Update: Pradeep Poudel, with 830 votes of 1500, won the presidency of NSU, the student wing of Nepali Congress, in it’s 10th National Convention. Bikash Koirala got 402. “I will take forward the aganda of democratic republicanism,” Poudel said. Gagan Thapa, at the eleventh hour, decided not to fight and supported Poudel who is a senior.
………..Original Post…….
Republicanism Vs Monarchy: Has The War Formally Begun?
In a dramatic (but somewhat expected) development today in Narayanghat, Chitwan, Gagan Thapa, an influential student leader has declared candidacy for the presidency of the of Nepal Student Union, the sister organization of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala’s Nepali Congress party. Gagan Thapa is a popular figure among Nepali students. He is also a vigorous campaigner of the democratic republic of Nepal. He is also considered a “thorn” for the conservative section of Nepali Congress leadership, including Koirala, who in one way or the other want to give space to the monarchy. Gagan Thapa is the symbol of Nepali aspiration for change and new Nepali youth consciousness.
NSU is organizing its national conference that will select new leader. The election is expected to be held tomorrow in which, it seems, Badri Pande will be fighting against Thapa. Pande is considered a favored candidate of the Koirala camp. If Thapa wins, that will have a huge impact in equation of Nepali politics in the coming days. That will also be considered a blow to the pro-monarchy forces within Nepal’s largest political party that is also leading the ruling Seven Party Alliance.
How will the Congress brass react to this development? Well, they might well try to prevent Thapa from being elected. They can do anything from even derailing the Conference. Lets see what happens.
United We Blog 
Comments
89 responses to “Gagan Thapa Declares Nepal Student Union Presidency Candidacy”
…Go Gagan Go..!!!!
Peace
Neapli
“How will the Congress brass react to this development? Well, they might well try to prevent Thapa from being elected. They can do anything from even derailing the Conference. Lets see what happens.”
whose word is it? Who is the writer of this article? Who will derail what? wake up!!!!!!!!
You have right to say whatever you want……….
Nepal Government is ready to pay money to the the people who destructed the infrastructure and the morality of the people which used to be “Live and let live” what else can be derailed…. school has been closed for last 6 days.
Will wining of gagane help to open school, peace and stability in the country?
What people want is peace and “live and let live” moral/ethic in NEPAL. People don’t care if country becomes republic or is the Kingdom as long as they can pay the Bill……….
dramatic but somewhat expected? is it same as calling evrything else that this blog generally calls historic?
This is Nepal, while elsewhere in the world students are busy educating themselves and creating a productive work force that would help the country and economy, in Nepal students are busy wiping asses of political leaders.
Then you wonder why so many Nepali students go abroad and vow never to return for the benefit of the country. It is very sad that in one of the poorest countries of the world, students are busy doing these activities rather than educating themselves for the betterment of their own lives and their country.
Well done people, well done students you are the future of Nepal and man am I glad that I am not a part of this future of a country that is on the path to doom.
Good luck
Don’t you get it? Gagan Thapa (like Narhari Acharya) is a palace CID. Didn’t Girija say that in Biratnagar during the royal regime. If you don’t believe the old fool on this one, try asking around more.
I do not support Gagan Thapa. Eventhough I support NSU in university election. The way Gagan Thapa evolved as a leader is as holiganist culture.
He has exploited student youth to get political ladder. On my view we must stop Gagan Thapa or Kishor Singh Rathod before they coming to main stream party feud. Gagan Thapa is invinsible issue loader for Maoist nothing else. However I believe that we must stop political games in educational institution for fore ever.
“Students” should not be involved in politics– if they want to be involved in politics, then they shouldn’t do it in their “student” capacity. All this nonsense in the Government run colleges (now even schools) of having dozens of “student groups” affiliated to parties whose soul purpose is to train the next generation of corrupts and to rouse the rabble when the time calls for it is detrimental to the education in colleges. When you are in a college, fucking STUDY. What you do in your own time is your own business.
