State Government's midnight crackdown in the State's highest seat of learning
Silent protest greets new VC in-charge
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 22 2018: Students of Manipur University staged a silent protest demonstration at the bus stand of the university today, against the State Government's act of raiding the boys' hostels of the university using security personnel in the intervening night of September 20 and 21 .

The protest was staged today afternoon, at around 1, and the students held placards and sealed their mouths with black tapes.

A large number of Imphal West district police and 8th IRB personnel were also deployed near the protest site to prevent any kind of unwanted incident.

Speaking to media persons, a girl student said that they strongly condemned the action of security personnel toward the students staying in the boy's hostels of the university and the firing of tear gas shells inside the hostels just to arrest some students of the university.

State Government's midnight crackdown in the State's highest seat of learning

After the late night incident, the students of the university have been left mentally and emotionally traumatised inside their own hostels, the student claimed.

Following the incident, all the students were confined in their respective hostels by a large number of security personnel who were deployed at every entrance gate of the boys and girls hostels.

She also said that since yesterday morning onward, all the students were asked to remain inside their respective hostels which is similar to house arrest.

When the students tried to go out to buy some stuff, they were not allowed to do so by the security personnel who warned that once they (the students) go outside the campus they will not be allowed to enter the campus again.

She stated that they are not terrorists but students of the university staying in the hostels for their studies and questioned why the security personnel acted against the students as if they are terrorist.

She also asked how the students are going to concentrate on their studies if they are put under house arrest by the security personnel.

The students of the university were happy that normalcy had come back to the university after the 85 days shutdown resulting from the demand for removal of (now suspended) Professor AP Pandey.

However due to the incident at the hostels, unrest has erupted in the university campus and the university has turned into a sort of a military zone as testified by deployment of a large number of security personnel at every corner and junction of the campus, she lamented.

If the students are forced to study with guns pointed at them, then it will be better for the students to take up steps to stop further studies in the university and vacate the hostels.

On the other hand, the protest demonstration turned ugly when the newly appointed Pro VC of Manipur University came with some of his colleagues and security personnel to convince the agitating students to end their protest and come to a peaceful solution.

When Prof K Yugindro (Pro VC) tried to say some words to the agitating students, they closed their ears with their hands and asked him to leave the protest site instead of acting like a shameless teacher.

They even urged him not to come inside the university and cause further problems for the students and the university community.

As the Pro VC left the protest site, the students shouted at him demanding him to lodge an FIR against them for not listening to him.

Later, the protesting students adopted many resolutions which included condemning the midnight raid carried out by the security personnel at the university hostels and the ensuing brutality against the students and demand for unconditional release of the arrested (remanded) teachers and students against whom an FIR had been registered.

The students also condemned the deployment of State and Central security forces inside the campus turning it into a war zone and demanded the authority concerned to pull out all security personnel immediately.

The students also warned that as long as K Yugindro, Registrar i/c M Shyamkesho or any other affiliates of AP Pandey remain in the university, they (the students) will not take part in any class and instead will continue to launch intense agitation.

They demanded the authority concerned to take up necessary steps to bring back normalcy in the university as well.

On the other hand, the students strongly condemned the raid carried out by security personnel at the ladies hostel as well and added that as the Pro-VC had broken the seal of the VC office which was kept locked, the authenticity or reliability of the investigation and the enquiry committee's report will be put to question now.