Pradip Nepal: An incompetent minister?

Going by recent developments, Mr. Pradip Nepal is incompetent in many respects. His supporters and readers may claim exactly opposite. But, his actions so far clearly indicate that he has failed in many fronts. Regardless of great hue and cry against his reckless statement for which he was forced to issue clarification, we have judged his competence based on some other factors.

Firstly, Pradip Nepal has brought in a partisan culture in higher education. It is true that appointment of VCs was his top priority. But the manner in which he carried out this has surprised many of us. Even when Suresh Raj was also made professor overnight breaching all protocals, such naked partisanship was not in display. At that time both giver and achiever silently perpetrated that crime of awarding and getting professorship to Suresh Raj. It is true that during those dark age of Panchayati system, there would not have been any roll back of the decision even if some one had made great noise. What is most conspicuous in that episode of Suresh Raj getting professorship was their fear of academic morality. No body was there to question palace and no body was there to question credentials of Suresh Raj. Still, they played safe because naked display of partisanship in academia is what mars the academic values.

Academia needs to grow stronger with passage of time. Many universities throughout the world are now devising even code of conduct for faculty members and staffs. Personal misconduct on the part of faculties and staffs can sully the reputation of universities and institutes. This is why Stanford asked faculty members not to fall in love-affair and not to maintain any relations with the students. But, in Nepal, it seems that we are moving backward. The same professor who is vice-chancellor now is more aggressive and more partisan than during Panchayati days. To save his chair, he can even mobilize henchmen and goondas and later claim that people came to support his visionary vice-chancellorship. Only ruthless Nepalis can make such white lie claims and remain in chair. Suresh Raj has now pastmaster of sticking to chair. And this has been possible after jettisoning academics norms, values and morality.

What Suresh Raj has done needs to be arrested and controlled. Faculties and staffs gave their voice against misdeeds of Suresh Raj. Some of us even sacrificed jobs and lives. But, ministry and political class seems to have turned deaf. As if people who are protesting against Suresh Raj are real mandales. With Pradip Nepal's arrival and subsequent dramas, whatever hope was there has by now vanished into thin air. After his partisan appointment and open politicalizatin in Universities, Pradip Nepal has shown that he is also as ruthless as Suresh Raj. Just to satisfy his ego, he can divide university community and stand up motley crowd of bootlickers to run administrative offices. And when somebody points out his mistakes, he meekly accepts that these are mistakes.

In view of repeated admissions of his mistakes, it is now necessary to look into competence of Mr. Pradip Nepal. Definitely, writing regular columns never make anybody competent. Writing is different from running the ministry. People can write anything. Look what Suresh Raj has been writing for ages. Is there any merit in his writings? No! Everybody knows that Suresh Raj can not even compose a meaningful sentence. He just forcefully inserts high sounding words like "Sadhu," "Unique gestures," " How KU is formed," and so on and throws those write-ups to editors. And editors,too, time and again gets carried away by the name itself and give place to his nonsensical write-ups. Discernible minds always find out how incompetent VC Suresh Raj is through his write-ups alone. And there are many who have noticed and sensed elements of discrimination in Suresh Raj's expressions. Suresh Raj is neither a good writer nor a good vice-chancellors. Yeah, he personifies a social vice.

Unlike Suresh Raj, Pradip Nepal makes readable columns in vernacular. Given his penchant for English and growing reputation as one of the political leaders rooting for anglicisation (how?), I guess that he will start writing in English very soon. As Janajatis are now breathing down his neck, he may start writing in one of Janajati languages also. And he may evolve as a good writer in those lingos too. We have no problem with that. But, our problem deals with unexpected transformation of a good writer into a bad minister. If he were a good minister, the first thing Pradip Nepal should have done must be sacking of Suresh Raj Sharma, notorious vice-chancellor of KU. Instead of getting name and fame by axing Suresh Raj, Pradip Nepal has preferred to emulate Suresh Raj. This, in my opinion, is where he began on wrong footing.

Though there is no time left for him to salvage his reputation, yet we suggest Pradip Nepal to overhaul his sullied reputation. Sacking entire gang of Suresh Raj, Sitaram and Bhadraman may help him to gain back our confidence. And this is inevitable if he wants to be a competent minister in present interim government. We support people who are not corrupt and capable of taking Suresh Raj head on. We have no respect for people who considers Suresh Raj as visionary, creator and maker. Our attachment with our colleagues, who have even sacrificed their lives, never allows us to be friendly towards Suresh Raj. And friends of Suresh Raj are definitely not our friends. So, Mr. Pradip Nepal, please take conscious decision and sack Suresh Raj. This is extremely necessary if you want to improve your public persona.