ITAHARI: CPN (Maoist Center) is drawing criticism on social media for instructing schools to close and support its program to be attended by Chairperson Pushpa Kamal Dahal and other senior leaders in Kanepokhari of Morang.
Durga Bahadur Karki, chairperson of the Kanepokhari Municipal Committee of the Maoist Center, sent letters to Bal Jagat English Boarding School, Pal Academy, Mount Harmony Academy and Zenith English Boarding School, pressuring them to close on Tuesday.
“We request you to close the school and provide necessary support for the program, as a large public gathering will be held at Ramailo in Kanepokhari-6 from 9 am to 1 pm in the presence of republican Nepal’s first Prime Minister and Maoist Center Chairperson Pushpa Kamal Dahal, former Deputy Prime Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha, former Minister Dev Gurung, and other leaders. There will be excessive vehicle traffic, and the use of high-volume equipment could cause noise pollution affecting students,” the letter states.
Karki responded to criticism by saying that the letter was issued out of concern for children’s studies, rather than to force school closures.
The Schools as Zones of Peace (SZOP) National Framework and Implementation Guideline, 2011, prohibits political assemblies, conferences, slogans, processions, or protest activities inside or around school premises that could disrupt school operations.
The Maoist Center launched its month-long awareness campaign, which aims to connect the people of the Tarai/Madhesh region with the party, in Jhapa on Monday. As part of the campaign, the party is holding different programs in Jhapa, Morang, and Sunsari of Koshi Province. Similar programs have been designed for other provinces as well, according to party leaders.
