Five ST students hurt in police crackdown
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 24 2016: At least five students were injured while another four have been pulled up by police when volunteers of ATSUM, ANSAM, KSO and MUTSU staged a protest against the decision of Manipur University to proceed with the admission process even as the deadlock over the reservation quota is yet to be settled today.

According to information received from the site of the incident, the ST students descended on MU at about 10.30 am against the admission process at MU.

On seeing the students, police immediately put up a steel barricade at the main gate of MU and prevented their movement into the varsity campus.

Some representatives of ATSUM had however entered the university campus earlier.

Five ST students hurt in police crackdown

Not deterred by the obstruction put up by the police, the students instead formed a human chain and proceeded with their protest against the admission procedure before the reservation row is settled.

The students continued with the human chain for at least 30 minutes.

Making the ST students more incensed was the 'partiality' shown by the cops on duty at the MU gate as they allowed other students, teachers and others to proceed inside the MU campus, said a leader of ATSUM.

It was at about this time that the ATSUM representatives who had gone inside the campus came out and informed the rest that the talk with the VC-in-charge on the reservation issue had failed to make any headway.

On hearing this the tribal students intensified their protest at the university gate.

To quell the situation, police resorted to firing tear gas shells to disperse the students.

The police team was led by Additional SP Dr S Ibomcha and Th Vikramjit.

At least five students were injured in the police crackdown and they were taken to different hospitals.

One woman police was also injured in stoning by the students.

Four ST students were hauled up by the police.

Of the five students injured, one girl student has been admitted to Kuki Christian hospital and she is still undergoing treatment there while the others have been discharged.

The four who were hauled up by the police have also been released.

Speaking to The Sangai Express publicity secretary of ATSUM, Micah Kamei said that another sit-in-protest will be held at MU gate tomorrow.

Micah Kamei said that the ST students did not do anything in excess to warrant the police crackdown and strongly condemned the action of the police.

Significantly, ATSUM, ANSAM, KSO and MUTSU had decreed yesterday that if MU refuses to adopt the CEI (Reservation in admission) Amendment Act of 2012, no ST student should seek admission at MU.

On the other hand the Deans/HODs of MU had decided to follow the decision of the Academic Council which was adopted on October 8 (reservation norms of 2006) .