Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, November 18 2009:
Students of four colleges today withdrew the threat to leave hostels in protest again police commandos excessive meted out to the students lodging in the Old Boys' Hostel of DM College of Arts following assurance from the government authorities.
The matter was brought under control following the assurance of education minister, officials of the higher education department and senior officers of the police department for taking up action not to repeat the act of the police commandos again, students said.
A written from the additional director of University and Higher Education to the agitating students expressed that the incident was unfortunate and that the mater has been well noted for doing the needful.
His office will impress upon the police department that care and sensitivity should be maintained towards the sanctity of academic atmosphere and avoid repetition of such incident, the written statement of the additional director RK Chaoba stated.
Mention may be made that that students of DM College of Science, Commerce and Arts and GP Women College located in the same campus have set deadline by this noon to leave hostels if authority fails to initiate action against police commando personnel who intruded into the hostel on Monday night and conduct unwarranted raid alleging that arms are concealed in the hostels.
A team of Manipur Police commandos intruded into the hostels of the students located inside the DM College campus by breaking the main gate and conducted raids.
They also threatened the students staying at the hostels pressing them to produce arms Monday night at about 9.30 pm.
Earlier, a joint memorandum of the students unions of DM College of Arts, Commerce and Science was submitted to the state education minister drawing his attention to the grievances facing by the students in hostel in the last few years till date.
Security forces has been using the college campus for killing and disposing their victims, which has create a fear psychosis amongst the students and thus defiling the sanctity of the college as an education institution, the students alleged in the memorandum.
The memorandum also demanded stopping of unauthorized frisking and operation inside the campus where students reside, beating up or harassing of individuals/civilians/undergrounds during the college hours.
Installation of gates at all the transit points, street lamps of the college campus, providing of security at the hostels and main gates to monitor and verify visitors and entrants were also demands included in the memorandum.