‘Abolishing Student Organizations is an Authoritarian Tendency’: Leader Khadka Objects, Warns of Protest if Decision Not Withdrawn</strong

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KATHMANDU — Former Acting President of the Nepali Congress, Purna Bahadur Khadka, has strongly objected to the government’s decision to abolish student organizations and independent student unions. Issuing a press release on Tuesday, he stated that the decision is contrary to democratic values and reflects an authoritarian tendency.

Leader Khadka noted that student movements have played a significant role in Nepal’s political history and that the contribution of students in establishing the federal democratic republic is unforgettable. He recalled that when political parties were banned during the party-less Panchayat system, student organizations were the ones spreading public awareness in favor of democracy.

He stated that the active participation of students in the student movement of 2036/37 BS, the People’s Movement of 2046 BS, and the historic movement of 2062/63 BS made the establishment of the current political system possible.

Leader Khadka commented that it is contradictory for the same government that created an environment to establish young leadership like Balen Shah—who emerged from the use of democratic freedoms—to now attack student organizations. He characterized student organizations not merely as institutions tied to political ideologies but as legitimate bodies that raise their voices against malpractices and anomalies in the education sector.

Leader Khadka urged the government to immediately withdraw the decision and uphold the dignity of student organizations, warning that otherwise, students may once again take to the streets to protect democracy.