The growing rift between the establishment faction and rival faction led by Sher Bahadur Deuba over the formation of the committee was manifested after 28 members of the committee close to Deuba tendered their resignations en masse and took to the streets demanding immediate dissolution of the committee. [break]
Nearly two dozen students were seriously injured in clash with the police when the latter tried to stop agitating students from padlocking the NSU central office, Putali Sadak on March 30.
"We had expected that everything would be resolved through consensus. The decision of the party establishment faction to form the committee in violation of the understanding to form a 61-member committee has dashed our hopes," said a senior leader close to the Deuba faction, asking to be unnamed. "The latest move has only revived the rift in the party.”
Party insiders said a three-member committee comprising General Secretary Prakash Man Singh and CWC member Bal Bahadur KC from establishment faction and Surendra Pandey from Deuba faction had agreed to form a 61-member ad hoc committee with the mandate of holding NSU general convention within six months of its formation.
Accordingly, the two factions had agreed to include 33 members, including the party president, from the establishment faction and 28 members from the Deuba faction in the commitee.
Differences surfaced after the establishment faction "unilaterally" announced the 101-member ad hoc committee. "The [Deuba faction´s] contension is over their low representation in the ad hoc committee. It would be difficult to hold a general convention if we fight for majority representation,” said the newly-nominated NSU President Ranjeet Karn.
In a milestone achievement, Koirala and Deuba in early February had nominated chiefs of Nepal Student Union, Nepal Women´s Association and Nepal Tarun Dal, Aadibasi Janajati Sangh, Nepal Democratic Fighters Association, Nepal Farmers Association and Rastriya Magar Sangh through consensus. Karna was nominated NSU head by the establishment faction.
Amid protests from the students close to Deuba faction, party President Sushil Koirala a few days ago has entrusted party Vice-president Ram Chandra Paudel and general secretaries Prakash Man Singh and Krishna Prasad Sitaula to settle the disputes.
“The NSU central committee was dissolved on the grounds of being too large. But there is no point in accepting another equally big committee,” argued Jit Jung Basnet, who was the general secretary in the NSU central committee formed after the unification of NC and NC (D) in 2008.
The number of NSU central committee members after the unification was 110. Later, 22 additional members were inducted into the committee.
Basnet, who received four stitches on his head for injury during police action, argued that the 101-member cannot hold general convention. "The committee should be dissolved right away and a new small committee that is inclusive of all groups and geographical locations should be formed with a mandate of holding NSU general convention," he added.
Among other things, the NSU ad hoc committee has also been criticized for not being inclusive.
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