ATSUM a sham, slams KSO
Source: The Sangai Express / Newmai News Network

Imphal, January 19 2013 : The Kuki Students Organisation-General Headquarters (KSO-GHQs) said today that the present so called All Tribal Students Union Manipur (ATSUM)'s operation is "just a sham" .

The KSO said it is compelled to make some clarification on some ludicrous statements made by Zeliangrong Students Union Manipur (ZSUM), Tangkhul Katamnao Saklong (TKS) and the now 'defunct' Churachandpur District Students Union (CDSU).

The KSO said, at any point of time, it does not feed the media with any fabricated statements on any matter that concerns tribal society and ATSUM.

"Nor does the KSO 'say things blindly,' rather it is ZSUM and TKS which 'acted blindly' by forming ATSUM unconventionally, without a consensus among all the tribal students' bodies.

The tribal student community is now fully aware that the ATSUM that is operating at the moment is just a 'sham' .

It is a very well known fact that it does not enjoy the mandate of the whole tribal student community", the Kuki students' body said.

KSO explained that to help shed the lights, it just presented facts to the people.

As such there is nothing such as insulting the federating units of ATSUM by KSO.

crux of the problem was when some leaders of ZSUM and TKS went on to form ATSUM through deception and by repeatedly ignoring appeals of KSO and ANSAM to wait for a consensus," it alleged.

"ATSUM is a platform meant for all the tribal students of Manipur.

It is not a mere organization which can be hijacked to be at the beck and call of some people, by putting together some leaders of some organizations from some districts as the ATSUM.

This is the very reason why it is 'unacceptable' to the KSO and other likeminded cognate tribal students' organizations.

For the uninitiated, the KSO makes clear of the fact that the KSO is very much a part and parcel of ATSUM and will remain as such.

It should be known to all that KSO and ANSAM are the two main constituents of ATSUM with all its respective branches as the federating units.

This is the unwritten conventional practice of the ATSUM.

So the self appointed ATSUM leaders just made a laughing stock of themselves by making statement that the KSO is not a constituent of ATSUM.

This is akin to 'cry wolf' in the hope that the lies becomes real," the Kuki students' body said.

According to the Kuki students' body, the KSO does not hold any grudge against any tribal organization let alone insult.

The KSO is only trying to stop some selfish leaders who abused their positions in their organizations to push their own agendas for personal gains.

These leaders are out to derail ATSUM's policy of tribal welfare and solidarity just to satiate their own whims and desires.

They are to be watched and reined in.

The KSO does not want to engage these people in a war of words.

These are people who know no honour and dignity other than clinging on to power even in the face of disgrace.

They just want to hurl allegations and flex their muscle to satisfy their own vanity.

Everybody in the tribal community is now fully aware of how ATSUM was deceptively reinstated while KSO and ANSAM were trying hard to save it, the KSO further alleged.

The KSO along with other tribal students' bodies are trying to right the wrongs, considering the gravity of the situation if this 'pseudo' ATSUM is allowed to continue.

However, the self appointed leaders would not stop throwing tantrums in a desperate bid to hold on to whatever power they had grabbed through duplicity.

The KSO also said it does not encourage the mushrooming of tribal student bodies in the society at this juncture.

However, it can make an exception here if these self appointed leaders of ATSUM are that much concerned about tribal issues.

They may well float a new body and stop desecrating the sanctity of this aged old tribal student body, it stated.

"Time and again the KSO wants to caution the government to tread carefully when it comes to tribal issues.

ATSUM had taken up a number of issues with the government in the past.

It is the duty of the government to see to it that it is taken care of even if ATSUM is in imbroglio.

Further the government is not advised no to discuss any issue concerning tribal people with an illegitimate body which operates in the guise of ATSUM.

The ATSUM Interim Body is the rightful body to deal with for the moment," the KSO added.

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