Govt urges I/NGOs to work under laws

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Kathmandu, August 17

The Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development has urged all the international and national non-government organisations working in the local bodies to abide by existing laws of the country.

More than 230 INGOs and 1,000 national level NGOs have been working in the local bodies, according to the MoFALD. Among them, 20 to 25 per cent of the I/NGOs are yet to coordinate with the local bodies as per the laws in course of carrying out development activities. There are 75 districts, 3,915 village development committees and 58 municipalities across the country.

The Clause 209 (1) of Local Self-Governance Act 2055 BS and Clause 58 of Local Bodies Resource Mobilisation and Management Guideline 2069 BS have provisioned the I/NGOs to coordinate with local bodies by signing agreement and working responsibly while carrying out development activities and mobilising resources in the local bodies.

"However, more than one-fifth of the I/NGOs working in the local bodies have not coordinated with the local bodies by signing any agreement in local level," said the MoFALD officials. "This is against the laws of the country," they said.

Prakash Amatya, member of Fresh Water Action Netwok South Asia, admitted that some of the I/NGOs were investing and working directly against the rules despite legal registration of I/NGOs to Social Welfare Council and District Administration Offices. "It is the government's and Social Welfare Council's weakness not to monitor them and bring them under laws," he said.

Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya, spokesperson for the MoFALD, said that they have asked all the district development committees to submit details of the I/NGOs working in the local bodies. "We are not against the I/NGOs and are not trying to control them. But we need them and they should also abide by the laws of the country while doing anything here," he added.

There are four categories of non-government organisations working in the local bodies--INGOs, central level NGOs, national level NGOs and local level NGOs.

Local level NGOs are based in local levels in districts and villages while national level NGOs that invest and mobilise resources given by I/NGOs in the local bodies. "There is not any problem of coordination with these two categories of the organisations," said the government officials. "However, the problem is with INGOs and central level NGOs that invest funds directly in the local bodies without coordination and agreement with them as per the laws," they said.

The I/NGOs choose a ward of a village or only a few targeted groups in the districts. They sensitise the local people but do not satisfy the people with their work. The I/NGOs shall either a whole district or a whole community of the district while they are working in the local bodies if they are interested in working for the development, according to the MoFALD officials. "They should own and take responsibilities of projects they have initiated," they said. "There is duplication of works with the government development programmes and lack of transparency in their activities. We are unknown about what and how they are doing in the local bodies."

The Non-Government Organisations Guideline 2061 BS and Local Self Governance Act 2055 BS have provisioned responsibility of I/NGOs, accountability, and transparency, restricting duplication of works in the local bodies. "The NGOs deliberately duplicate programmes with government programmes and prepare documents of project completion without investing anything," the government officials claimed.

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Unworthy Vice-President of Nepal

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Kathmandu, August 25

This is simple truth that everyone, whoever it is, should abide by the constitution, law and rules of the country in democracy. However Vice President of Nepal Paramanand Jha neither accepts the Supreme Court rule nor resigns from the post nor abide by the law and rules. Jha sticks to his obstinacy and irrational and stupid logics.

He wants to be Vice President of the country but neglects the dignity of the nation. Nepali language is the natioanl language of Nepal, enshrined by the Constituion. However, he is not ready to take oath in Nepali language. In swearing in ceremony last year, he translated the oath statement read out by President Dr Ram Baran Yadav into Hindi language, which was mockery to all nationalist people. And he claimed he took the oath of the office.

Since thyen he was illegal VP of the country, which has been forced to witness violation of law by the ex-judge of the Supreme Court. Jha has worked as a judge in the SC. But he was always in controversy due to his unethical practices in the court. He was charged of deciding case in favour of crimanals belonging to drug crime.

Now, he is irrationally arguing that he is right and every one is wrong, which is in itself is shameful and indecent logics. He was speaking in Nepali and said he did not know Nepali. Srprisingly, his mother tongue is Maithili but not Hindi. Hindi is national language of India. Why has he fallen in love to Hindi? I also like Hindi language very much but if I get an opportunity to be in national post, I must abide by national laws.