If you want to make your political aspirations heard, do it in your spare time. OR maybe you don’t give a rat’s ass about your education (judging by the “student leaders” that i’ve seen, this seems to be a case), but atleast have a heart and let others who don’t want to be corrupt imbeciles study so that they can justify the cost of education.
So to conclude, i don’t give a rat’s ass who this gagan thapa dude is. Maybe he’s the next pol pot, maybe he’s the next George Bush. I dont’ give a shit. He and all others like him should stop politicising educational institutions and do whatever the hell he thinks is “pro-democracy, anti-regressive… ” in his own free time. Not in college.
I agree. We really need to stop this political BS on campuses.
However, that being said I like Gagan Thapa. At the begining I thought he was just a loud, obnoxious moron. In some ways he is. But I have heard interviews with him and he is articulate and seems fairly educated. Compared to what we have now (which I know isn’t saying alot) Gagan Thapa isn’t the worst possible choice for the future.
what will Gagan Thapa do if he’s elected as NSU president?
– just like every other student leader, he’ll forcefully close schools and colleges for the benefit of students (which everybody knows is plain bull)…
– burn infrastructure in colleges and universities, libraries etc for the benefit of students….
etc. etc…
so, for me it doesn’t matter who gets elected to whatever post in whatever organisation.. they’ll be run by the leaders in their mother party…. they won’t be of any use…
By the way sometimes i wonder how some student leader could be president of a student union for such a long time… do they ever pass or just keep on failing to hang onto these powerful posts?
cermonial Baburam wants this country to be People’s Republic of Nepal rather than Democratic republic of Nepal. So, there has to a concerted effort from the ‘right’ to oppose this regressive thoughts of Baburam and to some extent Pushpa Kamal’s.. people like Gagn Thapa, despite thier poor “violent” means in the past, may be the only ones who have the firepower to counter the communist jauggernaut that will eventually bulldoze over the very weak, corrupt and myopic demoractic forces of this country…
This country so far gone now that no one will be able to correct the nose dive. Student should be in school and not be political appratus or henchmen. Most of these so-called student leaders are nothing but drop outs or hangerson who refuse to pass or fail in order to be active in politics rather than studies. It just shows their convulated idea of education. Problem with Nepali is- they all know from economy to political heresay but lack the fundamental basis.
Gagan, from what i have heard is propped up by Indians. He rents a room here but his parents live in India. I have heard him and I find him populist to core- not the one who can give vision and lead. He has been propped by NGOs and sponsor of study groups who have flown all over the world.
Listen- no one save Nepal from falling- fall it must to rise again. It is sad but thats the only way out.
I dont know much about Gagan’s agenda nor his background besides his stance on republicanism. Given the lack of choice I think he fairly reflects the nation’s aspiration for change esp amongst youth. He deserves a chance no doubt.
??? ???? ???????? ???? ????????? ???????? ???? ??? . he definitely will win the election that will be the trigger for the change towards new nepal. His victory will be a biggest challenge for Koirala dynasty. which I like it. Koirala no matter what he is doing now, if we see his past, he is not a hero.
Gagan thapa will bring the change
AM
He’s just another clown in this circus.
Girija was able to bring down K.P. Bhattarai at the height of his (KP’s) popularity. Poor Gagan is like a little mouse trying to steal the meat from big hyena Girija.
“Gagan Thapa is the symbol of Nepali aspiration for change and new Nepali youth consciousness.” Hhahahahahhaahhahaha. People like him are responsible politicising our educational institutions – shutting down classes at every whim, threatening campus chiefs, sukul gundas hanging out on college grounds.
The country is spiralling out of control. The cowardly government has been cowered into paying terrorists who continue to terrorize the population. And now we are supposed to dance with joy because some small-time Neta of a corrupt party is running for election on republican platform.
Well, Hurray!!!
I personally have no qualms about Thapa being the NSU president. Although a 30+ years chap hardly should qualify as a “student leader”, but then there are even 40+ chaps calling themselves student leaders. What we need is these same young generation as not student leaders but party leaders. However, I have my doubts if Thapa can succeed without a tussle. The Koiralas will do everything to stop him, and I don’t believe this is to do with republican or non agenda, it is simply to do with G.P. Koirala stopping anyone that can threaten his daughter’s rise (including other Koiralas) – see the state of Prakash and Dr. Shashank Koirala (both BP’s sons), I hear now they just wallow and drown their sorrows by drinking together.
