Imphal, February 18: To raise the demand for making education a free zone, Committee for Peaceful and Progressive Education would take out a mass rally here at Imphal on February 23 .

A public meeting would also follow the rally.

Addressing a press conference in this connection at Manipur Press Club here today, N Rameshwar Singh, general secretary of the Committee, which has been formed jointly by the members of All Manipur Recognised Private School Welfare Association and Manipur Educational Development and Research Association, observed that the prevailing unsettling situation in the State has given a serious impact on the education system of the State.

Over the course of one academic year, schools were forced to remain shut down most of the time and declare numerous unofficial holidays, thus depriving the students of their rights to education due to frequent calling of bandh, blockade and general strike by various organisations and groups of people in the State throughout the year, he noted.

Over and above this, employees related to Education have not been able to work from their respective offices and the teachers not able to take classes for the students as the result of undue pressures both from within and outside.

In such a condition, the students who are the future pillars of the society are the only loser, he lamented.

Raising a pertinent point, president of All Manipur Recognised Private School Welfare Association Henam Bira, who was also present during the press conference asked 'How can we expect to produce good students and usher in peace in the society, when the schools in Manipur could not function even for 100 days in a year ?'.

Considering all these points, no one should interfere in the functioning of the schools, exempt education from the purview of the general strike and bandh just like other essential services and make education a free zone, Bira mooted.

He also appealed to all the people to support and take part in the proposed rally and public meeting expected to be participated by many teachers, both of the private and Govt schools, students and founder members of schools.

The rally would be flagged off from the premises of Young Learners' Club at Singjamei Chinga Mathak and concluded at THAU ground, Thangmeiband where the public meeting would be held.

The meeting will be attended by many resource persons, Rameshwar informed.

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