Students rally for disturbance free education
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, July 05 2013 : Demanding a conducive environment for education, free from all kinds of disturbances and undue interferences, in the State, thousands of students took out mass rallies in different parts of the State today.

The rallies were organized under the aegis of Democratic Students' Alliance of Manipur (DESAM), which has been campaigning for a disturbance-free education zone' for the last many years.

The rally for Imphal East and Imphal West, which was attended by students, teachers and staffs from various educational institutions located across the two districts, was flagged off from THAU ground at Thangmeiband and concluded at Khuman Lampak Main stadium after passing through North AOC.

For Thoubal district, the rally kick-started from Chaoyaima Higher Secondary School ground and proceeded upto Khangabok BASU Ground and for Bishnupur district, it was taken out from Bishnupur District Indoor Stadium to SLO Ground.

After the rallyists of Imphal East and Imphal West got together at Khuman Lampak Main Stadium, a public meeting was held there.

The meeting was attended by Prof Jodhachandra Sanasam, President of Patriotic Writers' Forum; N Chaoba, Working President of AMSGO; Abdul Hakim Shah, Joint Secretary of AMOGOCTA; Salam Yaima, Coordinator of Monitoring Cell, CBSE; Ch Rita, Vice President of AMACTA; L Gojendro, President of GCPTLA, JR Jamyungeng Engpu, President of AMESTA; Laishram Joy, President of AMRSPWA; Rev Jiten Thokchom, Director of Catholic Educational Society Manipur and Wangmayum Islauddin as presidium members.

The mass rally taken out at Thoubal to send out the message for a disturbance free education

The meeting adopted seven resolutions and entrusted DESAM with the responsibility of urging the State Government, UGs, armed personnel and the general public to abide by the resolutions.

The resolutions included making education a free zone; to exclude educational institutions and all those related with education from the purview of any bandh and blockade; the government should not use education as a tool for political gain; no UG group or armed persons should serve monetary demands to educational institutions; to increase the State Budget for the development of education; all concerned should take their respective responsibilities so that no case of corruption come up and the local clubs and meira paibis should look after the educational institutions in their respective localities.

Earlier, delivering the Presidential speech, Wangmayum Islamuddin stated that all the UG groups in the State and also those groups and individuals, who are armed with weapons in the name of certain UG groups, should not consider educational institutions as a piggy bank.

If at all we need to save the society, this sort of mentality needs to be removed away once and for all.

He further observed that putting all sorts of monetary demands and threatening the authorities of educational institutions would only do harm to the student community which is the pillar of the society and no one else.

Speaking at the public meeting held at Thoubal BASU Ground, Chairman of Board of Secondary Education Manipur (BSEM) P Dhanakumar said that education sector can be freed from all disturbances if people rectify their misconduct firstly.

He further said that there is lots of disparity between private and government schools.

People take government schools lightly.

They do not make complaints even if the government teachers are failing to do their responsibilities.

It would be hard to free education from disturbances if the mistakes surrounding the people are not rectified, the BSEM Chairman noted.

The Supreme Court has even questioned the Government if there is any mistake in the education system of the country.

The literacy rate of India has risen from 12 percent at the time of independence to 74.4 percent in the present period, Dhanakumar said.

He further termed the present education system as being colonial.

At one time, children were taught folk tales in their pre-primary stage, but now they are being taught English rhymes whereby making their own mother language alien to them.

Dhanakumar contended that the Board and Council are the authority to ensure 200 to 210 scholastic days, but students in the State are hardly getting 150 days due to frequent bandhs and blockades.

It is the age of knowledge and so a person without proper education and knowledge cannot perform anything significant in life.

Students must toil hard and study to bring about reforms and developmen to the present society, the BSEM Chairman averred.