Who is this man, Gopal Gurung ?

Gopal Gurung is a man of courage who has been the most vocal advocate of the human rights for the indigenous people of Nepal. He is an editor and author of many books, the most popular and controversial being The Hidden facts of Nepalese Politics. He was arrested and jailed without any convection or trail by the Panchayat Government in 1989 for being threatened by what he wrote in the Hidden Facts of of Nepalese Politics. The status quo, the Hindu dominated establishment tried all it can to stop Mr. Gurung from speaking against the institutionalized racism, corruptions and exploitations by the rulers and politicians against the indigenous people who are primarily Buddhist. But they discovered that it was too late that the genie was already out of the box. The news of his arrest spread beyond Nepal's border and brought protests and demands of his immediate release. Many local and international journalists, writers and organizations such as PEN London, Press Foundation of Asia, Amnesty International, and Denmark on Human Rights raised their voices on behalf of Mr. Gurung which eventually led to his release after the democracy came into existence.

Mr. Gurung holds MA in Political Science, and has been an Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of the Newlight and Thunderbolt in Kathmandu. He is an ex-member of the Nepal Journalist Association, Central Committee, ex General Secretary of the World Nepalese Association and Chairman of All India Journalist Council for Nepal. He is also a Consultant and co-ordinator for the Press Foundation of Asia, Manila, Philippines.

Mr. Gurung has the tenacity and determination to fight for what he believes is the right. He has risked his life to fight for his people in Nepal, but his unwavering courage has come at a price. He was kept at a minimum subsistence while he was in prison: 700 grams of coarse rice and four rupees (about 10 cents) a day as an allowance. Furthermore, he was kept with all the criminals, and he was denied visitation and food for many days for merely writing about the pervasive reality and demanding answers on Human rights and justice. Though he is a free man now, he still receives obscene phone calls and death threats. But despite all odds, he continues to fight for the equal rights and justice for all the Nepalese. His works has already ignited political and social activism especially among the Mongol People. Because of his contribution the people of Nepal are politicially conscious than ever before.

Gopal Gurung and his followers has has founded Mongol National Organization through which they hope to bring the equality and desperately needed change in Nepal.

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