Imphal, May 31 2009: The Democratic Students' Association, Manipur (DESAM) which had earlier set May 31 as the deadline to release all the arrested students or else they would be compelled to impose a 120 hour general strike as well as an emergency from June 1 has decided to extend the deadline to June 2 .

Informing this, the student body in a statement said that the decision to relax the deadline was taken after minute discussion and deliberations and taking into consideration the present situation as well as the plight of the students.

As such it has been decided to give the Government time till June 2 to release all the arrested students without any conditions, said the student body.

The students were arrested following the assassination of Prof Md Islamuddin on the campus of Manipur University on May 25 .

In case the Government fails to release the students by June 2 then the agitation will be launched as announced earlier, said DESAM and urged all to extend their co-operation.

Asserting that the action of the Government has derailed the academic calendar, DESAM said that it is unfortunate that students today cannot pursue their academic career in a conducive atmosphere and added that this deserves wide spread condemnation.

Pointing an accusing finger, DESAM said that the Government is hell bent on fomenting trouble and tension by arresting student leaders, who are otherwise giving a direction to the student community for the betterment of society.

DESAM is not keen to plunge the people into trouble and inconveniences by imposing bandhs and general strikes and inciting violence, said the statement and added as such the Government too need to give a positive response to the demands put forward.

However if the Government remains adamant then DESAM will be constrained to take up a series of agitation that may disturb the academic calendar, incovenience and trouble the people as well as lead to destruction and damages of Government properties.

To respect the problems and inconveniences put forward by students as well as the public, DESAM had decided to defer the general strike, said the statement and added that it is now upto the Government to bring a solution to the stand off.

Advising the Government not to invite more trouble, the student body said that it would not remain silent if the arrested student leaders are remanded to custody.

DESAM will not remain silent if any of the student leaders are sent to jail on cooked up charges, it warned.

The student body also questioned the agenda of the Government in launching a man hunt for student leaders till now.

Telling the Government not to add fuel to fire, DESAM said that sit-in-protest will continue as before.