KATHMANDU: Senior journalist and Nepali Congress leader Mathawar Singh Basnet has passed away at the age of 79.
Basnet, a prominent figure in Nepal’s media and political landscape, took his last breath this morning at the Annapurna Neuro Hospital in Kathmandu after suffering a heart attack at his residence in Suryabinayak Municipality-8, Bhaktapur, on Thursday night.
According to Sushil Basnet, secretary of the Nepali Congress Bhaktapur District Working Committee, Basnet was placed on a ventilator during treatment but unfortunately could not recover. He will be cremated at Aryaghat in Pashupati later today.
Basnet was a respected figure in both journalism and politics. He was the former chairman of the National News Agency (RSS) and Gorkhapatra Sansthan, as well as Press Council Nepal. He also served as the founding editor of Punarjagaran Weekly.
Known for his close association with Ganeshman Singh, Basnet was actively involved in politics from 1961 and was recently engaged with the Nepali Congress Bhaktapur.
He served as the chairman of the Ganeshman Singh Memorial Garden.
During his political career, Basnet was sentenced to life imprisonment during the democratic movement but was released after the establishment of democracy in 1990.
Throughout his life, Basnet dedicated himself to journalistic integrity and political activism. His passing marks the end of an era that intertwined media, democracy, and social change in Nepal.
Basnet is survived by his wife, a son, and a daughter.
Comment