KATHMANDU: The All Nepal National Independent Students' Union-Revolutionary, affiliated with Unified CPN-Maoist, today shut down all the higher secondary schools in the country to protest the Tribhuvan University decision of phasing out Proficiency Certificate Level.

The protest has affected the study of around 300,000 students studying in 2400 higher secondary schools across the country. The school closure is a part of their nine-day protest programme announced yesterday.

Besides, ANNISU-R activists are observing a fast-unto-death at the TU Vice Chancellor's office in Kirtipur. Flouting the agreement among 13 student unions to unitedly protest the TU decision, ANNISU-R announced their own protest programme including the last week's relay hunger strike and the indefinite closure of the Plus Two schools starting today.

Leaders of Nepal Students' Union and All Nepal National Free Students' Union have accused ANNISU-R of breaking consensus on the modality of protest.

Pradeep Paudel, NSU president, yesterday said, "Our Maoist-affiliated friends are trying to earn an early credit." Ram Kumari Jhankri, ANNFSU president, also said the Maoist student wing had broken the consensus spirit by announcing the protest programme on their own.

ANNISU-R activists vandalise school buses

MADHYAPUR THIMI: Activists of the All Nepal National Independent Students' Union-Revolutionary today damaged school buses and torched government vehicles in parts of the Valley. They were enforcing an indefinite closure of Plus Two schools as a part of their protest programmes against the Tribhuvan University decision of phasing out Proficiency Certificate Level.

Activists of the Bhaktapur chapter of ANNISU-R today hurled stones at a parked bus of SS Higher Secondary School at Naya Thimi while the school was shut notifying students about it.

Kedar Khadka, president, SSHSS management committee and Higher Secondary School Association of Nepal, accused the Maoist-affiliated students of intentionally damaging their school bus.

"Earlier they had asked us for Rs 100,000 but the school provided them just a few thousand rupees. The same group vandalised our property today," Khadka told The Himalayan Times. "We came to know about the bandh only when we read the newspapers this morning. We shut the school after the first period. They were looking for an opportunity to take a revenge."

Protesting students also damaged a school bus of Man Mohan Memorial College and burnt a vehicle belonging to District Education Office Mahottari in front of Balmiki Campus on Exhibition Road and another government vehicle before Amrit Science Campus, Lainchaur, Kathmandu.

Meanwhile, ANNISU-R clashed with the police while trying to enter a no-go area at Maitighar this morning. ---HNS