Back after a hiatus of five years : More than an election to MUSU
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: November 08, 2014 -
Back after a five year hiatus. At least at the threshold of being back with the election scheduled to be held on November 12.
That is the Manipur University Students’ Union. Not very clear why no election was held for Manipur University Students’ Union, but it is generally understood that the Lyngdoh Committee had suggested that the Union be done away with and instead a Council be set up.
There should be a reason why the Council was never set up in the past five years and this could be due to the failure of the university authority to frame the relevant rules and regulations.
The Council was by itself a totally different kettle of fish. Instead of the election held to elect the office bearers of the Union, the Council envisaged that the office bearers should be nominated from amongst students who have excelled academically, in sports and others.
In the absence of any election to the Union or more specifically Manipur University Students’ Union or the nomination to the proposed Council, there was all round confusion.
That the assassination of Professor Islamuddin and the conversion of Manipur University to a Central varsity took place at about the time the Lyngdoh Committee submitted its report made the confusion all that more acute.
Manipur University turned into a Central varsity, a Professor gunned down inside the premises of the university and no election to Manipur University Students’ Union and the situation was apt for numerous wild guesses to do the round.
Will not be surprising if even the students of the varsity are not very clear about the question of why no election to Manipur University Students’ Union was held for five long years.
Fortunately Manipur University seems to have got back to its feet and this can be seen from the preparations being made for the election to Manipur University Students’ Union.
To be sure the Lyngdoh Committee must have had its reason for proposing that a Council should replace the Union, but it still does not answer the question of whether such a measure will be able to live up to the understanding that a University or a place of learning is not only about class rooms or what is taught inside the four walls of a class room.
It also defeats the idea of a University being the training ground for future leaders of the land. It is up to the authority of Manipur University to demonstrate that it is ready to walk the full distance and live up to the billing of a place meant for educating students.
In short prepare young men and women for the future.
To make the election meaningful, here is hoping that the university authority has done its homework well and done the necessary things such as working out the details to explain why the Lyngdoh Committee’s report has not been implemented.
If it has been turned down, then the reasons for it too should be given satisfactorily. As the highest seat of learning in the State, these questions are important for all the people of the land.
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