Suresh Raj, Bihar Police and Than Shwe

How mercilessly Bihar Police of Bhagalpur district thrashed the chain snatcher has recently created huge outcry in India. For the petty crime of looting someone, it is understandable that public would express their outrage. However, if the Policemen also comes into their aid and try to mete out inhuman treatment, eyebrows are likely to be raised. Whatever happened in Bhagalpur,Bihar of India is an expression of mob-mentality of unruly and uneducated people. Such a mob mentality should never be borne by any public servant. This is why the policemen in question were immidiately suspended for their complicity in committing a crime against a petty criminal. Bhagalpur incident clearly indicates that our society, be it in India or be it in Nepal is not ready to accept mob mentality on the part of the so called protector.

Prof.Dr. Suresh Raj Sharma, who has been periodically writing in both vernacular and English dailies should, by any standard, be a protector. His continuation as VC of KU for last 15 years and his having spent his entire life in academic sector invariably bestows that position to him. But, exactly like that Bhagalpur policemen, Suresh Raj Sharma has also failed to do his duty. He has failed to accept what the soceity and academic fraternity has tacitly accorded to him. Rather, he has intentionally sided with murderers, mandales, and goondas in hope of protracting his stay in KU. The Bhagalpur policemen apparently got carried away by public emotion. He could have felt that siding with the public in committing a crime would elevate his position. So, he committed a crime against a criminal to loose his job.

But why Suresh Raj is behaving more ruthlessly than the Bhagalpur policeman. It is perplexing. Given his free stint so far, Suresh Raj would have lost nothing had he tried to emerge as a real guardian. He would have gained much support and appreciation. It would,in turn,have made people stand up and request him for continuation till his death. A man who openly claims to have created KU and established a new educational approach in Nepal is now relying on support of a bunch of thugs, goons, hooligans, mandales and murderers. Why Suresh Raj? Why?

This clearly shows that Suresh Raj has something to hide. We can not say that faculties,staffs and students who are demanding their say in governance have some ulterior motives. Because, in comparison, by making demands for a common say through common forum like KUPA,KUSA and SWC, no body is likely to gain anything. People,who at the helm of the affairs in these organization, may gain some prominence, but they are not likely to gain either deanship or registrarship or VCship. Definitely, all of us would gain better academic environment if voices of KUPA,KUSA and Students' prevail in KU. In this situation, the only guilty party, who has something to hide, conceal and grab, is invariably Suresh Raj Sharma.

Perhaps, knowing very well, what he has to conceal and whom he has to promote to meet that end, Suresh Raj has become more scheming and more ruthless. Unlike Bhagalpur policeman, who got carried away instantly, Suresh Raj is working with a design and motive. He is inciting people and he is mobilising goons. He wants to exhaust everyone who dares to speak up against his crimes and his corruption. And ultimately, he has tried to counter KUPA also by creating "Faculty Welfare Council." This is reminiscent of "State Law and Order Restoration Council" created by ruthless dictator of Myanmar, General Than Shwe. And this is what is making us as determined as Burmese to keep on resisting mandale Suresh Raj to usher in real academic environment in Kathmandu University.