ATSUM's general strike comes into force
Source: The Sangai Express / Newmai News Network

Imphal, January 18 2013: The All Tribal Students' Union Manipur (ATSUM) will go ahead with its proposed 24 hours Manipur bandh from the midnight of Friday.

Talking to NNN, ATSUM president Muan Tombing said since no effort to address the demands of the tribal students' body was seen from the Government side, they have no other option but to go ahead with their agitation.

Meanwhile, Zeliangrong Students' Union Manipur (ZSUM), Churachandpur District Students' Union (CDSU) and Tangkhul Katamnao Saklong (TKS) have lambasted the Kuki Students Organisation (KSO) and advised the latter 'not to say things blindly' .

ZSUM, CDSU and TKS said today that the KSO has been issuing 'fabricated' statements to the media.

"The statement insulting the federating units of the ATSUM is ridiculous and does not hold any water in the eyes of the tribals.

The three student bodies would like to question the legitimacy of KSO on matters relating to ATSUM.

"To put the record straight, the KSO has never been a constituent body in the history of ATSUM in spite of the purported concern it repeatedly conveyed through the media.

Further, the ATSUM rather assumes, for good reason, that KSO is crazy after the post, and not on the tribals' issues.

It is very shameful on the part of KSO to vehemently oppose the tribals' platform to serve their vested interest.

The three student bodies advised KSO not to bark blindly at ATSUM but instead come to the mainstream in the interest of the tribals of Manipur," ZSUM, TKS and CDSU stated.

Meanwhile, the Tangkhul Katamnao Saklong and Zeliangrong Students' Union, Manipur resolutely question the All Naga Students' Association, Manipur (ANSAM) for remaining silent after 'repeated abuses' of their association by KSO in "every press statement" as far as the ATSUM matter is concerned.

The two student bodies said it will not be a mute spectator if ANSAM plays hide and seek game and hence seek clarification within three days' time failing which, the two student bodies will be compelled to take its own course of decision.

It is worth noting that on January 10, All Tribal Students Union, Manipur (ATSUM) had threatened that it would impose a 24-hour Manipur bandh from midnight of January 18 if the demands apprised to the state government on November 27 last year are not addressed by the state government.

ATSUM had further warned that in the event of the failure from the state government side to act even after the 24-hour bandh, the student body will announce its further course of action on January 20.On November 27 last year, ATSUM had apprised the government of Manipur to address issues pertaining to tribal people of Manipur and the hill districts.

The apex tribal students' body of Manipur in its lengthy memorandum submitted to the chief minister of Manipur had demanded Manipur State Commission for the Scheduled Tribes.

ATSUM also demanded for the setting up of B.Ed centres in the hill districts.

It also demanded that adequate teaching and non-teaching staff in the education institutions in the hill districts with better infrastructure.

Signed by its president Maun Tombing and its general secretary Vareiyo Shatsang, ATSUM in its memorandum said, "It has been our long standing aspiration to find a State Commission of the Scheduled Tribes in Manipur under the Article 338A of the Indian Constitution which would usher in all round Development and progress in respect of thee Tribal people in this eastern most part of the Indian Union.

The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes which came in to force on 19th February, 2004 has failed to provide adequate service to the state of Manipur a it is based on the distant centre in Shillong" .

According to the ATSUM memorandum, the state of Karnataka in 2002 had established the State Commission for SC/ST under the name and style 'The Karnataka State Commission for Scheduled Tribes Act, 2002'.It said the tribal population is the second largest in the state of Manipur but the pace of development is rather too slow till today comparing to that of the non-tribal populace.

There has been the Manipur state Commission for OBC which meant to safeguard the rights of the other backward classes, the ATSUM representation added.

In the light of the above facts and circumstances, it is our earnest plea that the Manipur State Commission for the ST be set up in the earnest date, the tribal students' body stated.

ATSUM then demanded for the setting up of B.Ed centres in hill districts of Manipur.

"Even the HSLC examination centres are very often treated as temporary arrangement subject to omission and commission.

It is demanded that B.Ed centres be set up in all the five hill districts where TET can be conducted," the tribal students' body demanded.

The memorandum of ATSUM also mentioned that the crisis in the newly set up Indra Gandhi National Tribal University (IGNTU) Regional Compus in Manipur is put to a situation of breaking down totally because all the required infrastructures and issues have not been properly attended to by the authorities concerned.

"There is no end to the students' agitations against many lapses in the University.

Xerox copy of the MoU signed between students and the vice chancellor is enclosed herewith for kind perusal.

It is our earnest plea for your urgent intervention before things turn from bad to worse," ATSUM note cautions.

One point of the ATSUM memorandum said, "We demand adequate number of both teaching and non-teaching staff in the educational institutions in the hill areas of Manipur state.

We also demand that proper infrastructures for the educational institutions in the five hill districts be provided promptly as to facilitate smooth functioning of the academic sessions" .

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