Nursing Students admonish of self-immolation outside Singha Durbar

REPORTERS CLUB EVENT: Nursing students have admonished authorities of self-immolation outside the Singha Durbar (Administrative Office of Nepal). Due to the orders of the Supreme Court, the college that they were studying in has been terminated leaving their future in darkness.

Organizing a press conference at the Reporters Club yesterday, the students struggle committee has also announced to move forward with protests including self-immolation outside the Singha Durbar if they are ignored. “We are facing grave injustice, and if this continues and no one listens then we will be forced to self immolate” admonished Anushka Chaulagain the coordinator of the struggle committee. Students of Chakrabarti Habi Education Academy College of Health Science in Thimi Kathmandu have been stopped from appearing for their exams due to a court order that terminates the validity of the college.

The students have approached The Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT) and the Education Ministry but to no avail. Speaking at the press conference Anushka Chaulagain also said that “due to the mistake made by the college the students are paying the unfair price. We will be forced to use harsher methods if the government continues ignoring our pleas” she said.

Speaking at the same program Chairperson of the struggle committee Premika Shahi said that “due to the dispute between CTEVT and the Chakrabarti College the students have to face the brunt of the outcome. The Supreme Court canceled the license of the college on October 21 and when we approached the education ministry the Minister Giriraj Mani Pokharel accused the students instead and provided irresponsible answers to their queries. We were accused of making a mistake on our part” she said.

Shahi further said that “they have been fighting from pillar to post since their college license was canceled”. The students were admitted back in 2018. “A stay order was issued back in July of 2018, but in 2019 the college license was canceled. CTEVT then stopped the students from appearing for their exams. Although they were discussing to resolve the issue, nothing was done to provide a solution.

Although the money that was invested by the students was taken back, the time and effort taken by the students would never come back” said Shahi.

“We are now compelled to take the drastic step of committing suicide, as we have tried all other measures and nothing has been successful. No one has helped us, not even organizations working for the welfare of students, we make an earnest appeal to those organizations to come forward and help us”.

The press conference had all 30 students of the college present to voice their concerns regarding their plight. Some of them were in tears and pleading for justice.

The press release signed by their coordinator Anushka Chaulagain talks about the hardships they have faced and requests those in authority to come forward to help them. They have their dreams shattered, and since they have come from far-flung villages to turn their dreams into reality, the inability to continue with their education has left their future in oblivion. It states that they will be compelled to take their lives if they are ignored. They have faced injustice, and they have no other options left with them.