Comment moderation sucks like this blog.
this is a country of “NO”s
no cabinet meeting
no parliament meeting
no 8 party meeting
no date for CA
no control over the hooligans also known as YCL
no relenting of terai uprising
no interest of the government to solve any problem
no need to vote for Monarchy (thugs say they can declare it unilaerally)
no laws enacted to carry out CA
no right for people to read the Rayamajhi ayog report
no petrol
no water
no electricity
no Melamchi
no ADB
no law and order
no security
no right to invest in anything
no private schools
no salary for private school teachers
no new budget (may be)
no respite for the people
no democracy
and NO HOPE!!!
Nepal was in a big hole in APril last year, but the thugs SPAM haven’t stopped digging ever since they took power… and here we are, in a state of complete hopelessness……..
Welcome to Loktantra. Welcome Gagan Thapa. This news is from SPAM and Girija and Indian mouthpiece Kantipur. You can’t say that Royalists and American imperialists are spreading propaganda.
Gagan Thapa and gang is ready to kill each other. We poor innocents…well, who cares for us.
Swords uncovered amidst NSU convention
Kantipur Report
CHITWAN, May 23 – A day after a dispute over representatives’ selection stalled Nepali Congress affiliated Nepal Student Union (NSU) closed session, the police Wednesday discovered seven swords hidden in separate locations around the district NC office in Chitwan.
The police made the discovery during a security check during the posting of general convention representatives’ name list today at the NC district office in Narayangadh’s Kamalnagar.
It is still not known as to who put the swords there and for what purpose.
Meanwhile, although slated for this morning, the closed-door session of the NSU’s 10th General Convention in Narayangadh was delayed on Wednesday as well.
The closed-session could not begin because the NC leaders and the NSU central committee members were still discussing the agenda of the convention and voter’s list for the election for the NSU chairmanship.
The last general convention held in Pokhara failed to elect a new NSU committee after the student representatives turned violent, forcing an indefinite postponement of the student body’s only democratic exercise.
The representatives have also increased their own number by about 400 to make the NSU structure inclusive.
It’s high time that young ppl get into the political scenario of nepal.
cheers to gagan.
Whether the youth are apathetic or feel strongly about the political process is not the point of concern here. The main factor is that these “student unions” are politicizing the education, and AS FAR AS I CAN TELL, have not had led to any improvements in the students of colleges (discounting of course the officials themselves, who’ve perked themselves quite nicely). So we have rabble groups destroying school infrastructure, disrupting normal class, leading to a sense of “insecurity” in the colleges, and damaging the “educational” environment of the colleges.
It’s time this nonsense stopped. screw gagan thapa and ALL who want to further (/ maintain status quo) the politicization of educational institutions.
“Then you wonder why so many Nepali students go abroad and vow never to return for the benefit of the country.”
The kind of “students” who never return are not worth bringing back home. Let them wipe white, yellow, black and yes, brown, Indian asses wherever they are. Nepalese are happy with Gagan. He will be PM or President someday. What will you become? Chief dishwasher at Patel’s?
scoop (20:58:31) :,
So you mean Nepalis should stay in Nepal and continue to be killed by Gangan Thapa and gang? Well, not all have such a big heart you see. SPAM warlords are hell bent on killing each other with swords (report above from Kantipur). Instead of condemning the acts of SPAM warlords and terrorists you go about abusing the innocent Nepalis who for the safety of their family need to go out?
You have captured the land, money and family members. And forced everyone out of the country. Anyone who doesn’t believe in violence and guns and who speaks against you terrorists is silenced.
What a shameless creature. People like Scoop, Gagan Thapa and gang want to throw out all the sane brains out of Nepal. In Nepal people will be killed…outside Nepal people will have no life. And in the meantime, Gagan Thapa and his gang of Dinesh Wagle, Scoop (junior), etc. will go about making merry and dream of becoming PM and President.
