– Amit Gupta
The management and principal of the Modern Indian School (MIS), Chobhar, Kathmandu have yet again demonstrated that the power of Money and Political Connection is above the Constitution and Law of Nepal.
In deliberate attempt to instigate the current crisis and suppress the genuine demands of the teachers and employees in protest, the Principal of Modern Indian School has reached out to the Chief District Office of Kathmandu with a letter requesting help to retrieve the copy of the exam papers that were in the possession of the teachers in protest.
The teachers of MIS who have been sitting in “Dharna” in the Chobhar gate for the past four weeks have been demanding that the school draft a “Service Rule” and provide them at least with salaries and benefits that is mandated by the “Siksha Niyamawali” issued by the Nepal Government. But instead of meeting the teachers’ basic demands the Management and Principal of MIS have been using their connection in the Indian Embassy, Political Parties and Nepal Police to suppress the protest in an unlawful manner.
The teachers in protest sitting in the road for past four weeks were unable to check the final exam papers and couldn’t submit it in time. So rather than resolving the difference out via dialogue, getting the teachers to resume their duties and starting the new school session smoothly, the school has published the results without the submitted grades from the teachers, promoted all the students without examining their marks, and have been running the school without half of the teachers. The students basically go to school and play all day.
In the latest attempt the principal has managed to get a direct order from the CDO office, BabbarMahal, Kathmandu directing the Kirtipur Police to use any and every means necessary to obtain the exam papers from the teacher. The DSP of the Kirtipur Police in compliance has made his personal vendetta to execute the orders. He not only summoned the teachers to the Police Station for 2 hours and coerced them into submitting the papers but also no delay was tolerated. Scared teachers who couldn’t stand the threat complied. In this regard the teachers and staff in protest haven’t been paid the salary for the month of March while those not in protests have been already given.
The implication of this incidence rises following questions:-
- Is not paying the salaries of employees who basically live on a month to month income irrelevant while not being able to submit exam papers in time for the reasons stated above become a crime?
- If the teachers holding the exam papers of the MIS is such a concern for CDO, shouldn’t it also be of concern that
- MIS is not registered with any agency of Nepal Government and is operating illegally in Nepal for the past 35+ years, if MIS shouldn’t be prosecuted who should be?
- MIS is blatantly violating the constitutional and legal rights of its employees by not allowing them to form union and depriving them of the basic salary and benefits that is mandated by Nepal Government itself in its “Siksha Niyamawali”.
- If MIS need not follow rules and regulation of Nepal Government, Indian Government or CBSE Board, what Rule is it supposed to follow?
- The 22 school buses of MIS are not registered with the Department of Transportation and the school doesn’t pay taxes on the buses, why should one pay taxes for their scooters?
- MIS has illegally occupied 50 ropani land on the shores of Bagmati River in Chobhar and the temple of “Bhude Ganesh” while the poor people living in the slums in the banks of Bagmati river are being relocated,
- MIS is publishing the results of the student without the marks of the subjects and promoting them to higher classes, does this mean a computer and a printer is all you need to run a school?
- If the police are busy threatening teachers to submit exam papers will they now be chasing the students for the pastdue library books?
So instead of flashing our badges, shouting our positions and abusing our authorities we all should do our duty with honesty and dignity. Perhaps the measure of our success should not be in money we can loot but rather in respect we earn. No one should be allowed to so brutally violate the constitutional and legal rights of people of Nepal, or disobey the rules and regulation of Government of Nepal or enslave the middle and lower class of our country. The exploitation of labor that is happening in MIS is a concern for anyone and everyone who likes to think that Nepal is a sovereign state. As long as such atrocities are allowed to happen in broad daylight it would be a lie to call Nepal a sovereign state.
