KSO (Ghqs) snubs ATSUM revival
Source: The Sangai Express / Newmai News Network
Imphal, November 03 2012:
All is not well among the various hill based students' organisations.
Misunderstandings and communication gaps are the reasons for all the ails.
A day after the announcement of the 'revival' of the erstwhile All Tribal Students' Union Manipur (ATSUM) by the Joint Committee of Hill Districts Students' Organisations (JCHDSO), the Kuki Students Organisation, General Headquarters (KSOGHQ) has said it will not accept the move of the JCHDSO.
The apex Kuki students' body's logic being that All Naga Students' Association, Manipur (ANSAM) and the KSO-GHQ are the main constituent units of ATSUM and without their involvement and consent reviving or formation of the apex tribal students' body is ridiculous.
"The supposed formation (revivival) of the All Tribal Students' Union, Manipur (ATSUM) under the auspices of some hill district students' bodies is 'unacceptable' and 'invalid', it said.
It is true that ATSUM has been defunct for the last three years.
However, its two main constituent units, the KSO and All Naga Students' Association, Manipur (ANSAM) have been working hard for the reinstatement of ATSUM to its former self.
To this end, exhaustive meetings and consultations were being held by Naga and Kuki students' leaders.
As such it is a matter of time that ATSUM becomes fully functional again.
But the reported formation of ATSUM by Joint Committee of Hill Districts Students Organisations (JCHDSO) in the meantime, came as a shocker to the KSO, which is one of the two legitimate constituent bodies of ATSUM," P.Lupheng, vice president of the apex Kuki students' body said today.
The reviving of ATSUM by some hill district students' bodies after bypassing its main constituent units is a coup d'etat carried out by the so called JCHDSO.
This election is unacceptable as it smells of sedition and treason on the part of some student leaders.
The KSO will leave no stone unturned to expose the dirty dealings behind this conspiracy as it can affect tribal students' solidarity and understanding in Manipur, P Lupheng cautions.
It is to be noted here that ATSUM election sans the participation of KSO is unprecedented in the history of ATSUM, the Kuki students' body said.
The election of ATSUM executives has always been through 'proportionate representation' from its two constituent units, the KSO and ANSAM.
It is time tested and conventional formula being practiced for the past many years.
"This has to be followed in all ATSUM elections to come.
It is also to be noted that the participation of Churchandpur District Students' Union (CDSU) in the JCHDSO does not necessarily mean that the Kuki students are being represented in the joint students' body.
Churachandpur District Students' Union (CDSU) being a district based students' union therefore does not have the mandate to represent the Kuki community in ATSUM.
To conclude, the supposedly formed ATSUM should not be accorded any recognition by all and sundry", P.Lupheng said.
"ATSUM without KSO may be considered as a pseudo ATSUM having no legitimacy.
Hence, ATSUM election shall be conducted in a week's time after due consultation with ANSAM as was the tradition," the apex Kuki students' body leader stated.