National 7 (Spotlight Weekly)

Politics Prevails

Seven student organizations announce an indefinite strike in the education sector to press their demands

By SANJAYA DHAKAL

The wounds in the education sector are yet to be ripped open. After a brief respite from lock-outs of principals' office and accounts section organized by the Maoist student wing a couple of weeks ago, the seven student organizations affiliated to different political parties have warned of indefinite strikes to close down all educational institutions beginning June 15.

At a meeting of the student organizations on June 7, they decided to suspend their earlier phase-wise agitation and instead go for indefinite closure of education institutions calling it their "decisive" program.

The student organizations charge that the government was indifferent to their 68-point demands including slashing down of tuition fees of private schools.

"It is terrible. The education sector is being pushed from this wall to that. How can anybody teach and how can anybody learn in this kind of atmosphere," asked an irate principal of a private school in Kathmandu.

"While the actions by the Maoists' student wing can be understandable given their penchant for destructive activities, it is astonishing that political masters of seven student organizations could condone such a move that is going to affect tens of thousands of innocent children and their parents all over the country," he said.

"It is, indeed, strange to see the student organizations like Nepal Students Union (NSU) affiliated to Nepali Congress (NC) and All Nepal National Free Students Union (ANNFSU) affiliated to Unified Marxist-Leninist (UML) could take such a drastic step," said Manohari Aryal, an exasperated parent from Gongabu. "They have no right to shut the schools. What were they doing all these years when their own leaders were education ministers. Are they trying to say that the present mess in the education sector was created only after October 4, 2002?"

Gagan Thapa, general secretary of NSU, said that indefinite closure is a part of decisive movement. "The government will be wholly responsible for the situation that will be created by this action," he said.

But government officials differ. "It is strange that they announce indefinite strike and then pass the responsibility to the government. What can be more farcical?" asked a senior official at the Ministry of Education.

The sudden decision by the student organization to suspend their phase-wise agitation and go for what they call a decisive movement is seen as their response to the replacement of Lokendra Bahadur Chand by Surya Bahadur Thapa. Their programs are being synchronized with the joint movement of the political parties.

Earlier the student organizations had said that their first phase of agitation had ended and they would now announce second phase. But the volte-face that resulted in the announcement of "decisive" movement to impose closure of schools and colleges has sent a chill down the spine of students, teachers and parents who were already feeling desperation.

The chief of Nepali Congress Girija Prasad Koirala, who is spearheading the joint movement, when asked why their student wings were calling strikes in public and private schools, irritating the masses, replied, "You must pose this question to the government also. There are some genuine demands raised by the students. If the government seriously takes the demands by the students, matters will be settled immediately. I have read all the demands of students. I have even suggested the prime minister about the demands of the students."

For parties that are championing the cause of democracy and human rights, it seems the decision to trample upon the rights of students and parents is anachronistic and wholly against their fundamental principles.

But as politics is taking center-stage in the classrooms, students, teachers and parents have no option than to witness the unfurling events with their fingers crossed.