Kathmandu. Hari Khetan Multiple Campus, a prestigious community educational institution in Birgunj, has been transformed into a battlefield. The future of about 4,000 students has been pushed into darkness due to the internal power struggle between the Board of Directors and the Professors’ Association.
Angry students have taken to the streets after the quarterly examinations scheduled to start from Monday were abruptly cancelled at the last moment. More than 3,000 students, who had come to the campus after preparing for a long time, fell from a cliff when the administration pasted a notice of ‘postponement of examinations’.
The students staged a sit-in at the main gate of the campus and chanted slogans against the irresponsibility of the college administration, the campus chief and the board of directors. The students had taken out a protest rally from the campus premises saying that politics cannot be done over our future, internal strife cannot stop the examinations.
Chakka jam and pushing with the police
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A group of angry students from the campus reached Ghantaghar Chowk in the heart of Birgunj and burnt tyres. Due to the protest, the main road of Birgunj was blocked in both directions and the vehicular movement came to a complete halt.
A large number of police personnel were deployed as the situation went out of control. A scuffle ensued between the police and the students after an angry mob tried to vandalize the protest. Police have also detained some students to take the situation under control.
What is the point of the controversy?
According to Dilip Kumar, a professor at the campus, the association had submitted a letter to the Board of Directors on February 17 putting forth 16-point demands. “We had given an ultimatum till 7 but the management committee did not pay any heed to our demands,” he said. ’
This ‘war of egos’ between the board of directors, administration and professors has affected students from remote areas of Bara and Parsa. Such repeated administrative disputes have affected the teaching and learning activities and examinations, which has also seriously affected the faculty of the campus.
Locals’ concerns: Why are the stakeholders silent?
Local parents have complained that it is unfortunate that a holy temple like a community campus has been turned into a political arena and a place for personal interests. If the concerned bodies, local administration and education department do not intervene in time and resolve this dispute, there is a risk that the academic session of 4,000 students will be ruined. There is a demand for immediate dialogue to prevent the educational environment of Birgunj from deteriorating.
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