Lalitpur, August 6:

Society urged to oppose ‘autocracy’.

Former presidents of the All-Nepal National Free Students Union’s (ANNFSU), speaking at the inauguration of the first two-day national convention of the Ex-Students’ Council of the ANNFSU in Lalitpur today, called on former ANNFSU members to launch a movement against the February 1 royal takeover. The convention focused on appealing to the civil society to take to the streets against autocracy. Assessing the political development, Tanka Karki, a former president of the All-Nepal National Free Students Union, said that time has come for the students to launch a movement against autocracy. “Military might alone cannot ensure the survival of the regime,” said Karki. “Activities of the past six months have shown that the King stands for autocratic monarchy,” he said, adding: “King’s agenda for peace and democracy has failed to materialise.”

Stating that mistakes made by the political parties need to be reviewed, he said: “The drawback of the 1990 movement was that it failed to put the army under control of the civil administration.” “The Maoists are equally responsible for pushing the nation backward by raising arms and destroying the physical infrastructure,” said Karki. Rajendra Rai, another former president of the ANNFSU, said that the time has come for the All-Nepal National Free Students Union to be actively involved in the movement for democracy. The convention also proposed a seven-member president’s group committee with the representation of former presidents of the ANNFSU. It also held discussions on pressurising the government for the release of all the students, who have been detained for fighting for democracy. The convention also discussed the seven party-alliance’s movement for the restoration of democracy, Maoists, political parties and ANNFSU’s role in the movement against autocracy.