AMSU demands release of students within 24 hrs
Source: Hueiyen News Service / NNN

Imphal, May 27 2009: In the aftermath of the murder of a former dean of the Manipur University (MU) on Monday, security forces continue to raid the campus as 13 students mostly volunteers of various students' bodies and hostellers of the university have been detained in connection with the murder.

Meanwhile, the All Manipur Students' Union (AMSU), the oldest students' body in the state, has set 24-hour deadline for un-conditional release of the students and functionaries of the body who have been detained by the police and threatened to launch democratic form of agitation if their demand is not met.

Security forces here picked up 13 students, mostly volunteers of the three prominent student bodies of the state, All Manipur Students' Union (AMSU), Democratic Students' Alliance of Manipur (DESAM) and Manipuri Students' Federation (MSF) in connection with the murder case of the former Dean.

Students arrested by police being brought to court

Those detained included the educational affairs secretary of the DESAM, Arambam Thoithoi and general secretary of Bishnupur branch of AMSU and its executive members.

Police who swung into action in the aftermath of the murder of the professor picked them in the last two days for interrogation even as proscribed Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL), a Manipur based militant group has owned the murder.

Demanding unconditional release of its volunteers and office functionaries, AMSU Wednesday set a 24-hour deadline to the government and threatened to launch various democratic forms of agitation until their demand was met by the state government.

Speaking to media persons at its head office at DM College campus in Imphal Wednesday AMSU general secretary, Md Ibramgir expressed annoyance over the acts of some government forces conducting the searched for students leaders in the wake of the killing of Prof.Islamuddin by some gunmen.

"The action of the Manipur police, rounding up of student volunteers apart from assaulted the brother of the AMSU vice-president, Khagembam Khaba Meitei yesterday on the pretext of searching the vice president and taking possession of the mobile phone of the student leaders and using scathing language is highly condemnable and government should stop it," he said.

He also cautioned the hunt for students' leaders amidst the agony would seem like inviting more tension while warning to launch an intense agitation if the government fails to release the detained students and stop searching for students' leaders.

The general secretary also demanded the government to book the killers of Professor at the earliest and give befitting punishment while asserting that detaining innocent students will bring no solution.

Meanwhile, the DESAM questioned the government's agenda behind the detention of students' leaders and the hunt for them at their respective houses.

Stating further the act of the police is amount to suppress the students' community, DESAM demanded immediate end to the drive against the students' leaders and the immediate release of the detained students unconditionally.

The student body in a press statement further asserted it was of the opinion that the state will be in total mess if the state government doesn't retract its steps in arresting students.

Meanwhile, the university hostelites have also threatened to leave the hostel if the police continue with their search and pick up hostelites in the aftermath of the murder.