MUTA declines CM's invitation
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, September 29 2018:
Although the Chief Minister's Office sent an invitation to MUTA for a meeting on the prevailing Manipur University crisis, MUTA did not respond to the invitation.
Nonetheless, MUTA held a general body meeting today and condemned in the strongest term the brutal police crackdown inside MU campus in the midnight of September 20.MUTA has also demanded unconditional release of teachers, students and other people arrested in connection with the MU crisis.
The CMO sent an invitation to MUTA yesterday for a meeting at 10 am today but no MUTA members came for the meeting.
Yet, the MUTA president sent a letter to the Secretary to the Chief Minister explaining their reasons for not responding to the CMO's invitation.
While acknowledging the Chief Minister's invitation, MUTA regretted their inability to respond to the invitation on account of the prevailing grim situation.
"However, we will be very much grateful and hope the best to come out and we request for another fortune time after holding our general body meeting scheduled at 1 pm today", reads the letter.
To bring a conducive atmosphere for a meaningful dialogue, MUTA demanded unconditional release of all the arrested faculty members and students.
The FIR lodged against MU community should be withdrawn and the Government should stop searching faculty members, staff and students.
Moreover, all security forces stationed inside MU campus should be pulled out immediately, MUTA demanded.
The letter said that any invitation for dialogue on the MU crisis should be extended to all the university community (MUTA, MUSA and MUSU) .