More than 200 journalists, including 40 from neighboring India, are participating in the festival.
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A news festival has begun in Lumbini, organized by the Lumbini Press Club Bhairahawa, with the aim of promoting tourism in the Lumbini region, the birthplace of Buddha, and debating cross-border news issues. Discussions have begun in three sessions at the third Lumbini News Festival held in Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha, on Sunday.
More than 200 journalists, including 40 from neighboring India, are participating in the festival. Industrialists, businessmen, and social organizations are also present at the program. The first session of the festival discussed the topic of 'Cross-border relations: Needs and possibilities'.
This session was facilitated by Lumbini Press Club President Kamal Rayamajhi. In the session, Federation of Nepali Journalists President Nirmala Sharma said that cross-border relations are very necessary in the context of globalization. 'The role of the media will be important in addressing issues related to daily life, policy formulation between the two countries, and problem solving,' she said. 'It is necessary to develop positive relations between the journalism of Nepal and India. We should stop making baseless and superficial accusations and accusations about the two countries, as this makes journalists from both countries insecure.' She said that such debates and discussions are also necessary to stop the flow of false and incorrect information.
Gunaraj Luitel, Editor-in-Chief of Nagarik Daily, said that journalism should not only show problems, but also provide solutions. 'The media should be able to break the misunderstandings between the two countries. Unverified information should not be disseminated. In the conflict between the two countries, the media needs to do peace journalism,' he said, 'Journalists and the media should question even when a mother says "I love you" to her children and verify whether she really loves them or not.'
Indian journalist Sanjay Singh said that friends can be changed but neighbors cannot be changed, and said that even though Nepal is between two superpowers, it has cultural ties with India and it needs to be further strengthened.
Sikkim Press Club President Bhim Rawat began his speech with the proverb that a nearby ghost is more useful than a distant god. 'Cooperation is necessary for the prosperity of the two countries. Sikkim and Nepal can be linked in the promotion of tourism of the two countries,' he said, 'The two countries can partner in the promotion of tourism of Kanchenjunga Park and Chitwan National Park.' He also said that he wants to introduce Sikkim as the world's first organic state, the state of Kanchenjunga. 'Lumbini can be made a center of religious tourism.'
Policy makers of the two countries can be connected through symposiums and seminars,' he said. Lumbini Buddhist University Campus Head Dayanidhi Gautam said that the Vedas and Buddha are the common heritage of both Nepal and India. 'The relationship between the two countries is different and of separate importance than with other countries,' he said.
