AMSU in dire need of support of CSOs
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: September 13, 2022 -

CONSIDERING the charges and counter-charges between organisational functionaries and members of All Manipur Students' Union (AMSU), one could safely conclude that the rival groups within the Union would continue to engage in mudslinging, which in turn would seriously tarnish its reputation as the oldest student organisation and dilute whatever it had done or achieved in safeguarding rights of the student community and the role it played in the various state issues.

There is no doubt that AMSU had contributed a lot to streamline the education system and ensure that those helming the affairs accord importance to promotion of quality education.

From issues related to protection of territorial and emotional integrity to fighting the menace of substance abuse and keeping a hawk's eye on unethical trade activities, the Union along with other student bodies has been at the forefront of public movement for the past many years.

As one of the pressure groups active in the state, AMSU has been making it a point to ensure that the state's denizens, the student community in particular, are not taken for a ride by unscrupulous elements.

However, all its activities for the betterment of the society and proactive participation in mass movements when the state faces threat to its territorial integrity or the political class remains indifferent to public issues would not only be under constant scrutiny due to rivalry within the organisation but it would be constrained to maintain a low profile and cease all activities till the dispute has been settled amicably.

Amid the escalating tension between the rival groups, arrest of one of its advisors on Sunday on the charge of being a trained cadre of an outlawed outfit has done serious damage to its status as a student body for it is obvious that the law enforcement agencies would not rest assured with rounding up the individual but will definitely initiate thorough investigation to ascertain veracity on whether the arrest is an isolated case or there is more than meets the eyes for existence of such a large number of pressure groups in the state.

It is obvious that for the law enforcement agencies the arrest of AMSU's advisor along with firearm is more than enough evidence to bring all the active pressure groups and civil societies under its scanner.

However, while only time and law of the land will tell whether or not the investigation agencies could establish nexus between civil societies and banned organisations, the fact remains that without the proactive involvement of civil bodies in public movements it is unthinkable for a multi-ethnic restive state like Manipur to maintain a semblance of tranquillity.

As such, it is desired that major civil society organisations intervene and shoulder the responsibility of ensuring that the issues dogging AMSU are settled at the earliest possible.

With many sensitive issues still pending solution and maintaining socio-ethnic cordiality necessitating unconditional support of all the civil societies and pressure groups, the AMSU rage, if allowed to persist, has the potential to create chaotic situations and spark undesired incidents in the state.