Nepal's Catholics: strikes should not to affect schools or children
A Chitwan priest speaks of his worry that the frequent strikes against the monarchy will jeopardize education across the country. They force us to close and we are often threatened by the rebels. An appeal is made to the UNICEF's principle that "zones of peace" be created for children.
Katmandu (AsiaNews) Frequent protests and unrest in Nepal risk seriously compromising the studies of hundreds of thousands of children, forced to stay at home during the demonstrations. There is strong concern among the Catholic personnel involved in the country's education sector. Fr. Wilson, principal of a Catholic school in the Chitwan district tells that yesterday "All the educational institutions were paralysed because of the strike". This form of protest has been until now the prerogative of the Maoists. But yesterday's general strike also involved 7 political parties dedicated to restoring democracy to the country now under the firm control of King Gyanendra.
"We had hoped says the priest - the democratic political parties would at least heed the long standing call of the UNICEF to consider schools and children as 'zones of peace' and allow the children to attend classes" .But their hope was dashed. "No child moved out of home as the strike supporters and security people turned the entire country into a pitched battle field". The strike ended with over 1,000 arrests and more than 150 injured during clashes between police and demonstrators. Fr. Wilson says that the Catholic Church runs over 20 schools in Nepal, which are "deeply appreciated" as it offers education to over 40 thousand children. It is characteristic of these schools to disassociate themselves from the country's politics. "For this reason he explains - we feel really anguished when our schools are closed. Tragically, school closure is becoming a regular malady of the political culture of Nepal. This can't augur well for democracy. After all, education is the lifeblood of democracy".
Fr. Wilson also tells of many schools outside the capital Katmandu which "have received threats by Maoists and have been attacked".
Pawan Rijal, a human rights activist said that some five years have passed since the UNICEF in collaboration with a Norway based outfit, 'Save the Children Norway, Nepal' called for declaring children as 'zone of peace' in 2001, but "no substantial results have been gained". "Now even democratic parties are ignoring it" he adds. According to a recent UN report since the Maoist insurgency began in 1996, some 500 hundred children have lost their lives, and over 4000 children have become orphans. Above all, around 40,000 children have been displaced.
.png)
