• Announce free education for children of killed, disabled in movement

Kathmandu, April 13:

Two organisations of private schools today expressed solidarity with the ongoing people’s movement against autocracy and warned that all private schools would close down if the government did not try to solve the current crises through dialogue by April 28.

Speaking at an interaction programme, Umesh Shrestha, president of the Private and Boarding Schools’ Organisation of Nepal (PABSON), said the King, political leaders and Maoists should give up their stubbornness and solve the crises through dialogue. “Conflict will push the country further back,” Shrestha said at the Reporters’ Club. “Dialogue is the only way out.”

“If the crisis situation persists, schools will automatically close down and if the government makes no effort to solve the problem by the beginning of the new session on April 28, we will announce some decisive programmes,” he said.

PABSON announced its decision to provide Rs 1,00,000 to the Jana Andolan First Aid Treatment Fund set up to provide treatment to those injured during the movement.

The National Private and Boarding Schools’ Association of Nepal (NPABSAN) has decided to provide two days’ salary of each teacher affiliated to it, to the fund.

PABSON also announced its resolve to provide free education to the children of those killed, injured and physically disabled during the seven political parties’ movement against autocracy. Karna Bahadur Shahi, general secretary of NPABSAN, however, clarified that the solidarity they have expressed is for the people’s movement, not for the party’s movement. The teachers demanded that schools be declared a zone of peace and that no warring activities be entertained in any school or educational institute.

Both organisations demanded the immediate release of Pankaj Rathour, vice-president of NPABSAN; Dr Shanta Dixit, principal of the Rato Bangla School and also of all detained students.

Meanwhile, Nepal-Japan Social Friendship Academy announced to provide free education till Grade VII to one child of each family that has lost one member during the ongoing movement.

Also today, 27 erstwhile government employees, including 10 former government secretaries,

expressed concern over the “excessive use of force” against pro-democracy protesters. They accused the government of fuelling violence. They also urged it to release all detainees, create a favourable environment for journalists and provide treatment to those injured during demonstrations.

Rs 3m in medical aid kitty for injured protesters

KATHMANDU: The public fund for the treatment of demonstrators injured in the ongoing popular movement has swelled to nearly Rs 30,00,000 in just three days. The Jana Andolan First Aid Treatment Fund, instituted on April 11, collected Rs 28,93,507 till this afternoon. While organisational donations constituted Rs 2,151,664 of the sum, personal donations made up for Rs 7,41,843. Talking to this daily, artistes and founders of the Fund Madan Krishna Shrestha and Hari Bansa Acharya said, “We got the idea of setting up a fund after we saw a large number of injured people being rushed to the hospital for treatment, but the hospital lacked funds to cope with the situation.”

Meanwhile, the staff of the Melamchi Drinking Water Project donated Rs 28,031 and the Sarbanam Natya Samuha donated Rs 11,500 to the fund. — HNS