The SC has given time to retake oath in Nepali by August 30 and ruled that his legacy as VP will end if he fails to do so.

If he wants to be VP of Nepal, he must take oath in Nepali language. Otherwise, he must quit the post. To be VP of Nepal must abide by constitution of Nepal. If he wants to be VP by taking oath in Hindi, he must go there where the national language is Hndi and contest for the top post.

Jha must be taken legal action and removed from the national post of dignity as soon as possible. Jha, get down soon, you are not worthy of VP for Nepal.

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Smearing soot on gurus politically motivated?

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Kathmandu, August 7

Instance 1: Activists of Madhesi Students Front (Democratic) smeared soot on the faces of Harihar Bhandari and Tulraj Bhattarai, campus chief and assistant campus chief of Biratnagar Degree Campus respectively, on August 6.

Instance 2: Cadres of All Nepal National Free Students Union (ANNFSU) attacked Hari Prasad Parajuli, principal, Tri-Chandra Campus in Kathmandu on August 2.

Instance 3: All Nepal National Independent Students Union-Revolutionary blackened the face of Jasa Bahadur Lungeli, chief, Mahendra Multiple Campus, Ilam, on July 1.

Instance 4: Representatives of the Free Students Union badly beat up campus chief Devidatta Shah and other lecturers of Mahendra Bindeswori Multiple Campus in Rajbiraj of Saptari on June 8.

Instance 5: The Maoist students smeared tar on the faces of Tribhuvan University ViceChancellor, Prof Dr Madhav Prasad Sharma, and Rector Prof Dr Surya Lal Amatya, on April 22.

Such news of assaults and misbehaviour with the teachers are commonplace in the media lately. But, what are the reasons the students have been turning on their own gurus, who, according to the Hindu tradition, are revered that like of gods?
Prof Dr Mana Prasad Wagle says such acts are utterly shocking. "Such indiscipline is rife in the educational institutions mainly due to encouragement by the political parties the assailants are associated with," said Wagle. "At the same time, the students are indulged in such negative and violent act as a result of dissatisfaction and frustration."

It is also because of the political parties' failure to tame and guide their affiliated students on discipline and responsibility, says Wagle. "Unnecessary politicking of students and education sector, which has massively deteriorated the education standard of Tribhuvan University, is also another cause of such anarchy."

"Student unions put unnecessary pressures on the campus administration for enrolling students, just to garner votes in the union election. To say frankly, such unions in the universities, which are hardly concerned about the betterment of education, are not needed at all" Wagle argues.

VC Dr Sharma, one of the victims, says that the university and schools were not the right place for one to do politics. "We're sad to say that such incidents are recurring largely due to the prevalent impunity."

Pradip Paudel, president, Nepal Students Union agrees that humiliating and disrespecting the teachers are not acceptable. "We opt for other means to solve problems."

Paudel, however, attributes the culture of violence in academia to the Maoists and its student body. "But, university teachers, who often seek political back up, are also to be blamed." Himal Sharma, general secretary, ANNISU-R, says: "Students are ultimately compelled to do so after all other available means fail to yield outcome."

He, however, maintains that the students should be availed of the rights to do politics.

Sheltering those involved in such crimes by mother parties and letting them scot free are the reasons behind such incidents, according to Gagan Thapa, CA member, who is also the former general secretary of NSU. "Besides, the education sector should also change itself in order to accommodate to the aspirations of the changing times."

This feature news was published in The Himalayan Times on August 8, 2009.

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Student unions troubling Gurus and students

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Kathmandu, May 6

Tribhuvan University, which was closed for about a month, resumed its official activities from today after leaving indecent impression of the student unions for smearing black on university top authorities. Maoist affiliated union showed their traits of political obstinacy by smearing black on the Gurus.

The student unions in the name of students have troubled them too much, deprived them of academic rights, said Shankar Tiwari, a Master’s level final year student at Nepal Manaviki Campus. "They behaved indecently with gurus too. It was more than enough the student unions played a foul game of politics in an academic institution," he said.

