KATHMANDU, APRIL 27
Twenty-six individuals, including teachers, police personnel, and a journalist, were injured during a teachers' protest in the federal capital on Sunday.
The clash erupted after agitating teachers broke through security barricades and attempted to enter the restricted area at New Baneshwor, the site of the federal parliament building.
Thousands of school teachers, who had gathered from across the country to stage demonstrations in Kathmandu, became increasingly irate and breached security demarcations. As a result, five police personnel, one journalist, and 20 teachers sustained injuries.
The information regarding the number of injuries was provided by Superintendent of Police Apil Raj Bohara, spokesperson for the Kathmandu Police Range.
The injured are receiving treatment at various hospitals across Kathmandu Valley. To control the situation, security forces were compelled to deploy water cannons against the agitated protesters.
A reporter from Prime Television, Sabina Karki, sustained a serious injury to her right eye after being struck by a blast from a water cannon used by security personnel to disperse the crowd.
Despite repeated assurances from the government that their demands would be addressed, school teachers have continued their protest for over three weeks, calling for the immediate formulation of a new School Education Act.
Even after Nepal's transition to a federal system with three tiers of government and two rounds of national elections, school education is still governed by outdated legislation dating back to the party-less Panchayat era. Teachers' unions and associations argue that the government has failed to honor three previous agreements signed with them.
During a recent parliament meeting, lawmakers also voiced strong support for the immediate fulfillment of the teachers' legitimate demands.
