Schools and colleges in the valley including other parts of the country resumed today after a two-week long hiatus following the withdrawal of the indefinite strike by the All Nepal National Free Students’ Union (revolutionary), a student body of the underground Maoists.

A press release issued by ANNFSU (revolutionary) president Devendra Parajuli stated that the underground student body would resort to strikes again starting February 13, 2003, if the concerned authorities failed to heed its 13-point demand. The ANNFSU has hailed the 11-point code of conduct announced by the Public And Boarding School Organisation (PABSON) to bring about the needed reforms in the academic sector.

Following the standoff between the government and the Maoist student body, PABSON came up with the pledge to deduct tuition fees of the students. According to the announcement, schools charging RS 500 as tuition fees will have to give a waiver of 10 per cent to the students. Similarly schools charging RS 1,500 will have to give a waiver of fifteen per cent, those charging RS  2,000 will have to give a waiver of twenty per cent while those charging more than this will have to give a waiver of 25 per cent.

The Maoist student body despite hailing the PABSON move has stated in the press statement that it would not call off the strike completely for the limited improvements announced and looked forward to see all its demands fulfilled.