Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 14 2009:
Taking strong exception to act of fixing dates for Manipur University Inter-College Youth Festival, examination for Law College on November 17 and election of new office bearers to students' union of different colleges on November 25 when the class boycott movement is still continuing, the AMSU, MSF and KSA have demanded postponement of all these programmes in the interest of the student community and the people's movement.
A joint statement issued by the three student bodies asserted that the decision of the SPF Legislature Party to re-open educational institutions from November 9 only reinforced the people's movement.
Because of the alleged arrogant attitude of the Government, disgruntled people have joined the movement in a more intense manner.
This was testified by the recent incidents of torching some schools.
Saying that the Apunba Lup and other organisations working together with it believe in bringing a solution to the issue through a process of dialogue, the student bodies accused the Government of demeaning such democratic process under a notion that people's movements can be suppressed with brute force.
Reacting to the appeals from different quarters to undertake only democratic forms of agitation, the student bodies asked whether the Government has ever fulfilled a people's justified demand after peaceful and democratic forms of agitation.
The AMSU, MSF and KSA questioned why Meira Paibis undertaking peaceful demonstrations were imprisoned under NSA, why the unsurpassed struggle of Irom Sharmila has been made a mockery and why the supreme sacrifice of Pebam Chittaranjan was reduced to nothing.
Claiming that not even one-fifth of students have returned to classrooms, the student bodies remarked that the attempts of teachers and school authorities to re-open schools were against the interest of the majority students.
They further declared that no school authority should take tuition fees for the period starting from September 9 till the class boycott movement ends.
They also appreciated the decision of school bus/van service operators not to resume their service until the Government and the agitating parties come to an agreement.