Suresh Raj’s troubles

Suresh Raj Sharma, VC of KU, represents everything that is wrong with Nepal’s education system. In the name of private management, Suresh Raj has a kind of captured Kathmandu University and filled it with dubious people with relations to him and his top cronies. Recently there has been a lull in Nepalis media either because of preoccupation with ongoing political developments or due to somewhat dormant KU movement. But, unknown to the prying eyes of media, developments are fast unfolding in KU. Lobbies are hyperactive to save and to dislodge Suresh Raj Sharma. With the change of guard in the government, it is expected that Suresh Raj will face further pressure to quit and pave the way for non-communal, non-racist, and not corrupt administrator in KU.

Beginning of end

Suresh Raj’s recent travails have started with CA election in Nepal. Though known to be sympathetic with Nepali Congress, Suresh Raj and his entire clan voted for one dubious racist and communal element that helped him to retain his chair in KU. This mass voting by Suresh Raj and Sitaram Adhikary family in Baneswore constituency no. 1 for a racist and communal character would have gone unnoticed but for an overt inaction of one family member of Sitaram who was also in the list of proportional representation of Nepali Congress. Sensing some kind of sabotage, the supporters of FPTP candidate of Nepali Congress kept on monitoring the activities of Suresh Raj and Sitaram and their family members. Much to the chagrin of many congressmen, it had been learnt that entire clan of Suresh Raj and Sitaram asked their relatives and so called supporters to vote for proportional representation only or for the party. This showed that they want to defeat the candidate of Nepali Congress to help their savior win the election while ensuring the election of family member of Sitaram Adhikary. However, the end result was quite different. Their cherished candidate lost the election whereas both the congress party and the congress candidate won by the handsome margin in Kathmandu constituency no. 1.

Despite such sabotage and ugly exhibition of racist and communal attitude, Suresh Raj and Sitaram kept on boasting that they have helped congress win the election in constituency no. 1. They lobbied very hard with corrupt power centers in Nepali congress to put the name of Sitaram’s family member in the proportional list. But, emboldened by thumping victory, the supporters of the candidate of Nepali Congress in constituency no. 1, strongly resisted the nomination of such dubious congressman as CA member. As a result, so called expert on constitution was not nominated by Nepali congress. With this episode, even G.P. Koirala seems to have developed a kind of distaste for Suresh Raj and Sitaram of Kathmandu University. And most importantly, Suresh Raj and Sitaram are exposed threadbare such that their racist, communal and corrupt faces are seen to everyone in Nepali Congress. With this broken link with the power centers in Nepali Congress, Suresh Raj is having lots of tension as he has no body to depend on in case the Maoist government tries to throw him.

Maoists’ involvement in KU

Recent incident of merciless killing of one Maoist sympathizer, Mr. Ram Hari Shrestha, has clearly proved that there are many in the Maoists rank and file who can do anything for money. To save the thieves of their own party, the so called revolutionaries did not hesitate to kill one of their sympathizers. It appears that they wanted to sacrifice one innocent Nepali just to protect some criminals. After this episode, the Maoists have suffered drastic erosion in support base. Moreover, this incident further validates that there are some elements in the Maoists who are hand in glove with Suresh Raj. Past incidents in KU have shown that the Maoists did not take any action against Suresh Raj and Sitaram of KU. The Young Communist League took action against Sitaram Prasain but failed to take action against Sitaram Adhikary of KU. The so called sympathizer of Dalits, oppressed communities and Janjatis was caught sleeping when a dalit member was forced to death in KU. Many in KU strongly believes that YCL and the Maoists would have taken action against Suresh Raj over the harassment triggered death of Late Buddhi Bahadur if they were not hand in glove with Suresh Raj.

As a result, a kind of frustration is growing in KU against the Maoists also. By playing a second fiddle in KU affairs, the Maoists are giving wrong signals. Intellectual members of KU will not hesitate to expose double standards of the Maoists if they keep on ignoring the rot for a long time. Moreover, situation has changed a lot now. Earlier, the Maoists have a kind of constraint due to Girija. But, now when they are going to lead the government themselves, they would have no constraint to purge out the rot in KU.

What should the Maoists do in KU?

The Maoists need to maintain the autonomy of KU. Instead of using KU as a placement office for their cadres, they should focus first on correcting the system from the top. The first thing the Maoists must do in KU is to kick the communal, racist, corrupt, murderer of a member of an oppressed community out. After sacking Suresh Raj Sharma, Sitaram Adhikary and Bhadrman Tuladhar, the Maoists must appoint a probe committee to look into property details of Suresh Raj, Sitaram and Bhadraman. It would be very good if the Maoists nationalizes the properties of all the crooks of Nepal. Similarly, the probe committee must look into the loopholes in KU Service commission to ascertain the dubious manner in which Mukunda, Brijesh, Manish, Daniel, Sarad and many other relatives of Suresh Raj, Sitaram and Bhadraman were appointed. After validating these, the Maoist must sack all these relatives immediately. Things are not as easy as expressed or written. To carry out all these things, the Maoists needs to find out a suitable candidate in consultation with KUPA and KUSA.