The warmongering presentation seen in the Indian media for the last few days has once again raised the question of what is the religion of journalism. Headlines like 'Islamabad captured', 'Karachi port destroyed', 'The war has begun' show a desire to sell sensation rather than information.

Not only this, playing video game clips in the name of fight footage is a direct betrayal of the audience.

Such false news not only affects the relationship between India and Pakistan, but also poses a threat to the peace and stability of South Asia. Ironically, the Indian government also had to fact-check against such rumour-mongering material and the Ministry of Defense itself had to give a public message to 'beware of rumours'.

Famous journalist Ravish Kumar's statement 'Don't watch TV' is not just a criticism but a warning. When the so-called major media houses start calling for nationalistic hysteria and war, it signals a threat to both democracy and social harmony in that country.

In this context the role of responsible media becomes more important. In times of crisis, the media must work to give citizens confidence, not confusion, through fact-based, well-sourced reporting. Only a media that can foster a balanced approach, multilateral commentary and dialogue rather than confrontation can become the true guardians of democracy. Freedom of the press is not without responsibility, but a power with moral discipline.

We have a history of Indian media sometimes making exaggerated and unofficial comments about Nepal. Sometimes the map dispute, sometimes religious issues, sometimes foreign relations have been falsely propagated by the Indian media. But Nepal's mainstream media has been giving priority to moderation and fact-based journalism. It has become more necessary for the Nepali media to preserve this culture.

That's why we request that Indian media houses also give up the 'business model' of fake news. The media does not want war, nor bloodshed! All he wants is information, discretion and dialogue.

If freedom of communication is the backbone of democracy, false propaganda can be a weapon to break that backbone. It is also the common duty of all citizens, editors, journalists and network users to be aware of such tendencies.

– Santosh Simkhada , Tokyo, Japan