Don't militarise schools : CSCHR, COHR
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, November 01 2019: Taking serious note of the large scale airlifting of Central Paramilitary Forces and Army personnel into Manipur and stationing them at schools and colleges, the Civil Society Coalition for Human Rights in Manipur (CSCHR) and Committee on Human Rights (COHR), have submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister N Biren to vacate the schools and colleges as such a move violates National and international laws.

In the memorandum submitted to the Chief Minister, and a copy of which is available with The Sangai Express, the rights defenders noted that it is a matter of deep concern that the said security personnel have been stationed at the campuses of Modern College, Maharaja Bodhachandra College, DM University etc.

That this is happening in the backdrop of the ongoing student agitation against the stationing of an Army camp inside Manipur University premises is what makes it all that more unacceptable, said the memorandum.

It is also alarming to learn that the district administrations have further authorized the stationing of CPMFs and Army in various other educational institutions and public premises, it said.

Such an act of militarisation of educational institutes is in violation of National law 1 and the international law 2 .

The Supreme Court of India had also directed the Centre to ensure that educational institutes occupied by the Army and paramilitary forces be vacated in September 2010, said the memorandum and reminded that this judgment came in a case related to children of Assam and Manipur.

The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child under Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict also recommended the Government of India in 2014 to follow Article 21 A of the Constitution, as elaborated by the relevant Supreme Court judgements .

Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from military use during armed conflict was another reminder to the Government of India, it added.

In light of the reality, the memorandum urged the State Government to vacate all the para-military and military forces from all the educational institutions at the earliest and initiate necessary legal action against the authorities responsible.

Comment