Groups of students at Tri-Chandra College have been pouring down gallons of water on to the street passers-by in Kathmandu. They have been doing this for a couple of days. “They go to the roofs of the college building, pour down water with a clear intention of wetting the passers-by, especially women,” says Min Kumar Shahi, a street vender selling his curio goods at Durbar Marg, a central tourism business spot. He adds, “After the passers-by get completely wet, they roar with laughter.”
On 17 March, a lady student of Tri-Chandra College was seen harshly scolding a group of students who poured water on to her body from the roof of the college building. She said she got wet when entering through the college gate. She was expressing her anger against those laughing at her wetness. She was saying, “Can’t you teach your friends that those who learn and get education should learn civilized culture? Why do you laugh at me? What bravery is it?”
A passer-by whom this reporter met near the gate of Tri-Chandra College, after having walked a few steps more, exploded, “What are the student unions doing here? They do not care about human dignity.” He went on speaking “Perhaps so many students misbehaving passers-by might belong to this or that student union.” In response to a question, he said that he is not affiliated to any student union because he has found them wrong. “Even when I am not working as any student union’s activist or as a political worker, I am being highly affected. I am an undergraduate science student studying at Amrit Science College and I want my output,” he said. He further clarified, “Although I am highly interested in political debates, I am not linked to any political organization.”
Student union leaders at Tri-Chandra College were not available to provide their comments on the students’ misbehavior. Those who received the phone call said that responsible union post-holders are busy with election campaigns and that they were not capable of making any official comments.