What I’m about to share is a story that is simultaneously hilarious, pathetic, and sad. It is a cautionary tale about how easily illusory authority can be manufactured online.

To be perfectly clear at the outset, I have no personal gripe or animosity against the individual I am writing about, Tanka Dahal (a/k/a Shishir Dahal), or the people he represents. It’s true I’ve previously taken issue with a number of his posts on X and pointed them out, but I’ve also amplified the rare posts of his that I agreed with. My focus here is strictly on the facts, which is what I do with any user’s content, and those facts speak volumes about the nature of his influence and the organization he promotes.

The Hook: Misinformation and Media Pushback

Dahal is a significant figure in the online sphere, commanding almost 27K followers on X and an impressive 639K subscribers on his YouTube channel, where some of his videos boast over a million views.

This influence is concerning because it is built, at least in part, on peddling misinformation. The most flagrant example that triggered mainstream media attention was the truly outrageous claim he shared during the Gen Z protests on September 8: that 32 children had been taken hostage.

Days later, Onlinekhabar and TechPana detailed the issues with his claims. But instead of retracting, Dahal doubled down, going on the offensive with a formal-looking “Press Release” from an organization he represents: the “Federation of International Journalist, America (FIJA).”

Here’s a translation of the press release, as per the AI Gemini.
US Govt. Regd.-VA. ID: 11775136 | IRS Regd. EIN: 33-2203560/2024

Federation of International Journalist (FIJA) International Headquarters, Virginia, USA अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय पत्रकार महासंघ, प्रधान कार्यालय, अमेरिका

Press Release

Date: Sept. 15, 2025

Subject: Strong Condemnation and Denunciation of Threats and Attacks being Perpetrated Against Journalists and Media Professionals, Including General Secretary Tanka Dahal.

The Federation of International Journalist [sic], America (FIJA), Nepal Chapter, expresses heartfelt condolences for those who lost their lives during the recent Gen-Z movement, offers sympathy to the bereaved families, and wishes a speedy recovery to the injured. Furthermore, it condemns the damage to national property, business, and personal assets, as well as the acts of vandalism and attacks.

Journalism is the Fourth Estate of the nation. The right to information and communication in journalism and media is a right bestowed by the Constitution, and this is not only true in the context of Nepal but is also a universal recognition.

It is condemnable to threaten and attack anyone merely for writing news or for speaking. We have been particularly drawn to the grave incident where CPN-UML Leader Mahesh Basnet recently issued–on social media–an open and explicit death threat to the General Secretary of this organization, the Federation of International Journalist, America (FIJA), Tank Dahal.

In addition to this, news is emerging that similar threats are repeatedly coming against other journalists, including television journalist Rajiv Khatri. Furthermore, the fact that these threats are reportedly coming from individuals who claim to be “so-called responsible leaders and cadres of major parties” makes this regrettable and condemnable.

Regarding these and similar threats, we draw the attention of the Government of Nepal and concerned bodies/stakeholders and urge them to ensure its immediate prevention, to punish the culprits, and to bring them within the jurisdiction of the law.

Furthermore, we request all journalists, media workers, and the national and international community to raise their voices and express solidarity on this matter. The Federation of International Journalist, America (FIJA) expresses its commitment to always stand firmly against any and all forms of atrocities committed against journalists and media professionals.

(Signature of Ram Prasad Khandal)

1945 Melvor Lane, Winchester, Virginia, 22601, USA Email: FijaHeadQuarters@gmail.com | Web: www.fijahq.com

My immediate reaction was to find the humor in the audacity, but the underlying issue is serious.

What I discovered is not just funny (see below for an image of my post on X), but a textbook example of how a thin façade of authority can be created and weaponized.

Dissecting the “Federation’s” Lack of Credibility

This press release, with all its serious posturing, is instantly undermined by massive flaws that expose the organization’s complete lack of credibility. The very first red flag is the organization’s name itself: “Federation of International Journalist” (singular). This is not a simple typo; it is a foundational grammatical error for an organization claiming global reach.

Furthermore, the organization’s website offers no evidence of what this “Federation” actually federates; few, if any, other organizations appear to belong to it—a fundamental requirement for a body that claims to serve as the “International Headquarters”–even while proclaiming itself as “global organization of journalists and media professionals.” To top it off, the supposed “International” organization uses a generic Gmail address for its official correspondence!

