The words of the heads of government are considered as good as their actions. This is why they must choose their words carefully when they speak. Maoist chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal has in the past admitted that he tends to get rather emotional whenever he is before a big crowd. Nonetheless, as perhaps the most important politician in the country right now, it is not too much to expect him to desist from saying anything irresponsible, especially things that could disturb social harmony or incite violence. As prime minister, he needs to be even more careful, for each and every word he utters will be carefully evaluated. But Prime Minister Dahal seems to have no such sense of responsibility. On Tuesday, speaking before a gathering of CPN (Maoist 
Center) youth wing, the Young Communist League, PM Dahal urged YCL cadres to mobilize themselves in public universities and campuses on the eve of the upcoming Free Student Union elections. They should go to these educational institutions in 
order to “retaliate” against the rightist elements and to “assist” Maoist student leaders. 

The YCL, which had gained notoriety for its thuggish ways after the Maoists first emerged from the hiding in 2006, has no business being in these higher educational institutions. Most YCL cadres are battle-hardened ex-Maoist fighters, which is the reason they were so successful in shaking down rich businessmen for funds to run their mother party. They were also mobilized to physically attack members of other political parties. The only way to make sense of Dahal’s decision to send YCL cadres to help fellow comrades associated with the ANNISU (Revolutionary), the Maoist student wing, is that he is not confident of success of Maoist student leaders in the upcoming elections and as such is looking to disrupt these elections. Either that or the YCL cadres will bully students to vote for Maoist candidates. The country’s prime minister so blatantly asking his cadres to disobey rule of law and disrupt a democratic process is a troubling sign for the nascent Nepali democracy. It also hints that Dahal is yet to completely part ways with his violent past and that he has little faith in the democratic process. 

We expect better from a leader who often likes to compare himself with the towering figure of Girija Prasad Koirala. But while Dahal’s exhortation to YCL cadres to meddle in student elections represents one extreme, we would also do well to gauge the level of meddling of our major parties in public education establishments. Historically, Nepali Congress and CPN-UML have also mobilized money and muscle to influence student elections and to disrupt students’ studies whenever it was expedient for them to do so. They have effectively turned these institutions into political recruiting grounds, in the process decimating the quality of education on offer. This, however, does not in any way absolve Dahal of his reckless call to YCL cadres on Tuesday to influence student elections. By doing so he did great harm to the exalted image of his 
office.   

 
• old habits
 
• ycl in student elections
 
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