MU stand off gets uglier : Graphic haughtiness
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: September 06 2018 -

Is it a case of the Centre viewing one individual to be more important than the university community or is it a case of indifference to the situation here ?

Arrogance and haughtiness is written all over the profile of Professor AP Pandey and this is perhaps best represented by the fact that he has deemed it fit to open a transit office at his official residence at Sanjenthong.

The reasoning is simple enough.

Since all the offices at Manipur University have been locked up, it is best that he runs the affairs of the varsity from his official residence !

This of course does not answer the question of who gave him the authority to return to MU since the ‘leave’ given to him is still in force.

And under what conviction did the VC say that he has resumed duty after the completion of the leave period given to him.

Why is he refusing to acknowledge that in resuming office he is violating the Memorandum of Agreement signed by the MU community-MUTA, MUSU and MUSA, the Union HRD Ministry and the State Government.

Something has to give. Or is it a case of his RSS background being too important for the Centre to crack the whip and get acting ?

Whichever way one looks at it, this is simply unacceptable.

In stubbornly sticking to his stand, AP Pandey has undermined the office of the VC and the sanctity that comes along with this office.

In trying to go one up over the MU community, AP Pandey is clearly ringing out the message that he will not hesitate from taking on all the people of Manipur and this is something totally unacceptable.

It is his belligerence that today the MU crisis has morphed into some sort of a stand off between the VC and the people of Manipur and the natural question is, can the BJP Government afford to antagonise all the people of a State just to save the skin of an individual, that too a controversial figure ?

Can there be such a situation in any other part of the country ? The Union HRD Ministry should answer this question.

For 85 days Manipur University was closed. Results of students, particularly for those who had given their 6th Semester exams were declared only after AP Pandey was sent on leave, but by then 85 days had already lapsed and there is just no way students who wished to study in any other university outside Manipur could have secured admission.

Has any thought been given to the plight of these students ?

Judging from the manner in which AP Pandey has been throwing his weight around, from the safe confines of his official bungalow, one may say that no thoughts have been given to the plight of the young students.

To be sure, Chief Minister N Biren Singh must be a worried man.

MU being a Central university, there is not much he can do, except forward the situation to the Centre, but what will be worrying him more is the fact that in a few months time Manipur too will go to polls like the rest of the country.

More than likely that what is happening at MU will impact on how the voters vote come D day.

And it stands that it is the BJP led Government at Imphal which will bear the whiplash, in case the BJP flops particularly in the Inner Parliamentary seat.

No that one seat will mean much, but it is about letting the presence of a political party felt, and a candidate of the ruling party not making it will surely not go down well with the BJP leadership at New Delhi and the brunt will surely fall on the BJP leadership at Imphal.

Or is this what the Centre wants to happen ?