Kathmandu, March 16:

While the major student unions are at the peak of their campaigns for the Free Students’ Union election slated for March 19, the Indigenous National Students’ Union (INSN), an independent union of progressive indigenous students, has decided to boycott the Free Students’ Union election.

It has also decided to call a Valley bandh on the election day.

“We have some 5,000 members and have registered for FSU polls in some colleges in the Valley,” said Loku Chamling Rai, INSN president.

The Union is also planning to organise a press conference to make its decision public. Rai claimed that the FSU election was unscientific and discriminatory.

“Unless the Tribhuvan University adopts proportional system of election, INSN will not participate in the polls,” he said.

Some other fringe student unions have also decided to boycott the FSU election, demanding a proportional election system.

While two major student unions — All Nepal National Independent Students’ Union-Revolutionary and All Nepal National Free Students’ Union — have agreed to adopt a proportional system, the NC student wing, Nepal Students’ Union, is against it.