media houses in the capital; participate in outside seminars/conferences; and arrange for visits of media persons to various peacekeeping missions around the world where NA men are stationed. The DPR now initiates media awareness packages for its officials and invites experts on media, human rights, democracy and governance-related issues on a regular basis to take lectures in its classes run from the Headquarters, Nagarkot barrack and other places. It runs the official website of NA. It has now initiated a week-long Defense Correspondent Orientation (DCOP) program for its officials. It has so far taken 56 journalists from Nepal to the UN peacekeeping missions in Lebanon, Congo, Sierra Leone, Haiti, and others. The DPR, has, however, halted this practice since a year citing “reporting not up to the mark” as the reason.
With mere 5-6 people in the media cell originally, DPR now consists of a total 58 full-time staff with 18 men at its main office at the Headquarters headed by a Brigadier General (BG) since 2004. Earlier, only a Full-Colonel used to lead the media cell. DPR is now extended down to every Division-level where a PR cell exits. There is a Public Relation Officer (PRO) at every Brigade and Battalion level as well. It added to its credit a new complex in March, 2008.
The BGs at DPR before Chhetri from the beginning respectively are BG Deepak Kumar Gurung (2058-2060 BS), BG Rajendra Kumar Thapa (2060-61), BG Deepak Kumar Gurung (2061-62), BG Nepal Bhushan Chand (2062-63), BG Ananta Bahadur Thebe (2063/06/11-2063/11/04).
The Audio-Visual Department under DPR produces TV and radio programs like tele-dramas and documentaries on NA activities (mainly in areas of peacekeeping, developmental works, nature conservation, etc) and other social issues (HIV/AIDS, etc). NA programs are aired forthrightly through NTV, Sagarmatha TV, Image Channel and Channel Nepal. The UK-based Nepali Channel also airs NA program thrice a week. In fact, it concluded screening of 201 episodes a month back. The DVDs produced by DPR is widely circulated to people at home and abroad. Its radio cell broadcasts a half an hour program on Radio Nepal once a week. In addition, it has a photography cell as well. But most active in the DPR is the print section, which comes out with the fortnightly newspaper “Sipahi,” annual Army Day magazine “Sipahi” and NA’s internal coffee table book – all reflecting what the NA is doing. At present, the Sipahi newspaper circulation is 6,000.
Stating that the publications are a part of military’s peacetime engagement, Chhetri said, “The publications confirm with government policy, the constitution and Army Act.” He completely ruled out all possibility of going commercial in this regard. “The newspaper is for internal distribution and for a few interested readers, we cannot go into the market,” he added.
With an annual budget of Rs 3.8 million, the DPR is now looking for areas to expand and extend its programs. From being an institution ruled iron-handedly, the NA has come to accept the reality of Nepali polity, and, thereby, extended a hand in a most diplomatic overture. The recently held Army Defense Course for the journalists was a step in educating the journos on the NA activities. But that is not all. NA invariably wants to, like any security agency, suppress negative news reporting in media. At such delicate times, NA wants to push ahead its agenda and portray a clean image through building media partnerships.
“Capacity-building is a key area for us. Within the parameters set by the government, we would like to reach out to both national and international media,” Chhetri shared with Republica. Stating that NA’s role during peacetime is limited, he said, “Whatever NA is engaged in must be highlighted and the media has to understand its position,” adding, “Information and communication revolution aided by advancement in science and technology in the 21st century dictates the need for Army to open up under democratic norms set by the state.”
According to Chhetri, who is the longest serving BG in DPR, Nepali media too is developing with “time and experience” and within the parameters of the Right to Information Act, NA will “fulfill its responsibility” in delivering right information to the media. Labeling DPR as a “facilitator,” he said DPR has not faced any significant problems in professional dealings with the media. He, however, pointed that DPR does not discuss “personal matters” of any NA officer with the journalists. He was referring to the former army chief Rookmangud Katawal row and queries directed to him by the ever-inquisitive media on the then second-in-command General Kul Bahadur Khadka, who was the pick for the top post of the then Maoist government.
“An effective communication channel followed by coordinated information distribution is required,” Chhetri said. He added, “Under the direction of the Chief, we would advance the concept of civil-military relation in the days ahead.”
With the new mantra of military-civilian relation, emphasized by the new Chief of Army Staff Chhatra Mansingh Gurung, DPR is surely to be the main vehicle for pushing ahead this newly-found agenda. It will be the focal point for media and civil society. What remains a challenge is for the DPR to develop a communication mechanism channel with the Ministry of Defense to strengthen its role and activities. Highly-placed NA sources have claimed that NA will do so in the days ahead.
akanshya@myrepublica.com
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