HoR Session: 'It is regrettable campuses are locked down as students become pawns of parties'

Kathmandu, March 16: Lawmaker Dr Swarnim Wagle has said it was unfortunate that the students who should become the 'lamp of consciousness' were involved in campus lock down in the interest of the factions of the political parties.     

Speaking during the 'special time' in today's meeting of the House of Representatives, he said it was sad to see factional politics in more than 1,000 campuses for the past one week. He was referring to the lock out at this many campuses in the country in the run-up to the Free Students Union elections being held under Tribhuvan University.     

He said it was shameful that the parties' interests were manifested in the form of unruly activities in the campus, a place of awareness.     

"I feel sad that the quality of Budhanilkantha School has deteriorated. I also studied in the same school. The quality of education of other schools should have also been upgraded at a par with this school built by the British, but now its quality is also deteriorating," he said and pointed out the need of redefining the structure and role of the Free Students Union in Nepal.     

Wagle was of the view that the campuses should not be turned into the 'toy' of political parties.     

Lawmaker Gyan Bahadur Shahi, referring to the frequent change of government in the country, said that 14 governments were formed in the last 16 years. He claimed that the children of many people, who got the opportunity to become the government ministers during this period and who often deliver speeches in parliament stressing on improving the quality of education in public schools, were studying in the US and Europe.     

On a different context, he stressed on the inevitability of a directly-elected Prime Minister for an effective government.     

"Why don't you find out the person who killed Madan Bhandari? The leader who said that he would find Bhandari's killer has become the Prime Minister now and again, but why has Bhandari's killer not been found? What kind of a political system is this in which the leaders are benefiting out of the legacy of leaders like Bhandari, like taking the 'capital gains tax' on some parental property," Shahi questioned.     

It may be noted here that then General Secretary of the CPN (UML), Madan Bhandari, was killed in a 'mysterious' road accident in Dasdhunga, Chitwan on May 16, 1993.     

Lawmaker Prem Bahadur Ale said that the road construction works on Doti section of the Seti Highway could not be completed due to the 'non-cooperation' of the Ministry of Forests and Environment.     

He claimed that the progress of the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport was weak due to the 'positioning' of the Forests Ministry. Ale demanded that the decision taken by the Council of Ministers on November 21 last year regarding Seti Highway should be implemented. (RSS)