Imphal, May 28 2009: Democratic Students' Alliance of Manipur (DESAM) has announced that it would impose a 120-hour State wide general strike if all the 13 student leaders who have been taken into custody by the police after the killing of Proctor of Manipur University Prof Md Islamuddin were not set free unconditionally by May 31 .

Addressing a press conference in this connection at its head office here today, secretary general of DESAM Y Ratankumar informed that the student community will also stage mass protest demonstrations in the four valley districts on May 29 and 30 .

Over and above the general strike to be called if the arrested student leaders are not released without any condition by May 31, an emergency would be declared all over the State and various intense agitations would be launched, Ratan-kumar said, adding that although the timing of the proposed general strike has not yet been finalised, education would be exempted from its purview.

He further said that DESAM can never accept the action of the police in taking into custody the student leaders who have been picked up from their respective houses and hostels on the pretext of verification even after KYKL has claimed the responsibility for killing Prof Islamuddin.

It is because of such action of the police and the faulty policies of the Government that has created an atmosphere of fear in the University leading to many students vacating their hostel rooms and disturbing the academic atmosphere in the university, Ratankumar said, adding that MU authority should be squarely held responsible for the present crisis.

The Government and the University authority should also be held responsible for any eventuality of the agitation to be launched by DESAM, the student leader warned.