Over half a dozen Maoist-affiliated students misbehaved with campus chief Lungeli at around noon, when he was walking out of his office to attend a function organized by the campus to mark the golden jubilee of Tribhuvan University. The function venue was some 400 meters from his office.
A group of ANNISU-R students led by their campus unit secretary Rabin Bhattarai misbehaved with Lungeli after stopping him on the pretext of wanting to talk to him. The Maoist students pounced upon Lungeli, alleging that the function was being organized without asking them.
“I was on the way to the program venue,” said Lungeli. “A group of students smeared soot on me.”
Lungeli said no one knew about the incident immediately as colleagues were busy preparing for the function.
Colleagues and other students came to know about the incident only after the Maoist students fled the scene chanting ´long live ANNISU-R´. They had already fled the scene by the time Lungeli"s colleagues and other students arrived to help.
The ANNISU-R misbehaved with the campus chief, alleging that he did not want to conduct the Free Students Union (FSU) election scheduled on March 19 and that he made political appointments at the campus. The FSU election at the campus was put off due to obstruction by pro-Limbuwan students.
The ANNISU-R students had padlocked the campus chief"s office on March 24, demanding his resignation over the issue. The campus chief has been running the day-to-day affairs of the campus out of an alternative office.
“They also accused me of breaking open the padlock,” said the 52-year-old Lungeli. “I had never imagined that they would behave this way toward me.”
This is the second time that Maoist-affiliated students have smeared soot on the face of university officials.
On April 22, a group of students belonging to ANNISU-R had smeared TU Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Madhav Sharma and Rector Prof. Dr. Surya Lal Amatya with soot on their faces when the two were coming out of the CERID Hall at about 1:30 p.m. “They did what they have learnt from their colleagues,” added Lungeli.
Ilam campus remained tense almost throughout the day. Various student unions, political parties, human rights organizations and government employee organizations have condemned the incident and demanded stern action against those involved.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Bikram Bahadur Chanda, chief of Ilam District Police Office, said efforts are on to trace the guilty in the incident.
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