This is how these terrorists are trying to justify the criminalisation of politics. Bravo…not!
too much of censorship going on here…seems like swords are not the only play things of Dinesh Wagle, Gagan Thapa and gang.
Scoop, I have worked as a dishwasher. Like thousands of other Nepali, I left Nepal for the USA, in search of education & better life. I have not achieved much.
I don’t know whether Nepal needs people like me.
Kaji – dont listen to scoop on this. He surely knows hes just shooting from the hip. He makes fairly reasonable arguments otherwise. At times we all make irresponsible comments which we know arent true.
Perhaps worldly success alone is not a measure of man’s worth. I am not envious of Gagan Thapa. But I think Nepal will not be better off with a rise of scoundrell like Gagan than under Girija.
You will say I am a dish washer. I joined the exodus of immigrant in the hope of making it good in the USA. I was not sanguine about my prospects in Nepal; I was afraid of a life of suffering in Nepal.
Don’t say we are unfaithful sons and daughters of Nepal and not welcome in Nepal. We were lured by the affluence of the US. Not everbody can become minister or primeminister of Nepal. Not everybody can become famous.
“The battle is not to the brave and nor the race to the swift. Time & chance happeneth to all”
I don’t undestand how emigrating to US or wherever is supposed to be an action worthy of contempt.
Let’s be reasonable here. There’s an utter lack of opportunities in nepal. i know i know, someone will repeat that cliche that “we should make the opportunities”. Given all the bollocks that’s working against us, trying to make opportunities is a Sisyphian task.
Screw that. A nation prospers when individual citizens prosper. Let the individuals prosper.
Gagan Thapa has a potential but he does not seem to be ready to venture without the cover of students (and possibly of NC). Amazing control these power grabbers have enforced to rein onto Nepal’s future!
Equally disappointing to see the ADB representative for Nepal going to Prachanda’s residence to take the order with regard to Melamchi. Is it going to increase or decrease our faith and trust in the international organizations, I wonder?
Use your own judgements whether you vote or not for Gagan Thapa. Dont try to lash your veiw points on other people.
Not everything you hear on the streets and dui paisey newspapers are are always legitimate. We have make a true observation before we pass on any judgements. This applies to every aspects of life be it politics or economics or religion. I dont care who you are kangresi, amalay, rajabadi, maobadi, taobadi or khaobadi. Just use your own moral judgement. Dont believe what ten people on the streets wnats you to believe. Use your own judgement what is right and what is wrong.
People let us make our country a beautiful place with nothing but beautiful minds.
“Long Live Nepal.”
Gagan is definately is a good guy & indeed potential good leader for the country however at this time it may not be best for the party to have him as a president of the NSU. It is not about Gagan, it is about the equation that the politics is in & for healthy democratic quation to be maintained, it is important that he does not get elected. This game is wider than above article writer & commenters have imagined.
???? ???, ??????? ????????????? ????? ??? ??????? ???? ??????????????? ???????? ???? (??????? ????? ?????????)?? ????? ?????? ?????????, ?? ??? ?????? ?????????? ???? ??? ??? ?????? ???? ??? ??? ?????? ???????? ????????? ??????????? ??? ???? ???????? ? ? ??? ??? ??? ?????????? ??? ???????????????? ????? ???????? ?????????? ????????? ?????????? ????? ?????????? ?????? ??????? ??????? ??????? ???????? ??? ?????????? ????? ????? ? ????? ??????????? ??????? ??????????? ????? ????? ?? ?????????? ?? ??????????? ????? ???????????? ????? ??? ???? ? ???????? ?????? ????????? ???? ?????? ????????
People let us make our country a beautiful place with nothing but beautiful minds.
“Long Live Nepal.”
Amen.
“Long Live Federal Republic of Nepal.”
