Students rise in protest against deferment of election
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, September 29 2022:
Following deferment of the election of students' unions of Government and Government aided colleges affiliated to Manipur University, large number of students raised an uproar today.
Aggrieved by the deferment of election, students of many colleges located in Imphal and surrounding areas gathered and created a tumultuous situation instead of attending classes.
Students of Imphal College burnt benches and desks on Tiddim Road and thus blocked movement of people and vehicles on the road.
This resulted in a tense stand off between Imphal West district police and students.
Two students sustained minor injuries in the confrontation.
Later, police managed to drive back the agitating students within their college campus.
In the meantime, students of Manipur College created a similar situation.
|
Apart from locking the Principal's office, they blocked Mayai Lambi for sometime.
There too, a confrontation ensued between the students and police which resulted in injuries to two students identified as Ngangom Malemnganba and Mamta Ningthoujam.
Students of Standard College, NB College, Modern College, Oriental College and Liberal College too staged similar movements.
Students of Thambal Marik College, Oinam and Thoubal College also protested against deferment of election.
In the afternoon, a large group of students marched to the office of Directorate of Education located at Keishampat.
Notably, a notification issued by University and Higher Education Director Dr Rangitabali Waikhom on September 21 announced that the election of students' unions of Government and Government aided colleges affiliated to Manipur University would be held on October 6 .
As per the notification, the last date of issuing of nomination forms was September 27 and the last date for submission of nomination papers was September 28 .
Today was the last day for withdrawal of nomination papers and scrutiny was supposed to be held today.
The election was supposed to held on October 6 and the results should be announced on the same day.
But the Director issued another notification yesterday which said that the election has been postponed indefinitely until further notice.
Meanwhile, five student organisations have asserted that the Director should be held accountable for the uproar raised by students following deferment of the election.
Speaking on behalf of AMSU, MSF, DESAM, KSA and AIMS at the Kwakeithel office of DESAM this evening, MSF general secretary Hijam Roshan said that the uproar was invited by the Director.
By announcing the election schedule even before the admission process for the academic session 2022-23 has been completed only to be postponed hurriedly, the Director created a situation of unease and anxiety among the students, Roshan said.
He maintained that the Government should take up all necessary steps to hold the college election on October 6 as announced earlier.
DESAM general secretary Mayengbam Somorjit said the University and Higher Education Director's conduct smacked of an awkward and whimsical nature.
The Director, the Education Minister and the State Government should take responsibility for bringing out students out of their college campuses and compelling them to stage protest demonstrations on streets, Somorjit said.
He also demanded unconditional and immediate release of the six students who have been pulled up by police in connection with the students' unrest.
Notably, three students have been detained at Imphal police station and three others at Heingang police station.
He too demanded that the college election should be held on October 6 as per the notification issued on September 21.Asserting that what the Imphal West SP said in a press meet today did not have any relevance to the deferment of election, the DESAM general secretary remarked that the SP was only meddling in matters not related to him.