Thread by @gurkha_rights

Media Watch thread Pt1: Media produced spin about Joanna Lumley from an article by @WalesOnline published online 3:40am. She never contacted any of the hunger strikers or anyone on the Gurkha Satyagraha team (BGSUSC)formally or informally before, during or after the hunger strike

News outlets got carried away with the story without verifying anything with connected with Gurkha Satyagraha or Gurkha organisations. The articles also reported that the hunger strikers belonged to ‘Support Our Gurkhas’, a facebook group run by lovely British public supporters

This article also contains an inaccuracy. Joanna Lumley never once visited the protest site in 2021. She did in 2013 at Gyanraj Rai’s first hunger strike but this is not clear @thehimalayan. Her 'statement' of pleas to Boris Johnson was not published as press releases for media

During signing of ‘Ayo Gorkhali’ written by @TimGurung the Gurkha Satyagraha team personally asked or support which was declined citing private reasons. The Gurkha Satyagraha team respect her privacy, and thank her for previous campaigning which was pivotal to gaining many rights

We cannot conflate her previous support on on settlement rights as support on this year's campaigns. The press cannot keep spinning her as a white savior to draw attention. Not every Gurkha issue is a Joanna Lumley story. This also denies the agency of the protestors.

If focusing on celebs, Nirmal Purja @nimsdai, Gurkha veteran, played a far greater role, getting thousands of people to sign the parliament petition. He also had celebrities on board such as @BearGrylls, Jordan Wylie, @Levisonwood and more. Press ignored Instagram social media.

Nimsdai even appeared on @SkyNews. What does the focus on Joanna Lumley tell us when we ignore greater contributions of Nepalis in this year’s hunger strikes? Do we need to use Joanna Lumley as clickbait for Gurkha stories? #doyourhomework #decolonisation #decolonizeyourmind

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