Junior above says he does not want Nepalis who have gone abroad kissing different coloured butts to come back. Well if it was’nt for many of these people “kissing butts” our nation would be deeper in economic doldrums. They have been sending for the past decade and more, much needed foreign currency (I hear unofficially the figure would be close to 1.5 billion dollars annually). While I have nothing I know against the likes of Thapa, I know most of these student leaders are used to intimidation politics and for sure they are not top of their class as students, after all they flunk all the time to remain student leaders. The sort of politicans we have now are people with shady character, the people who do make the decision to go abraod are hard working, honest and bright people. I much rather these people come back and build this nation as opposed to having the present crop of politicians doing the job. But where is the room for people who are smart but honest and hard working to step into politics? Don’t get me wrong there are people here who fit the bill as well, but when they are not even allowed to make a statement among the hoodlums in politics right now, who will support them? As they say birds of a feather stick together and I will add thrive together – here we have one flock of birds in parliament and on the streets, the other sitting at home and the other working abroad. Of course the former flock has made sure that the population is not educated so as to retain their status quo, but it is time for change and change will come, with the people going abroad participating in Nepal as well not without.
The situation looks bleaker and bleaker to me. In absence of a legal parliament no one is there to take care of anything…be it Killings (government itself in killing it’s citizens) or economy.
Austrian Air pulls out, one more woe to tourism industry
Thursday, 24 May 2007
By Our Reporter-
Austrian Air, which had been the only airline connecting Nepal with Europe for the last several years, has pulled off from Nepal citing operation losses. The airline’s last flight from Kathmandu to Vienna was at mid-night last Thursday.The Explorer Nepal Pvt. Ltd, the airline’s GSA for Nepal, said that the airline decided to stop its flights to Nepal from Thursday last citing ground handling, landing and parking charges at the Kathmandu airport and the aviation fuel that were expensive compared to other countries and the airline had been bearing losses for the last two years.
The ground handling charge at TIA was US$ 5,000 while it is US$ 2800 and the aviation fuel is also expensive here at $ 996 per 1,000 litres.
The Austrian Airlines had been bringing in 12,000 to 13,000 rich European tourists every year since 1998. The airlines had been flying the wide-bodied B-767 twice a week from 1998 to 2002 and had reduced the frequency to once a week from 2003.According to the GSA the airline from September 1998 to May 10, 2007 made 465 flights bringing in 79,936 passengers, taking out 84,676 passengers and carried 3.86 million kilos of cargos out of the country and brought in 1.31 million kilos cargos into the country.The airline had informed the government about the pull off for the last six months, but the government here lent a deaf ear, said Birkha Basnet, administrative manager of Explorer Nepal. The pull out of Austrian Air will send a wrong message to the European as well as American high-paying tourists. “There is a distinct possibility of the reduction of the wealthy European tourists to Nepal,” said Basnet.The pulling out will also reduce the incomes of the civil aviation authority in terms of ground handling, tax to the government, fuel charges to Nepal Oil Corporation and parking charges to the Tribhuvan International Airport. However, an official of the civil aviation authority claimed that the ground handling charge for Austrian Air was less than other airlines.However, there is possibility of resumption of the flight if there is security, and law and order and political stability, but it said that the Nepal government must rethink about the ground handling, landing and parking charges.
“They have been sending for the past decade and more, much needed foreign currency (I hear unofficially the figure would be close to 1.5 billion dollars annually).”
Rest assured, most of the money comes from Gagan-like brothers in Middle East and South East Asia. Very little paisa comes from bright butt-kissers in USA, Europe, Canada or Australia.
Who are bright butt-kissers here?
matribhumi (22:34:28) : You are right.
Students are fu*cking along the street everyday, they will be the f*cking leaders of Nepal in the future instead of being the good students to develop country…..one day those all political leaders will surely sell nepal, and we, normal citizens will follow them as refugees in the foreign lands.
MARK MY WORD
I think it is presumptios to think that Gagan would do anything without a silent nod from Girija.
Not so far back in the past:
SPAM warlords rape 25 women in southeast Nepal, newspaper reports
Kathmandu (dpa) – Maoist rebels raped 25 women in a low-caste community in southeastern Nepal last week, a Nepalese newspaper reported Tuesday.
The English-language Kathmandu Post said nine of the women recounted their rapes Monday to human-rights activists and journalists at a village in Saptari district, about 215 kilometres southeast of the capital.
