Solidarity: A petition for the release of Kanak Mani Dixit

(Editors and media figures as well as intellectuals and scholars have called for the release of Himal Southasian founding editor and prominent Nepali journalist Kanak Mani Dixit who was arrested on 22 April 2016 in Kathmandu by anti-graft officials.)It is with deep concern that we have learned of the arrest today of Kanak Mani Dixit, the widely respected founder-editor of Himal Media and a courageous voice for transparency, freedom of expression and democratic rights in Nepal and across South Asia. The charges are related to alleged corruption but Kanak Dixit says it is part of a vendetta pursued against him by people in Government..We have known Kanak Dixit as a true professional, human rights defender and energetic journalist whose credentials are built on robust research and tremendous courage. Himal Media, a pioneer in South Asia journalism, has published Himal South Asia, Nepali Times and Himal Khabar Patrika (in the Nepali language). He has written extensively for international media including leading newspapers in India and is chairman of Sajha Yatayat, a state run transportation company, which he has been turning around from a loss-making entity..Kanak Dixit's detention comes at a time of increased pressure on free media across South Asia. We call upon all national and international media organisations, individual journalists and editors, defenders of media under pressure, on those who believe in the freedom of expression, to seek Kanak Dixit's immediate release and a fair and transparent trial, free of bias..We call upon the Government of Nepal to issue a clear a transparent and unequivocal statement on his detention for we are deeply concerned about his safety and rights. We condemn all forms of pressure tactics on editors like him and other courageous media figures such as Mahfuz Anam of the Daily Star in Dhaka, who is facing 79 cases of sedition and libel in Bangladeshi courts, and other media persons who are committed to the rule of law and justice..Sanjoy Narayan, Editor, The Hindustan Times, New Delhi.Rajdeep Sardesai, Chief Editor, India Today TV Group, New Delhi.Siddharth Varadarajan, Founder Editor, The Wire, New Delhi.Sir Mark Tully, veteran broadcaster.TN Ninan, Chairman, Business Standard Pvt Ltd, New Delhi.James Astill, Political Editor, The Economist.Swaminathan S Anklesaria Aiyar, Consulting Editor, Times of India Group.Barkha Dutt, Consulting Editor, NDTV.Sharmeen Obaid, Oscar Awardee for documentaries, Pakistan.Kathika Nair, poet and writer, Paris.Maja Daruwala, Director, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, New Delhi.Sevanti Ninan, editor, The Hoot, New Delhi.Sumit Ganguly, Rabindranath Tagore Chair in Indian Cultures and Civilizations and Professor of Political Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, US.Salil Tripathi, Journalist and Author, London.Imtiaz Ahmed, Executive Director, RCSS, Colombo.Mahfuz Anam, Editor, The Daily Star, Dhaka.Aunohita Mojumdar, Editor, Himal Southasian.Laxmi Murthy, Consulting Editor, Himal Southasian.Vijay Prashad, Contributing Editor, Himal Southasian.Gillian Wright, Writer.Sara Hossein, Lawyer, Bangladesh Supreme Court.Zafar Sobhan, Editor, Dhaka Tribune.Afsan Chowdhury, Senior Journalist, Bangladesh.Rita Manchanda, South Asia Forum for Human Rights (SAFHR).Tapan K Bose, SAHFR.Dr. Naila Zaman Khan, Professor of Child Neurology and Development, Bangladesh.Lubna Mariam, Cultural activist, Bangladesh.Catherine Masud, Film Maker, US-Bangladesh.Dr Amena Mohsin, Professor, Dept. International Relations, University of Dhaka.Kalpana Sharma, independent journalist, Mumbai.Urvashi Butalia, Publisher, Zubaan.Dr. Sanjib Baruah, Professor of Political Studies, Bard College, New York, US.Dr. Bina D'Costa, Associate Professor and Director of Studies, Department of International, Australian National University.Tultul Biswas, Madhya Pradesh Mahila Manch, Bhopal.C. Raja Mohan, Journalist.Beena Sarwar, Journalist, Karachi / Cambridge MA.Tarun Basu, President, Society for Policy Studies (SPS), New Delhi.Subir Bhowmick, Senior Editor, BD24news, Kolkata.Pradip Phanjoubam, Editor, Imphal Free Press.Jyoti Malhotra, Senior Journalist, New Delhi.L. Somi Roy, Imasi Foundation, Manipur.Patricia Mukhim, Editor, The Shillong Times.Seema Mustafa, Editor, The Citizen, New Delhi.T. Monalisa Chankija, Editor, Nagaland Page, Dimapur.Akum Longchari, Editor, Morung Express, Dimapur.Teesta Setalvad, Journalist and Co-Editor Sabrangindia.in.Lalita Panicker, Senior Associate Editor, The Hindustan Times, New Delhi.Nalaka Gunwardene, Columnist, Sri Lanka.Seema Guha, senior journalist (freelance), New Delhi.Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty, The Wire, New Delhi.Aruni Kashyap, Writer and Asst Professor of English, Ashoka University.Dr. Xonzoi Barbora, TISS, Guwahati.Dr. Sanjeeb Kakoty, Associate Professor, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Management Shillong.Dr. Anjuman Ara Begum, Forum-Asia, Katmandu.Uma Chakravarty, feminist historian, New Delhi.Nisha Biswas, scientist and activist, Kolkata.Preeti Gill, editor and literary agent, New Delhi.Sanjoy Hazarika, independent columnist, New Delhi.Nupur Basu, senior journalist.Sanjoy K Roy, Teamwork Arts.Neena Gopal, Resident Editor, Deccan Chronicle, Bangalore.Geeta Seshu, Journalist, Mumbai.Anusheh Anadil, Musician and Cultural Activist, Bangladesh.Kishalay Bhattacharjee, author and journalist, New Delhi.Babul Gogoi, Assam Times, Guwahati.Dr Nayanika Mookherjee, Reader in Socio-Cultural Anthropology, Durham University, UK.Saadia Haq, writer and human rights activist, Pakistan.Rina Mukherjee, Independent Journalist, Kolkata.Rizio Yohannan Raj, Lila Foundation.Sandhya Srinivasan, Infochange News & Features, Mumbai.Pushpa Achanta, Journalist and Trainer, Bangalore.Shoma Sen, Professor and civil-rights activist, Nagpur.Ashis Nandy, Sociologist, India.Philippe Ramirez, Scholar, Paris.Puja Sen, Journalist, Kathmandu.Shubhanga Pandey, Journalist, Kathmandu.Kunsang Palmo, Student, New York.Smita Mitra, Desk Editor, Himal Southasian.Srabasti Dey, Assistant Editor, Himal Southasian.Slok Gyawali, Assistant Editor, Himal Southasian.Shobhana L Chelliah, Professor, College of Information, Linguistics, UNT Discovery Park, Denton, Texas, US.Ranjita Biswas, Independent journalist, Kolkata.Tula Goenka, Professor/Filmmaker, Syracuse University.Jyoti Punwani, Journalist, Mumbai.Beth Walker, The Third Pole, London.Saswati Ghosh, Assoc Prof and HOD, Economics, City College (under Calcutta Univ).Paula Banerjee, Professor and Head of South and Southeast Asian Studies, University of Calcutta and Director MCRG.Ranabir Samaddar, MCRG, Kolkata.Anubhuti Sharma, Research Scholar, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.Ashish Chakrabarti, Senior Editor, The Telegraph, Kolkata.Dileep Chandan, Editor, Asom Bani, Guwahati.Najam Sethi, Editor-in-Chief, The Friday Times, Lahore.Tahira Abdullah, human rights defender, Islamabad.Shaheen Sehbai, Group Editor, The News, Pakistan.Joy Lynn Davis, Artist and Founder of Himalayan Art and Cultural Heritage Project, California.Iqbal Khattak, Journalist, Pakistan.Anjuman Ara Begum, Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development, Kathmandu, Nepal.Zohra Yusuf, Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP).Bibek Paudel, Student, Zurich.Shishir Dahal, Consultant Radiologist at National trauma center, Kathmandu.Paribesh Pradhan, Student, Zurich.Mallika Aryal, Journalist, Kathmandu.Mallika Shakya, Assistant Professor, South Asian University, New Delhi.Jeevan Sharma, University of Edinburgh, UK.Rebecca Johnson Bista, journalist and writer, UK.Tehila Sasson, Historian, London.Sameera Khan, independent journalist and writer, Mumbai.Harsh Kapoor, South Asia Citizens Web.Garga Chatterjee, Writer and scientist, Kolkata.Balasingham Skanthakumar, Social Scientists' Association, Sri Lanka.Jillian Dunham, New York, NY.Maggie Muldoon, Overseas Programme Manager, Livability, Ireland.Catherine Henggeler, designer, Switzerland.Claire Olivier, Social Worker, California.Rita Payne, President Emeritus, Commonwealth Journalists Association, London.Freny Manecksha, Independent Journalist, Mumbai.Manisha Aryal, Editorial Advisor, Himal Southasian.Hannah Archambault, Ph.D. Candidate, South & Southeast Asian Studies, UC Berkeley.Sarah Kooperkamp, Episcopal Priest, New York City.Peter Lerangis, Writer, New York, NY.Cristina deVaron, Musician/Writer, New York, NY.Bindu Menon, Assistant Professor, Lady Shri Ram College for Women, New Delhi.Stuart Hartill, Journalist, Isle of Man.Jai Sen, CACIM, New Delhi.Jayant Bhattacharyya, Press Trust of India, Agartala, Tripura.Ashish Kothari, Kalpavriksh, Pune.Namit Arora, Writer, New Delhi.Debojit Dutta, Founder and Editor, Antiserious.com.Madhusree Mukerjee, writer, Frankfurt.Sasanka Perera, Professor, South Asian University, New Delhi.Prof. Kamal Mitra Chenoy, JNU, New Delhi.Prof. Anuradha Chenoy, JNU, New Delhi.Rajashri Dasgupta, Independent Journalist, Kolkata and Himal Southasian editorial advisor.Sushil Khanna, Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata.(Please write to editorial@himalmag.com to sign on to this petition.)