Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, September 27:
In the backdrop of the bomb attacks and closure of educational institutions following monetary demands by armed groups nursing students and teaching staff took out a protest rally at Imphal East district areas today.
The protest rally jointly organised by nursing institutes and student bodies such as AMSU and DESAM began from Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital, Porompat complex and snaking through the district's Porompat, Palace Compound/Gate, Checkon road and Telipati converged at Lamlong Keithel (market) where a meeting was held.
The rallyists comprising of hundreds of nursing students from nine institutes, teachers, volunteers/members of AMSU-DESAM carried placards lambasting those repeatedly dishonouring the people's call for making education free zone and constantly compromising sanctity of educational institutions.
It is pertinent to mention that for the second time in the past few days unidentified persons lobbed a hand-grenade at the hostel block of Kangleipak Medical, Para Medical and Nursing Institute yesterday morning with a similar attack carried out earlier on September 19 night.
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One Wanglen Khuman identifying himself as member of the proscribed KCP had served an extortion note of Rs 10 lakh from the institute.
One of the rally participant confided that owing to the bomb attacks nursing students of the Institute have begun to abandon the institute and as such number of participants declined considerably.
Commenting on the protest rally, Secretary (education) of DESAM Arambam Thoithoi expressed that due to compulsion following repeated threat to tranquillity and sanctity of educational institutions inspite of the public resolution of August 5 to exempt educational institutions from all forms of disruptive actions today's rally was organised.
Under the joint initiative of AMSU-DESAM a rally cum meeting was held on August 5 calling for 'education free zone'.
With reference to the monetary demands being served against schools/colleges and nursing institutions, he fumed that establishment of educational institutions in the State is meaningless in case these institutions are perceived as money minting sources.
Thoithoi reiterated the appeal to all concerned to abstain from targeting educational institutions for the sake of fund collection.
Meanwhile, expressing terrible shock at making monetary demands from colleges and intimidating Principals with dire consequences in case the demands are not met, the Association of Premier State College Seniors Manipur has appealed to all concerned to review their decision on the matter.
A statement issued by the Association yesterday informed that it convened an emergency meeting of its members and dwelt upon the issue arising out of monetary demands made by some organisations on different colleges of the State.
Asserting that subjecting Principals of academic institutions to trauma and tribulation is against the true revolutionary spirit, it expressed deep pain and concern at observing the revolutionary spirit getting increasingly associated with abduction and harassing public.
The excruciating circumstances to which the Principals of academic institutions are being exposed to has its telling effect on the working of the institution vitiating the normal academic atmosphere and cutting short the students' career.
It maintained that any revolution should be nurtured in the true spirit of revolution and higher seats of learning being sanctum sanctorum should not be vitiated at any cost.
Noting that human resource needs free air to breathe in for its nourishment and raising the level of education higher, the association appealed to all concerned to contemplate and lend their ears to the voice of reason.
It further asserted that Principals of academic institutions can not be expected to work as agents/factotum of any organisation.