The newspaper said the Maoists targeted the women of the Dalit, or untouchable, community in the village with the victims ranging in age from 22 to 35.
The newspaper quoted one of the victims as saying: “They first told us to prepare food. After they had eaten, they forcibly carried us inside the houses and perpetrated the heinous act in front of other family members.”
The woman was raped in front of her father and mother-in-law. The Maoists threatened to burn down the Dalit settlement if the residents informed anyone about the incident, leaving the locals terrified, the report said.
Only children, women and the elderly remain in the village as the other residents have left the area a long time ago because of increasing Maoist violence. After the news of the incident spread, the Maoist leadership of the area came to the victims and apologized.
According to the Post, “They prostrated themselves at the victims’ feet, begging forgiveness, and also pledged to take action against those involved.”
The Maoists have been waging what they call a people’s war since February 1996. The armed insurgency is aimed at setting up a communist republic in Nepal and has claimed more than 12,000 lives. dpa sb ls
Copyright (c) dpa Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH
“(I hear unofficially the figure would be close to 1.5 billion dollars annually).”
Well, that was 2 and half years ago. An unofficial NRN report says that the amout was well over 2billion dollars for last fiscal year.
It’s definite that they are right now the bread and butter for our country. Be it America or Arab everyones working hard in foreign countries to make their families end meet. I think it its very arrogant, naive and morally low to bash these people. Do not spit on the plate you eat.
Janakpure,
What else do you expect from these SPAM warlords and their cadres and comrades? They are going to kill everyone in Nepal and bash everyone who goes out of Nepal. This is in their blood. All these have sold off their families…killing others for money and power and bashing others for their personal gains is their favourite past time. They live on the money and land looted from poor Nepali people and in return bash the Nepali people and Nepali expatriates and label them as unwanted dawgs. This is SPAM style patriotism. This is Loktantra. SPAM criminals and Girija and Pushpa and their cadres are free to say and do and kill.
whoever people may want to bash at the moment, one thing is for sure.. this SPAM is no longer a coalistion because there is NO ekata among them… they are holding this nation hostage due to their complete inability to take this nation forward… this country needs a new revolution..
Right now there are four kinds of people left in Nepal now:
1. Obviously there are true patriots and intelligents who really love their country.”nepal mai basera kehi garchhu bhanney haru”(hats off to them).
2. Viscious predators who prey on inncoent nepali citizens. “Lutera, thagera khana palkeka haru”. (most of them are politician and their supporters, be it kangres, malay, jhalay, maobadi, prachanda , gagan, raja,army or whoever)
3. Lazy and class consious. These people do not go to Arab countries and work hard.
4. Jealous people. Because they are unable to get a US Visa. No matter how bad they say about United States in these forums i bet a million dollars that given a US Visa they will go there and kiss white asses too. US embassy doesnt give visa to Mr. Whoever Kumar Dumbass from the streets. You need to have atleast some kind of credibility or be smart or have some balls to apply and get a visa. So it’s like saying “Grapes are sour”
Amen……….. noname
gagan is not a candidate>………………….
noname,
Maoist rebels raped 25 women in a low-caste community in southeastern Nepal in Aug 2005.
“US embassy doesnt give visa to Mr. Whoever Kumar Dumbass from the streets. You need to have atleast some kind of ability to masage some balls to apply and get a visa.”
Read the correction to know what you are. You got a visa but Abhi Subedi did not. Now you know the kind of people who do not get US visa?
Scoop…!
FYI, brother… I guess Janakpur is not in US. I might give it a shot next year, but for now im happy here.
This nation is swarming with disingenuous, deceit, and dangerous. The SPAM with aid from India and pompous illiberal west have finally been able to do the unthinkable- kill the very notion of sovereign nation by funding political actitivities whereas SPAM have been facilitator and henchmen to further goal designed and supported by foreigners in the disguise of democracy, human rights, and civil society. I tell all- find yourself first and look in the mirror (foreigners) before messing with our life and child’s future.
Sick of all this- just look, schools been closed for more than a week- nobody gives a damn. Is this a nation or fiefdom of SPAM- where anything goes.