Eliot Spitzer and Suresh Raj Sharma

The story of Eliot Spitzer, disgraced governor of New York, is one of the fastest rise and the quickest downfall. When news of Spitzer's misdeeds flashed on the TV sets across millions of US homes, many people were jovial. Because it talked of misdeeds of a man who has been crusading against the dishonesty. People cheered the news because the fighter against the dishonesty and corruption himself was found to be the most despicable cheater. Something like this has already happened in Kathmandu University. Fed up with the academic dishonesty and blatant corruption, many faculties, staffs and students of KU were convinced that Suresh Raj would see his downfall. When major English and vernacular dailies started writing about his nepotism, corruption and highhandedness in KU, many Nepali intellectuals lapped them up. Some of them even taunted Suresh Raj openly. Exactly, as Eliot Spitzer, Suresh Raj too capitulated and he readily entered into an agreement with KUPA. Despite this commonality in capitulation of both Spitzer and Suresh Raj, the end results are different. Spitzer is now gone for ever but Suresh Raj is busy departing ordinary staffs and even causing death of his own dauther.

Embroilment of politicians in sex-scandals or corruption or nepotism is a strict no! no! in a developed world. Though politicians are expected to be in some kind of nexus with businessmen, yet legal framework is so strict that they can never enter into hanky-panky dealings like trading favours. Academia in the west and the developed countries has more stringent rules. In academia, even spreading rumours against colleagues, seniors and officials constitute instances of harassment. But, if we look in KU, things have taken an uglier turn. It is a fashion now in KU to spread rumours against hard working employees , diligent teachers and self-righteous people. People who oppose molester Suresh Raj is being defamed as molester and people who recount past royalist leanings of Suresh Raj is being criticized as Maoists. Moreover, Suresh Raj and his team is busy slandering every one who is demanding organisational rights and academic freedom. As a matter of fact, with such a long series of his crimes in KU, Suresh Raj should have been cooling his heels in one of the jails in Nepal. But, we are yet to see this. Instead we are witnessing emboldened Suresh Raj lecturing on "how to provide technical skills?"

Why this is happening in Nepal?

Does not it indicate sub-standard moral values in Nepali academia and Nepali lives?

Definitely, this is what is the difference between the States and the Nepal. In the States, when the most powerful man in the world goes on for oral actions in Oval office, even his own party cowers to defend him. But, in KU and in Nepal, Suresh Raj is blatantly misusing his power and position to turn exam section into another Oval office, and his servants like Pushpa Raj are still singing peans in his support. They all rather claim that Suresh Raj has never done this. Similarly, governor Spitzer travelled across the states to meet many Kirstens spending more than $80,000.00 and Suresh Raj has also moved across the Lodges and resorts in Dhulikhel to enjoy life. Crimes, which are of similar nature, are being committed, and we have completely opposite end results.

Once during his tea-shop guff session, Pushpa Raj thundered that the Americans are the most hypocritical. In his opinion, the Americans themselves involve in wife-swapping, extra-marital sex, pre-marital sex and many other amorous conducts, but they expect their presidents to be spotlessly clean. This is where the hypocrisy of Americans lies. He said so. We did not counter him but we later laughed on his back saying, "Pushpa Raj thinks that if he beats his wife, all others must also be beating their wives." And within this very statement, there lies the root cause of perpetuation of Suresh Raj. Followers of Suresh Raj feels that if Suresh Raj is enjoying his fruitful life, then it is a normal phenomenon. They simply do not care that debased character of Suresh Raj is giving rise to a new phenomenon in KU. Innocent students are having their personal dignity outraged, and junior ladies staffs have to learn things in a sexually compromising position. Yet, many of the stooges of Suresh Raj do not see that characterless on his part is bringing a disrepute to KU. This is the different between "US hypocrisy" and our "normal thinking."

Photo Sources:

1) http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jymNLiYjmzSWcM01nuLDxpRuHF6gD8VE9V200
2) www.nayapatrika.com