Joy, Mangi join solidarity rally
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 31 2018:
Veteran politician and former MPP leader Okram Joy who resigned from BJP yesterday has strongly reacted against the BJP-led Central Government's nature of handling MU impasse, alleging that the Central Government is disposed to impose its diktats upon the people of Manipur.
He also decried the State Government's lackadaisical attitude in resolving the impasse and decried that the Chief Minister and his council of Ministers are not bold enough to confront and boldly tell them (the Central Government leaders) that the career of students in the State are being spoiled due to the protracted Manipur University crisis.
Saying that the incumbent MU VC Professor AP Pandey is taking Y category security escorts and bullet proof vehicle although he has been rejected by his associates (students, teachers and staff) and the people of Manipur, Joy likened the VC's conduct to imposition of martial law.
He was speaking to media persons on the sideline of a solidarity rally held today demanding removal of MU VC Professor AP Pandey from his post.
The rally organized by the Local Surrounding People of the Manipur University, Canchipur on Imphal-Moreh highway started from Kakwa Bazar and wound up at Manipur University Main Gate.
The rally was also participated by some other politicians including former Minister N Mangi.
Lamenting that the Central Government is paying no heed to the demands of MUSU, MUTA and MUSA till date although the three bodies of the university have been agitating for 62 days, Joy went on to ask whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi and HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar will remain silent if the impasse happens in the universities of Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh or other bigger States.
There is no need for explaining the degree of damages done to the career of thousands of students of Manipur University and colleges affiliated to it.
However, the Central Government leaders have been acting as mute spectators with sheer arrogance as if they are more powerful and can do anything they want, the veteran politician said adding that such coercive and deceitful nature of the Government of India only led to the rise of insurgency in the State.
He said that he did not speak out anything on the MU impasse while he was in the BJP as he had to maintain party discipline.
"But I could not tolerate it anymore and ultimately resigned from the party to fight such irresponsible conduct of the BJP-led Central Government together with the people of the State", Joy said.
N Mangi accused the BJP-led State Government of censuring everyone who spoke against Prof Pandey saying that those people were politicizing the MU impasse.
Alleging that Prof Pandey is another Shantidas Gosai determined to saffronize Manipur university, he claimed that the intention of the politicians/political figures for joining the solidarity rally was beyond political considerations.
"We joined the rally purely for the sake of the students of Manipur", Mangi said.
He exuded confidence that the movement for the removal of VC Pandey and restoration of normal academic atmosphere, free from political influence will succeed if the people of the State fight collectively.
Many people who took part in the solidarity rally also took part in today's leg of the ongoing relay hunger strike being staged at the main gate of MU .
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