Forgetting the teacher in him : More stormy days expected
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: July 21 2018 -

Torch rallies in the night by womenfolk and verbally airing their grievances and anger against the excesses of the police personnel.

Bonfire plum in the middle of the road at many points in Imphal.

This is the scene that followed the end of the 48 hours general strike imposed by the Manipur University Students’ Union.

Not something new in Imphal for these are scenes which can be easily recollected from the past.

Recall June 18, 2001 and the days after that until the Centre dropped the phrase ‘ceasefire without territorial limits’ in the ceasefire pact with the NSCN (IM).

Recall the stormy days when an NSCN (IM) cadre reportedly tried to act fresh with actress Momoko in full public view at Chandel some years back and the death of a journalist in police firing while covering an event connected with the issue.

Recall the days when police had to fight pitch battles in the dead of the night with protesters at different parts of Imphal during the ILPS demand some time back, especially after the death of S Robinhood who was killed in police action.

Recalling some of the ugly moments of the past that while Manipur has changed down the years, some things just do not change and apart from the Shirui Lily, Loktak Lake and other outstanding attributes of the State, these instances can certainly fit the description of Manipur where everything that can go wrong seem to have gone wrong.

The 48 hours general strike called by MUSU is over, but schools continue to be closed, in the face of the boycott call given by Reformist Students’ Front on the same demand that the VC of Manipur University should resign.

MU crisis affecting young school children and one cannot help but wonder how such a move will add credence to the demand that AP Pandey should quit as the VC of MU.

Nothing much to suggest that things will improve in the coming days.

With the Opposition staging a walk out on Day 1 of the Monsoon Assembly session which started today (Friday) on the ground that they are given not room to discuss critical issues such as the MU crisis, Border Pillar 81 near Kwatha Khunou and other issues besieging the State, MUSU has announced that they will not let the second day of the Assembly session be held on Monday.

Police bandobast can surely be expected at the periphery of the State Assembly from today itself and it is anybody’s guess how things will develop on Monday, the scheduled Day 2 of the Monsoon session of the Assembly.

And after the Assembly session, what ?

No one knows how things will pan out, but it will not be anything sweet.

With schools, colleges and Manipur University closed, more stormy days can be expected.

This at a time when universities at other parts of the country have started or are getting ready to start the new academic session and one can calculate the loss that Manipur is running into.

The interesting question is, how long will the inquiry committee constituted to look into the charges against the VC take to draw its conclusion ?

Moreover will their findings or conclusion be acceptable to the university community ?

What is clear at this juncture is that Professor AP Pandey seems to have forgotten that he is a teacher in the first place and hence should bear the future of the students in his mind in any dealing.

This is a tragedy.