KATHMANDU — As protests against the government spread out from the capitol and into the surrounding suburbs, longtime NotTheNation stringer and Kathmandu native, Prakash Adhikari, 33, has finally been given an assignment from his editor at NTN. “Get out there and cover those protests,” said Editor-In-Chief Abraham Bonds, before hanging up to resume sipping a tequila mixer at Laem Had Beach, on Ko Yao Yai Island.
“This is a lucky break for my career. My last article for NTN was back in 2008, and I’ve been waiting 17 years for another assignment. Maybe I can get a promotion and even a raise after this,” Adhikari said, hopefully. So far, Adhikari has interviewed several students involved in the protests, and taken nearly a hundred photos of the chaos, including the burning parliament building, as well as the ransacked houses of several government officials. “I got some good pull quotes from some of the injured protestors, and even better, I think I finally nailed a nice over-the-shoulder selfie with the flames in the background.”
Unemployment, currently hovering around 20 percent, has been one of the main grievances fueling the unrest. Adhikari said he could relate. “For almost two decades, I’ve basically been unemployed too. Do you know how hard it is to keep telling your relatives at Dashain that yes, you’re still a journalist, even though NTN hasn’t published a word from you since we sacked our monarchy?” he said, adding that he hoped to parlay the nation’s misery into a stable paycheck.
Corruption has also been a key target of the protests, with many accusing the government of failing to prosecute obvious cases. Adhikari said he empathized, since he has been filing reimbursement forms for years that have never been processed. “Every time I try to get 500 rupees back for a taxi ride, it vanishes into some editor’s drawer. If NTN can’t root out this corruption, what hope does Nepal have?”
Demonstrators also pointed to the lavish lifestyles of officials’ children, a contrast that stings for Adhikari. “It’s humiliating to see ministers’ sons posting photos from Dubai while I can’t even expense a plate of momo. If I had just one of their supercars, I could finally drive to interviews instead of begging sources for a lift on their scooters.”
Another spark was the government’s decision to block major social media platforms, which protesters said silenced their voices. Adhikari said he too suffered: “How am I supposed to post links to my long-awaited comeback piece if access to Facebook and Instagram are sketchy? I need those clicks to show the bosses in Bangkok that my articles will generate ad revenue.”
The deadly crackdown, in which 19 protesters were killed by security forces, has added fury to the streets. Adhikari admitted he considered it a professional opportunity. “It’s tragic, of course. But also, this is the most deaths I’ve ever been near in a single day of reporting. Pulitzer committees love body counts, and I think this finally gives me the gravitas my portfolio was missing.”
And finally, demonstrators are demanding that the government dissolve itself entirely. Adhikari said he drew personal inspiration from this demand. “If the protesters can imagine tearing down an entire government, surely NTN can imagine giving me a small promotion to fulltime correspondent. Maybe, even–god-willing–once my byline is published, I could get noticed by Agence France-Presse.”
At press time, Adhikari’s article had been completely cut in favor of another puff-piece about the improving fashion standards of ladyboys in Pattaya.
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