“I am preparing for the final exams but I am deprived of submitting exam forms, because the Exam Section of the campus was locked,” he added. “Students were also barred from paying fees and getting IDs.”

The All Nepal National Independent Students’ Union-Revolutionary padlocked the Central Office of TU and account offices in the campuses after it increased examination fees on April 1.

“We withdrew all of the strikes and unlocked the TU central offices and all of the account sections of campuses throughout the nation today,” said Himal Sharma, president of the Free Student Union at TU. “All of the TU services closed for about a month resumed from today,” he added. “We were serious on the convocation of TU on May 8 and decided to help it on this concern.”

Various activities including filling up of exam forms, new admissions in the campuses and issuance of student ID cards were halted in all of the TU constituent and affiliated campuses across the country. There are 60 constituent and more than 300 affiliated campuses operating under TU. About 500,000 students including of affiliations appear in the TU’s regular and partial exams annually.

TU administration has raised the exam fees by 60-200 percent on 12 different heads. According to TU administration, TU and student unions have reached to an agreement for not charging late fees once, but taking the exam fees that was fixed earlier.

Prof Dr Madhav Sharma, VC at TU, said that the increased fees were not irrational in comparison to the exam expenses and other universities. The present fee structure was fixed 12 years ago.

“We have many problems regarding the exams, namely early publication of results, paying for examiners, maintaining academic calendar and copy checkers. The result of the Department of Education has not been published for eight months due to the lack of funds,” he added. “The government does not provide us enough funds to carry out our all jobs.”

Pradip Paudel, president of the Nepal Students’ Union, said they never wanted to cause nuisance to the students but promote the quality in the university. “If TU increases fees, it must ensure quality and prompt services as per the ratio of charged fees,” he added.

Himal Sharma said that TU agreed to roll back the decision of increasing fees on six heads out 12 heads in which fees were hiked. “The six heads includes fees charged on transferring exam centre, transfer certificate and duplicate certificate, which were increased by more than 100 percent,” he added.

“TU issued 10-point white-letter declaration to reform the exam system. It includes the publication of results within three months and issuance of transcript on the second day of submission of application,” he said.

TU increased the exam fees as recommended by the panel formed to reform exam systems on April 1. The Nepal Students’ Union, the All Nepal National Free Students’ Union and other student organisations protested against TU for slashing increased fee structure. The ANNISU-R padlocked the campus account sections and the TU central offices including Vice Chancellor, Rector and Controller of Examinations.

Following the rift on the fee row, the ANNISU-R smeared black on the faces of TU VC and Rector on April 22, which was widely condemned and criticized by the various sectors. Police arrested 22 students on the case and were in dentition. “They were released yesterday as we agreed with TU to withdraw the strike,” Himal Sharma said.

VC Sharma thanked the student unions for understanding the gravity of programmes and agreeing to scrap their strike. "However, the incident was painful and has saddened us. It was the students' conscience to understand what is wrong and right. They should realize it themselves rather than telling them wrong," he added.

University graduates smearing black on the faces of Vice-Chancellor and Rector of Tribhuvan University has demeaned the educated circle disgracefully. "Was it rational for the educated persons to do so? Certainly, it has forced us to think of it," wonders Swami Chandresh, founder of Budhanilkantha Ashram School, Kathmandu.

Education can play an instrumental role on determining what kind of citizen is produced but the present system has failed to do so, Swami said. “Such shameful act of so-called educated persons is a result of present materialistic education.”

“The only remedy for this pseudo system of 173 years is the trinity of education that includes spiritually self-building, practical and creative, and informative education,” he added. "People must be taught the education that honours self, cultures, society and history.”

He said, a person, who does not have self-confidence and preserve own identity, is not a citizen in real sense. “Holding certificates does not necessarily mean to be worthy citizen,” said Chandresh.

This article was published in THE HIMALAYAN TIMES on May 7, 2009.

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