Editors’ Face To Face With Prachanda

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Nepal’s rebel leader talks face to face with two prominent journalists of the country.

By Dinesh Wagle

THATS HIM: The real face of the most elusive leader of Nepal called Prachanda, the Chairman Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) that has been declared terrorist by the state. An exclusive photo by Narayan Wagle.

People are pleasantly surprised reading today’s issues of Kantipur and the Kathmandu Post. Ultimate reporters of Nepali journalism jointly scooped one of the biggest stories of contemporary Nepali society. As the young editors of the two best knows newspapers of Nepal, Narayan Wagle of Kantipur and Prateek Pradhan of the Post jointly interviewed Prachanda, the Maoists supremo, live in an undisclosed location. A few days ago, they disappeared together from Kathmandu and everyone thought they were on leave!

They started their career some 13 years ago as rookie reporters of the Kathmandu Post, and we have heard many stories of how they used to go together in reporting assignments in those days, direct from the veterans.And today morning they together gave a pleasant surprise to Nepali journalism. They are probably the first Nepali journalists to have a face-to-face interview with the comrade. Wagle also captures comrade Prachanda with the latter’s fellow comrade Dr. Baburam Bhattarai in his camera. The pictures published in today’s papers are the most clear photos of the elusive leader of Nepali communist movement. Pictures are the most exclusive ones.

The interview is candid and views expressed by Prachanda make people think that the rebels are serious for bringing back peace in the country.The timing of the publication of the interview is superb: just before a day of the municipal election.It seemed like after they interviewed Prachanda, both Narayan Wagle and Prateek Pradhan were interviewed by their eager reporters at office. It was easily understandable that reporters were curious to know how their friendly bosses managed to scoop the interview without giving them a slight hint of the process.

The black and white Prachanda. Photo by Narayan Wagle

“Narayan Dai, how did you feel seeing Prachanda for the first time?” a rookie reporter could not hold his curiosity. “Narayan Dai, whom do you like better, Prachanda or Gyanendra?” Narayan Dai, did they talk about your Palpasa Cafe? The day when Narayan Dai, one of the best reporters Nepal has ever produced, assumed the post of editorship of the country’s most influential and prestigious and most read newspaper, a brilliant reporter had died. Narayan Dai was plunged into the editorial responsibly and he best reporting he cold do was do some column writing etc. Now, suddenly, Narayan Dai was a reporter with scoops on his coffer.

Narayan Dai tried to satisfy almost all queries of his bhai reporters except the one that he has not mentioned in the intro note of the interview published today: the venue of the interview. After all, Narayan Dai is also a reporter who knows very well how to protect the identity of his source. He gave us a few juicy insights of the informal talks that he and Prateek Pradhan held with the rebel leaders. He also told us how Prachanda responded when Pradhan jokingly asked the question: “People think King Gyanendra is Prachanda.” [Prachanda just laughed, said Wagle dai, with with a long and big ha.. ha..ha”]

A few reporters also asked the editor what kind of comments they received from the pwer centers after the interview was published in newspapers. It was obvious that Prachanda’s exclusive interview published in papers like Kantipur and the Kathmandu Post would generate immense comments and reactions from almost every nook and cranny of Nepali society. Rumors like army confiscating copies of Kantipur in the morning ruled throughout the day. Even Ministers like Kamal Thapa (Home) and Shirish Shumsher Rana (information) reacted to the interview not-negatively.Wagle also compared his experience of talking with the rebel leader and the king. (He talked freely with the communist leader where as there were issues of protocols with the monarch.)

One reporter also asked whom Wagle found the most autocratic in nature. Everyone laughed as the question fell on the floor and I did not hear what Wagle’s answer was. Of course, that was the first meeting with Prachanda for Wagle and Pradhan so they must have felt somewhat uneasy before actually starting the conversation. Wagle agreed on this guess.

Two comrades: Prachanda and Maoist leader Dr. Baburam Bhattarai immediately after a two-hour-long interview the editors of Kantipur and the Kathmandu Post in an undisclosed location “inside Nepal”. Photo by Narayan Wagle

Wagle found a reader of his novel Palpasa Café in Dr. Babu Ram Bhattarai. The studious rebel leader congratulated Wagle for the book but he apparently was not too appreciative about Wagel’s perspective of the Conflict and Peoples’ War in the novel. “You presented your perspective,” was what the rebel leader had to say on the novel. Prachanda said that he had seen the cover of the book but “I haven’t read as yet. I will read.”