Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, March 16:

The students of All Nepal National Free Students Union (ANNFSU) of Balmiki Vidyapeeth today announced a series of protest programmes including the indefinite lockout of the campus unless their five-point demands are met.

"We will indefinitely close all the Sanskrit educational institutions if the concerned authorities do not fulfil our demands," said Ved Raj Gyawali, coordinator of ANNFSU, Mahendra Sanskrit University (MSU) contact committee during a press conference organised here today. He said that if our demands are not heeded then we will be compelled to take action against those who conspired to announce the election results without our consent. The ANNFSU has been denying the validity of the FSU election results of Balmiki Vidyapeeth.

The programme includes continuing the indefinite campus lockout, promoting the movement activities on March 17, waving black flags in front of Balmiki campus gate on March 18, presenting the warning letter to the Vice-chancellor of MSU on March 19 and organising a sit-in in front of MSU contact office at Basantapur on March 21. It will also lockout the MSU contact office indefinitely from March 23, start the movement in all the Sanskrit educational institutions throughout the country from March 25 and lock the MSU central office at Dang indefinitely from March 26.

The five-point demands include fulfilling the 24 demands forwarded by the ANNFSU primary committee to Balmiki Vidyapeeth on February 4, holding the FSU elections at Balmiki Vidyapeeth at the earliest and increasing the scholarship fund. Their demands also include implementing the 36-point demands endorsed by the University executive council with the agreement of ANNFSU primary panel and executing the agreement between the seven students union and MSU regarding the Teendhara Sanskrit Hostel.

In order to probe the mishaps in MSU, the ANNFSU, MSU committee has formed the Jayatu Sanskritum Students Court and also a movement organising committee. Khimlal Bhattarai, general-secretary, ANNFSU, said due to lack of commitment on the part of MSU officials education at Balmiki Vidyapeeth has been affected.