I then analyzed the organization’s office bearers, focusing on diversity and origin. The data, detailed in the table below, is damning and utterly dismantles the organization’s credibility.

Unsurprisingly, all but one of the members are men. But the lack of diversity runs much deeper, undermining any claim the organization has to be a legitimate voice for even Nepal, let alone the “international” community of journalists.

For a “Federation of International Journalist,” the organization is not at all international. While its officers maybe all American of Nepali heritage and/or Green Card holders, this homogeneity is stark: apart from five individuals, all are Bahun/Brahmin. Furthermore, an overwhelming 91% (twenty-two out of twenty-four) of the officers are Hill, so-called high-caste Hindu (Khas-arya) men—a group that constitutes only about 31% of Nepal’s population. Based on the identity of its officers, this is clearly a caste organization, not even a national one (“Nepal Chapter”), let alone an international one. In that way, it is not much different from the genuine IFJ-affiliated Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) based in Nepal, which has faced similar criticisms regarding representation.

No Authority, No History, No Teeth

So, what is the real authority of FIJA, “Headquartered” in Virginia, USA? It is a tax-exempt non-profit.

Crucially, the organization was only registered in 2024, according to the EIN on its own press release, confirming it has virtually no history or professional track record.

A basic search confirms this organization is not affiliated with the genuine, globally recognized body, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)—note the essential plural form—headquartered in Belgium. The notion of a “Nepal chapter” of IFJ in the United States is, in itself, nonsensical.

The evidence is overwhelming: Dahal’s organization is a self-serving entity that chose its misleading name to give its work weight it does not possess. This is underscored by the fact that the FIJA press release is largely a rehash of Dahal’s own earlier personal message published on the organization’s website in his capacity as the “Founding General Secretary.” What is truly ironic and pathetic is that FIJA came out championing “freedom of the press” in support of one of their own—a purveyor of misinformation and, crucially, an active monarchist.

This ideological alignment is deeply significant. Dahal, even as a resident of the United States, appears to be a staunch supporter of the hill so-called high-caste Hindu Monarchy in Nepal, campaigning for its reinstatement in some form. The monarchy he champions is the very same institution that, just twenty years ago, staged a coup, jailed democratically elected officials, and curtailed many fundamental freedoms, including freedom of the press. Furthermore, this institution played a crucial role in the 250-year casteist history of the country. It institutionalized and deliberately entrenched structural discrimination and systemic casteism—from which Nepal still struggles to recover. Historically, the institution has always been associated with curtailing rights and freedoms, including the very freedom of the press that Dahal and his Khas-arya-dominated organization ostensibly champions.

Given their relatively recent (2024) registration status, flagrant lack of representation (dominated by the same Khas-arya group), and reliance on one person’s rhetoric and ideologically problematic agenda, the meaning and agenda behind their bombastic and hollow press release is devastatingly clear.

The “Federation of International Journalist, Nepal Chapter” in Virginia, USA, has no genuine authority, no international standing, and absolutely no teeth. As far as I am concerned, it is the equivalent of Southwestern State College, or Thames International College, or Texas International College in Nepal.

Disclaimer

Having said all that, I am NOT arguing that Dahal deserves personal attacks or “death threats.” While peddling misinformation and weaponizing a deceptively named organization is wrong, personal attacks and death threats are also wrong.

What do you think?

PS. I got help from AI Gemini composing this blog post.

References

• OnlineKhabar, Sept. 15, 2025. टंक दाहाल, जो उक्साउन र उग्र बनाउन खप्पिस छन् (Tanka Dahal, who is skilled at provoking and inciting)
• TechPana, Sept. 16, 2025. Tanka Dahal’s Sensational Post That Sparked Fake News of 32 Youths Killed Inside Parliament.
• TechPana, Aug. 05, 2025. निर्मला पन्त हत्या प्रकरणमा बजार हल्लाकै पछि लागेर युट्युबर टङ्क दाहालले गरे भ्युजको खेती. (Using Rumors around the Nirmala Pant murder case, YouTuber Tanks Dahal engages in view farming)