Joint Student Movement to Protest Ban on Student Organizations

Kathmandu: Following the government's decision to ban student organizations under the guise of "administrative reform," the Joint Student Movement has strongly opposed the move and announced a series of protest programs.

On Friday, the Joint Student Movement organized a press conference and declared the decision unconstitutional, undemocratic, and autocratic. They demanded its immediate withdrawal while unveiling their protest schedule.

They stated that the government's decision is a serious attack on the fundamental rights of citizens and students, the right to organize, freedom of expression, and ideological beliefs.

Recalling past movements, the protesters emphasized that the history of the student movement in Nepal is deeply linked to political change, democratic struggle, the building of socio-political awareness, nationality, and public livelihood.

They claimed that the role of students has been decisive in various historical milestones, ranging from Gangalal Shrestha's leaflet rebellion in 1940 (1997 BS) to the 'Jayatu Sanskritam' movement of 1947 (2004 BS), the democratic movement of 1950 (2007 BS), the national referendum of 1979 (2036 BS), the 1990 (2046 BS) People's Movement, and the historic 2006 (2062/63 BS) People's Movement.

Furthermore, it was mentioned that students played a crucial role in raising public awareness and strengthening the struggle for the establishment of a democratic republic between 1996 and 2006 (2052 to 2063 BS). The statement noted that the student movement has remained continuously active even after the declaration of the republic in 2008 (2065 BS).

The Joint Student Movement stated that thousands of students have achieved martyrdom, while many others have been injured, disabled, or disappeared. They declared that the decision to ban such a historic movement is unacceptable.

They urged the government to learn from past experiences and warned that no repressive measures could stop the student movement.

Meanwhile, the movement has put forward various student demands and urged the government to address them immediately. The main demands include the integration of scholarships into a 'Central Student Scholarship Portal' with legal recognition within 15 days, and a 100 percent income tax exemption for undergraduate and postgraduate students involved in startups and share trading.