Mahendra Sanskrit University (Nepal) destroyed

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Forwarded from Indian Civilization list

 

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.