Higher Secondary students announce class boycott
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 16 2015 : The student unions of Government Higher Secondary schools of Imphal area have announced an indefinite class boycott in these schools till the implementation of ILPS and awarding befitting punishment to the police personnel responsible for the death of Sapam Robinhood.

Meanwhile, a Government source said that classes of all the educational institutes of the State are likely to be resumed from Monday.

Speaking to reporters, Ananda Singh Higher Secondary Academy Students" Union general secretary S Surjit said that students have been actively taking part in the pro-ILPS movement without anybody"s insistence.

Saying that unchecked influx of non-locals has posed a serious threat to the indigenous people of the State, Surjit said that students have joined the agitation on their own as they are well aware about this fact.

Maintaining that the State Government has misunderstood students" participation in the people"s uprising, Surjit said that it is unfortunate that the Education Minister has no understanding about students" duties towards society.

Ramlal Paul Higher Secondary School Students" Union social and cultural secretary Johnson Khaidem clarified that students had never interpreted ILP as "Ima Lairik Paningde" while adding that the matter was wrongly propagated by the police.

Saying that Manipur Police Department has many incompetent personnel, Johnson questioned what Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam, who also holds Home portfolio, is doing all these days although he had made a promise to keep the educational institutes opened even during war.

Instead of thinking to deploy police at educational institutes to resume classes, the State Government must look into the infrastructure inadequacies of these institutes first, he said.

CC Higher Secondary School Students" Union general secretary Asem Premkumar said that students do not attend school to learn bookish knowledge alone.

They also learn all sorts knowledge from the school, he said and added that they have joined the present movement through their own observation that indigenous people would face different problems in future if constant influx of non-locals is not checked on time.

Ibotonsana Girls" Higher Secondary School Students" Union general secretary Bijayalakhsmi Loitongbam strongly opposed the Government"s notion that JCILPS leaders who are spearheading the current movement are using the students as their shield.

She said that the Government must instead admit that fact that police force is being utilised as a means to suppress the ongoing movement.

She also urged the students of different private schools to join the pro-ILPS agitation.

Later, the student leaders observed a two-minute silence to pay respect to the soul of Sapam Robinhood.

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