Casteism,harassment and punitive measures

27 December 2006 is the blackest day in the history of KU. This day one efficient worker, technician and righteous employee of KU ended his life. His wife subsequently claimed that he suffered humiliations at the hands of KU registrar and KU Dean Bhola Thapa. She claimed that he went to meet KU officials demanding organizational rights as he belonged to newly created staff association, Kathmandu University Staff Association (KUSA).However, it has been reported by his wife that, Mr. Buddhi became quite depressed after the meeting. He said,"They would defame me and fire me from KU." Thereafter, he asked his wife to look for an alternative job. When she left him alone in their Banepa residence, Mr. Buddhi hung himself to death. After the news of his death spread and reached KU premises, Dean Bhola Thapa could not muster courage to come to KU. Staffs and faculties were extremely enraged and held one mass meeting on 13th day of his death. Given existing truth surrounding his death, it is now well proven that Dr. Bhola Thapa attacked Mr. Buddhi Bahadur mercilessly setting in him a fatal depression. A dalit employee should have never been harassed like that. But, to crush KU movement at any cost, they did it. In addition to inviting notorious corrupt criminals like Jalan Kumar, and royalist Mayor of Dhulikhel municipality, to thrash a founding member and other staffs, Suresh Raj have even mobilised criminals to harass staffs and faculties mentally.

Harassment triggered death of a KU employee has definitely eroded credibility of Prof. Dr. Suresh Raj Sharma. After KU movement, Suresh Raj is being looked upon as a crook who wants to be VC (Vice-Chancellor) till death at any cost. Many in KU are convinced that had Suresh Raj hot shown such an abhorable greed for power, employess of KU would have never suffered such a traumatic situation. But, in addition to greed and avarice of lowly characters like Suresh Raj, there are some other causes responsible for constant degradtion of academia in KU.

It is worthwhile to say that Nepal still does not have strong punitive provisions against harassment. People can easily use casteist terms agaisnt opponents and humiliate them. Though there exists one legal provision in "Muluki Aina" (Country's rules) against casteism and using casteist terms, yet there are few instance of concrete actions. This is because of both the entrenched social hierarchy and readiness to tolerate insults and humiliations. Now the time has come to adopt some changes. In new Nepal, we can not allow perpetuation of old ideas. Making new Neapl should go hand in hand with legislations and drafting of laws against casteism and harassment. On this count, we can look at Indian constitution and laws and bye-laws there. Recently, leader of Bharatiya Kisan Union, Mahendra Singh Tikait, used some casteist terms against Chief Minister of Utter Pradesh, Ms. Mayawati. Thereafter, state government of UP invoked "SC/ST acts" to arrest Mr. Mahendra Singh Tikait. We need this kind of stringent law in Nepal so that there will be no more harassment triggered deaths in our academia.