Education Minister urges Dr KC to break fast

Kathmandu–Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Giriraj Mani Pokharel has urged Dr Govinda KC to break his fast, citing that his demands have been fulfilled.

Dr KC is currently on a hunger strike in Dadeldhura to press the government to fulfill the demands he has been raising including reformation in the medical education sector.

Orthopaedic surgeon Dr KC is on his 17th hunger strike for the last six days. Addressing a news conference the Ministry organized here today, Minister Pokharel insisted that almost all the demands put forth by Dr KC have been fulfilled and urged him to cooperate to the government in the implementation of the Medical Education Act. Dr. KC's supporters have been demonstrating in his support saying the government has not taken initiation to meeting his demands although his health was fast deteriorating.

"I urge Dr KC to break his fast and focus on the topic of nationality in the situation when the entire nation is presently centred on the debate on encroachment on Nepali territory including Kalapani and Lipulek," he said.

The sister organizations of several political parties, the civil society and youths have been carrying out demonstrations calling on the government to seek a diplomatic solution with India to the encroachment by the latter on Nepali territories including Kalapani and Lipulek.

India had recently issued its political map in which the Nepali territories as Kalapani, Lipulek and Limpiyadhura are placed inside India. Minister Pokharel also said on the occasion that the Education Policy and the Science and Technology Policy has been finalized.

He added that the government is committed to addressing the problems seen in the entire education sector. Minister Pokharel is leaving for Paris, the capital of France today itself to participate in a programme on education.