Mahendra Sanskrit University destroyed

[Julia Leslie]

Michael Hutt, my colleague at SOAS tells me that this is 'just the
latest in a whole catalogue of horrors' (see below).
Julia Leslie


------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
Date sent:              Mon, 13 May 2002 16:20:19 +0000
To:                     jl6 at soas.ac.uk
From:                   Michael Hutt <mh8 at soas.ac.uk>


Rebels set ablaze Mahendra Sanskrit University

          By K P Ghimire

          KATHMANDU, May 12   Maoist rebels on Saturday night set
ablaze
offices of the country's only Sanskrit
          University-Mahendra Sanskrit University-in Beljhundi of Dang
district, reducing estimated property worth Rs. 27.5 million to
          a cinder.

          The university is located about 15 kilometres west of Ghorahi,
the district headquarters of Dang. But nobody was hurt in the
          incident, university officials said.

          Around 200 rebels, most of whom were women, surrounded
the
university's premises and torched most of the offices which
          include Administration Office, Office of the Controller of
Examinations and offices of Vice-chancellor, Registrar and Rector.

          Following the arson of the university complex, around 50,000
ancient Sanskrit textbooks, including Kalchakra Ambika have
          been completely reduced to ashes.

          Talking over telephone, Chudamani Adhikari, administrative
officer of the university, told The Kathmandu Post that the
          rebels doused the offices with kerosene and set them on fire.

          All the furniture and records of students for the last 14 years
were destroyed, said eyewitnesses. The rebels snatched keys of
          the offices from security guards and ravaged the university
property, Adhikari said, adding that the students of All Nepal
          Independent Students' Union-Revolutionary (ANISU-
Revolutionary)
were largely responsible for the attack.

          The rebels had also blocked the road leading toward the
university in a bid to prevent the security forces from reaching
          there. It was just last year that the rebels exploded a powerful
crude bomb in the office of the Vice-chancellor, Purna
          Chandra Dhungel, who usually stays in Kathmandu.

Michael Hutt
Reader in Nepali and Himalayan Studies & Dean of Vernon Square
campus
School of Oriental and African Studies, London tel 020 7074 5011
fax 020 7074 5039