Without any valid demands or reasons, the schools were shut down for indefinite period of time denying the right of children to go to school. With the beginning of Maoist insurgency in 1996, education sector has become one of the sectors hard hit with frequent strikes and disturbance. Even after the restoration of peace, the process of operation destruction against the education institutions continues. Whenever something goes wrong in politics, political leaders and civil society members come to the street to press the concerned parties. However, when the future of 7.8 million children are being damaged by some whimsical teachers' organization or student union, the leader of the government who is enjoying some of the status of head of the state has not shown any serious concern. United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) and some local NGOs have raised the issue; but no one is paying any attention. In a country with high illiteracy, and high school drop out rate, this kind of act of calling indefinite general strike of education institution must be condemned as crime against children. We decided to look at the overall education situation as a cover story for this week.

The situation of the country has not changed much whether it was under the direct rule of the King or absolute rule of eight parties. In the course of political instability and upheavals, the country has sacrificed major development projects. Nepal had lost hydropower project Arun III back in 1995 under the minority government of CPN-UML when general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal's single letter evicted the World Bank. Similarly, Danish government pulled out from a community forestry project after February 1, 2005 thanks to political arrogance of then vice chairman Dr. Tulsi Giri. Now, CPN-Maoist leader and minister Hisila Yami has already damaged Melamchi Water Supply Project forcing Asian Development Bank to pull out from it. We know minister Yami will also express her regrets for cancellation of the project like all others did in the past. It is going to be too costly and too late for Nepal. Only question now is whether we are ourselves making all these decisions or implementing the decisions taken somewhere else as recently revealed by Minister for Information and Communication and spokesperson of the government Krishna Bahadur Mahara who said that there is no decisive power in Nepal. Like in opening education institution and bringing the stability, leaders from prime minister to Maoist chairman Prachanda – who have freedom to condemn and criticize each other - are helpless with regard to Melamchi. What we can say now is: The Melamchi Project is Dead, But Long Live Melamchi.