Rallies for‚ against ethno-federalism

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

KATHMANDU: Nine student unions affiliated to the UCPN-Maoist and Madhesi parties today launched a protest for ethnicity-based federal states in the wake of concerted protests from 16 student unions and youth organisations aligned with the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML, among others, for the resignation of Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai and withdrawal of the announcement to hold fresh elections on November 22.

In a press statement today, the nine unions, including All Nepal National Independent Students Union-Revolutionary (ANNISU-R), informed that they had decided to launch a protest for the sake of federal states with the guarantee of linguistic and cultural identity of the ethnic peoples at a meeting yesterday. Blaming people opposed to ethnic federalism of causing the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly, the unions said they will expose anti-federalists by forming a front of student unions.

As part of their protests, the nine unions will hold nationwide interactions and corner meetings till June 3 and a protest rally from the Tri Chandra Campus on June 4.

Yesterday, 16 student unions and youth associations had organised a rally in Kathmandu against the dissolution of the CA and announcement of fresh polls. Today, these organisations burnt Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai in effigies in 72 district headquarters as part of their scheduled protest.

Activists of the NC-aligned Nepal Students’ Union today demonstrated in front of various campuses in the Kathmandu Valley demanding withdrawal of what they called the ‘illegal announcement of fresh polls’ and PM Bhattarai’s resignation.

In the morning, they enforced an hourlong chakkajam in front of some campuses, while in the evening they took out a funeral procession of the government from the Kathmandu Education Campus, which concluded at the Nepal Law Campus after passing through Padmodaya chowk.