Reporter’s Diary: Driving into a divided landscape

A journey to report on deadly communal violence became an account of fear, uncertainty and the difficult decisions journalists face when every choice carries consequences.

On the morning of July 29, I flew to Biratnagar to cover what had been unfolding in Kaptanganj, Sunsari, since Sunday night. More than a straightforward reporting assignment — reaching the location, speaking with local residents, civil society members, and political party leaders — I wanted to understand how the immediate violence fit into the recurring pattern of communal tensions in the Madhesh region.