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.

Reporters Club: Senior Advocate Dr. Dinesh Tripathi has said that the health and education sector of Nepal is in the hands of the mafia. This immensely strong opinion was given at a press interaction program at the Reporters Club. Dr. Tripathi said that “health and education are fundamental rights as given in the constitution of Nepal. The state has not only ensured but provides a valid guarantee. He also said that since our constitution talks about socialism and social justice as given in the preamble the government should be sensitive and take it with extreme tactfulness.

Dr. Tripathi accused profit-making individuals that have taken over the health and education sector of Nepal. He said, “both the health and the education sectors have gone into the hands of large profit-making mafias and that even though a person like Dr. Govinda KC went into a hunger strike for 16 times nothing was done to improve the situation”.

“The government has bowed down to the mafias. They have betrayed the trust of the citizens”. The medical education bill though passed has been a mere paper and nothing has been implemented. The commission that was to be formed has been delayed. In fact, he was involved in filing a write petition at the court regarding the scholarship issue. The intention of the government is haywire so no one is able to do anything”.

Dr. Tripathi also accused the present government of failing to implement the constitution. ” Lack of effectiveness in public health and lack of public education in the country has made this state a total failure he said”.

In a country where the laws are not being implemented and neither functioning, what kind of message will that be to the outside world? Examine and estimate he said. Speaking about the extra fees charged by private medical colleges, Dr. Tripathi said “it is a syndicate and mafia; they are all very well organized. He also said that the mafia have hijacked the education sector of the country, the government has to intervene and take over.

The medical education of the country has to be for nonprofit and affordable for all”. He also accused the system where political parties take election funds from syndicates such as these and it is unfortunate but the government then is a puppet in their hands disallowing them to do much in the area of actual development. It is daylight robbery, institutions charging high fees should be penalized for cheating” he said.