DODHARA CHANDANI, AUGUST 23
The central office of Far Western University has remained closed for the past 38 days, while the offices of the controller and deputy controller of examinations have been padlocked for the past 22 days.
Rastriya Prajatantrik Student Union, aligned to Rastriya Prajatantra Party, padlocked the offices demanding an end to the culture of political sharing of appointments of the university office bearers and teachers.
Likewise, the student union close to the CPN (Unified Socialist) enforced the lockout, protesting against the 'repeated' questions paper in the faculty of sociology.
The prolonged lockout has severely impacted the university's operations. While the student union affiliated with the Unified Socialist has agreed to lift the lockout, other student unions persist in their protest, causing disruption of university activities, according to the university administration.
"Consensus has been elusive despite the several rounds of meetings with protesting parties. They have demanded the repeal of appointments in the central departments including campus chief, but the university is not in a position to revoke them as they followed the set procedures," the administration claimed.
It is to be noted that each decision of the university irritates students leading to the lockout. Prior to this, the university was padlocked for nine months.
Rastriya Prajatantrik Student Union President for FWU, Prem Rawal, said they wanted to end the sharing of political power in the university. "The protest continues until the demand is met," he said, accusing university officials of paying no heed to ease the situation.
Unified Socialist Union, Kanchanpur, Coordinator Ramesh Pant accused university officials of granting affiliations to colleges purely for economic gains just before their terms concluded. He said such appointments made by the university must be revoked.
FWU former dean Tekraj Pant said the culture of prolonged lockout and protests is not good for the progress of university students. He also pointed out the unnecessary political meddling from teachers and employees in the university business.
The university was established in 2010, but continues to be marred by frequent protests and political interference, that obstructs its progress.
A version of this article appears in the print on August 24, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
