The Ratna Rajya Laxmi campus in Kathmandu, one of the largest universities affiliated with Tribhuvan University, witnessed something brutal on December 28, 2022.
A group of students, armed with weapons such as khukuri, iron bars and brass knuckles, attacked another group inside the campus premises, creating terror throughout the day. The incident was so terrible that some students were left unconscious while witnessing the violent event. In the fight itself, five students were seriously injured.
According to the students, an old dispute between the two groups sparked the violence. However, the college on January 2, issuing a statement rusticated three students involved in the incident.
Earlier too, such acts of violence had taken place in Ratna Rajya and other faculties of Tribhuvan University. One year ago in 2021, one of Kuber Jethara’s students, attacked a teacher Ram Kumar Pudasaini, with a steel water jug for “not allowing him to cheat” in the exam hall.
This type of violence is common at the oldest and largest university in the country. And stakeholders say the authorities responsible for controlling them have failed to introduce the necessary measures, perpetuating the violence.
What are the causes?
For the most part, the violence begins with students joining student unions run by political parties.
In 2021, Assistant Professor at Tribhuvan University Prem Chalaune was assaulted by students associated with the Nepal Students Union, the student wing of the Nepal Congress, at the university premises. He was seriously injured. His right leg was fractured and he sustained serious injuries to his head and left leg. Reportedly those aggressors did not face any action from the organizations involved, they had political power behind them.
But, student leaders take the violence as the result of unhealthy competition and the vested interest of university officials.
“Unhealthy competition between student unions for power and position is the main cause of violence in the colleges of Tribhuvan University,” says Dujang Sherpa, president of the Nepal Students Union.
Similarly, universities and colleges also create the environment or put forward plans and policies that would provoke disputes in student unions, he adds.
Another student leader, Ashok Thapa, assistant general secretary of the All Nepal National Free Students Union (ANNFSU), the student wing of the CPN’s Socialist Unity Party, also echoes Sherpa.
Who is guilty?
Thapa says that the violence and the involvement of student leaders in it does not exacerbate the university environment, but also raises questions about the role of student unions that are supposed to fight for student rights. Therefore, he insists that it is time for stakeholders to pay attention to identify who is at fault and correct it.
But, other observers believe that it is mainly political and personal reasons that cause fights at Tribhuvan University, pointing fingers at the student unions themselves.
“The top political leaders were not focused on providing the proper education for their student leaders and unions,” says educator Bidya Nath Koirala. “They never teach their student leaders about the correct attitude. It seems they don’t want the students to cooperate with each other.”
According to Koirala, top leaders also deliberately recruit those close to them to influence other students toward specific parties and ideologies. Such practices also cause conflict.
What measures should be taken?
Amid the increasing number of violent acts at Tribhuvan University, stakeholders say that measures to overcome such unfortunate incidents are the needs of the hour.
Thapa suggests that student unions should be careful when giving membership to students.
“Similarly, student unions should not try to hide their members’ misdeeds, but rather crack down on them,” he says.
Sherpa believes that since the start of his term in 2022, his union has maintained zero tolerance for unhealthy competition.
“We have been continuously training our leaders to avoid unhealthy competition and violence. It is one of the best ways to mitigate acts of violence in Tribhuvan University colleges,” says Sherpa.
Meanwhile, Koirala says that university officials must behave strictly towards students in such serious matters of violence in order to curb such acts in the future.
Onlinekhabar tried to contact the university several times for more information, but they did not respond.
