Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 14 2009:
Senior Citizens for Society, Manipur has appealed to both the Government of Manipur and the agitating student bodies to come together and work out an agreeable solution so that the ongoing class boycott call over the demand of punishing the police commandos involved in the July 23 Khwairamband Bazar incident could be suspended and allow resumption of normal classes.
Addressing a press conference in this connection at its Nagamapal office here today, president of the Society N Binoy Singh pointed that students have not been able to attend classes following the class boycott call of AMSU, MSF and KSA in support of the ongoing agitation of the Apunba Lup and the JACs of Sanjit and Rabina demanding punishment of the police commandos involved in the July 23 firing incident at Khwairamband Bazar as well as resignation of the Chief Minister.
Binoy suggested that the Government should take into custody the police commandos involved in the July 23 incident and take up necessary measures for an investigation into the incident by the CBI to ensure such incidents do not recur.
He also suggested reshuffling of the police officials, unconditional release of the leaders of the Apunba Lup, detained under NSA, if they have not committed any serious crime and to give an assurance to the public that fake encounter incidents would not be repeated.
To the agitating student bodies, Binoy, while observing that deprivation of education to the students would be a great loss to the society, appealed to call off the ongoing class boycott agitation in the interest of the student community and take recourse to some other forms of agitation.
General secretary of Senior Citizens for Society Prof Sadananda who was also present during the press conference observed that the argument of the agitating student bodies that right to life is more important than right to education in a situation where there is no security in life is very sound and valid.
However, to sacrifice the career of all the students would not be advisable.
Secretary of Senior Citizens for Society Advocate Khaidem Mani said that in the confrontation between a child and an elder, if the child is right, then the elder gets humiliated and if the elder is right then the child gets slap.
So there is the need on the part of the agitating student bodies and the Government to relax their respective stand so as to bring about an agreement and allow the students to have normal classes.
If the assistance of the Senior Citizens for Society is required in this regard, it would be more than willing to play its part, he added.