Student bodies launch relay hunger strike
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 21 2020:
Denouncing the Government's inaction towards fulfilling a charter of demands, members of six student bodies in Manipur namely AMSU, DESAM, MSF, KSA, AIMS and SUK have launched a relay hunger strike at Kwakeithel Bazar from today.
Speaking to the media on the sideline of the protest, spokesperson of the six student bodies, Laishram Athouba urged the State Government to fulfil the demand for a comprehensive policy to fight COVID-19 pandemic, raised by the student bodies at the earliest.
The State Government has not taken up any step or given a significant response so far despite repeated calls from the student bodies through media or submission of memorandum in the last couple of days, he lamented.
The student bodies have put a 12-point charter of demands which include setting up of a 500-bedded COVID dedicated hospital within a week, conversion of either JNIMS or RIMS into a non-COVID hospital, appointment of a full time Health Minister and adequate, ICU facilities, ventilators, oximeters and medicines etc, he further said.
If the said demands are not addressed at the earliest, a more intense form of agitation may ensue, he continued.