Maoists force 200 schools to close on ‘Mao Jayanti’

The Maoist rebels have forced nearly 200 schools to close in the southwestern district of Kapilvastu to observe the birth anniversary of Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong, reports said.

Today marks the 111th anniversary of the birth of the late Chinese leader.

When contacted by Nepalnews, the District Education Officer (DEO) of the Kapilvastu district Dhundi Raj Aryal said that they had no formal information regarding the closure. “We have also heard rumors about the Maoists announcement (to close schools on the occasion of Mao’s birth anniversary) but schools in the headquarters and its periphery are open,” he said.

The DEO however, added that he lacked knowledge regarding schools in VDCs other than those VDCs near the district headquarters on Sunday. “The right information will arrive tomorrow,” he said.

In Kapilvastu, there are altogether 73,000 students studying in the district’s 240 schools. There are approximately 5,000 students in the headquarter area, the district education office said. nepalnews.com pd Dec 26 04 Sphere: Related Content