TU students welcome the end of 20 days closure

KATHMANDU, Jan 21: As students made their way back to Tribhuvan University (TU) Wednesday since the 20 days closure - most were relieved to be back on campus. Though students were aware of the closedown by the university administration, those interviewed had mixed reactions over the series of events that ensued between TU Victims’ Struggle Committee (TUVSC), the university administration and locals of Kirtipur area. [break]

“The closure did not really affect us due to the one-month winter break,” said 25-year-old Suman Rai.

The second year master’s in management student added that the closure was inconvenient for students who wished to study for the upcoming exams on the university premises such as the library.

The university administration had shut down the country’s oldest university since January 1, for security reasons following vandalism of the office of the vice-chancellor and some departments by Kirtipur residents. Recently, TU Victims Struggle Committee (TUVSC) had been staging demonstrations in campus to press its 5-point demand.

Due to the winter break, majority of students found in the university campus were those pursuing their postgraduate studies. Some were seen basking in the sun by the open fields in campus or catching up over a cup of tea.

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Student Ramesh Kumar Darjee feels that the closing of the university is not a healthy sign. “It symbolizes the failure of the central administration,” the 28-year-old said.

The postgraduate student from the Central Department of Education believes that dialogue and consensus is one solution to the problem but wishes the university to be serious towards fulfilling the demands of the local people.

Meanwhile, Bidur Subba who is also the secretary of the Tribhuvan University Free Students’ Union, feels that the demands have to be categorized better. Subba, a political science student, said: “Some of the demands, such as compensation for the land and job opportunity for the locals will be better addressed by the government instead of the university.”

Other students were not too keen on the demands made by the locals and the TUVSC.

“In a democracy, they can ask but there is no need to break the glass,” Mathematics master’s student Tirtha Prasad Gautam said, pointing to the shattered windows in the Department of Rural Development.

He suspects the Maoist to be instigating locals to conduct these protests and violent acts on the university premises.

“The locals are unsure about the concept of a university; this is a peaceful place,” English literature student Chhabi Pandey said, in response to the protest made by the locals and TUVSC. The 25-year-old finds that some of their demands are impossible to fulfill.

On the other hand, Economics student Mitra Bhattarai believes that the government will not fulfill the demands as “everyone will then want the government to agree to their demands.” This will be a bad precedent as the concerns raised by locals are nationwide concerns as well, said the 26-year-old.

There were also students like Amrita Shresta and Pushpa Pun who were not too aware of the events that preceded the closure. The master’s in management students were simply happy that the closure is over so that they get to use the library to study.