Rally demands release of teachers, students, Shiv Sena gives 7 days time to settle MU crisis
Wangkhei CSOs urge Pro VC to shift to Govt quarter
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 07 2018:
Taking serious note of the clash between police personnel and student bodies yesterday after the students tried to storm the residence of Pro VC of MU, K Yugindro at Wangkhei and subsequent deployment of security personnel near his residence, meira paibi lups including Wangkhei Puja Lampak Women Welfare Organisation, Chaokhat Khongthang Nupee Lup, Thangapat Mapal Mayai Leikai Women's Development Association and two local clubs Imphal Public Club (IPC) and Young Voluntary Organisation discussed the issue today and urged the Pro VC to shift to a Government quarter which is in a high security zone until the MU crisis blows over.
The CSOs have also appealed to the Government to arrange an alternative accommodation for the Pro VC.
The heavy deployment of security personnel near his residence has militarised the locality, said the Meira Paibis and club members taking serious note of the heavy security deployment at the area since yesterday.
If the Pro VC refuses to heed the stand of the local people, then he should be ready to bear the consequences, said the CSOs.
Meanwhile girl students and womenfolk of Ima Keithel staged a protest rally against the arrest of MU students and teachers along the BT Road stretch today.
The protesters were also demanding immediate and unconditional release of the arrested students and teachers of Manipur University as well as immediate cancellation of the FIR lodged against them.
The protest rally started from near Shamu Makhong at around 1.20 pm with many female students, including from MU and womenfolk of Ima Keithel shouting slogans against MU Pro-VC K Yugindro and the Government.
They were marching towards Raj Bhavan to reportedly meet the Governor.
However, a large number of police personnel, including women police personnel stopped them near Congress Bhavan.
Scuffle ensued between the two sides for around half an hour.
However, the police ultimately foiled the protesters from moving ahead and they (the protesters) turned back to the point where the rally begun.
The Shiv Sena Manipur State unit on the other hand has demanded the State Government and the Central Government to bring a positive end to the Manipur University crisis within the next seven days.
Speaking to media persons at Shiv Sena Manipur State office at Babupara today, the party's State president M Tombi Singh said that the students have not be able to attend class for more than 100 days due to the crisis and condemned the transformation of the university campus to a warzone.
He alleged that the repeated attempt by the university community, CSOs and political parties to bring normalcy in the university has been thwarted by AP Pandey and Prof K Yugindro.
If the State Government and the Central Government fail to bring any definitive solution to the university issue within seven days, Shiv Sena will join the democratic protest organised by the CSOs as well, he warned.
On the other hand, Tombi demanded immediate resignation of Prof K Yugindro as Pro VC for levelling charges against the Governor.
He also demanded a free and fair investigation into the charges levelled against AP Pandey and to award him befitting punishment if found guilty.
On the other hand, Tombi said that he led a team of 35 party members on a trip to Jiribam on October 2 and saw that the condition of most of Imphal-Jiribam road has improved.
Except some parts of the road near Nungdolan, the Imphal-Jiri route has vastly improved compared to the past, Tombi said and lauded the Government for working for the welfare of the people.
However, he claimed that when it came to Makru bridge, the team saw only 12 people working on the bridge and they were being supervised by a youth and as such urged the authority concerned to look into the matter at the earliest.
Speaking to media persons, Shiv Sena general secretary Lien Gangte said that the Jiri trip was organised under the theme Go Green.
He explained that a cleanliness drive was organised at Jiribam District Hospital as a part of the trip and a tree plantation was also held at the hospital in the presence of Jiribam SP and the hospital's MO.
He continued that a similar drive was also conducted at Jiribam police HQ.
On the other hand, Lien Gangte pointed out that the tea garden estate at Jiribam was found to be in a deplorable condition and as such, he urged the State Government to take up necessary policy to revive the tea business and create employment avenues as well.