Out Yugindro in Jarnail Singh : Now end the MU impasse
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: October 12 2018 -

Interesting changing dynamics of the MU impasse. It should also be welcomed.

From oust AP Pandey as VC of Manipur University, to the appointment of Professor K Yugindro as the Pro-VC by AP Pandey ‘while on leave’, FIR lodged against teachers and students of MU by K Yugindro followed by the infamous midnight raid at MU, the police action on students while attempting to take out a rally inside MU campus on October 10, to now the High Court of Manipur stepping in and suspending K Yugindro as the Pro-VC of MU and appointing former Chief Secretary of Manipur Jarnail Singh as the Administrator of the varsity with all the powers and authorities of a regular VC.

Sounds like a movie script but this is not the celluloid world and this is what Manipur experienced for the last more than 130 days.

In between there were also some interesting chapters, such as when tribal civil societies and student groups including ATSUM, ANSAM and KSO Ghqs, stepped in and threatened to impose a 5 day economic blockade and simultaneously raised the demand for a separate Central Tribal University in a hill district of Manipur.

That the State Government managed to convince the student bodies to suspend the proposed economic blockade is a different matter, but what stood out glaringly was the sharp divide amongst the indigenous people of the land.

The interesting question is, now what ?

Hopefully things should cool down a bit for in Jarnail Singh, MU now has a man who is above reproach and a person who enjoys the confidence of the people of Manipur.

Right man for the occasion. This is step one and time can only tell what step two and step three and further steps will be.

It is also important to keep in mind that a probe is on against AP Pandey.

What is the stage of the probe, is the question that should concern all, especially those who were central to the MU crisis all these days.

Will MUTA now revise its earlier stand of not co-operating with the probe team ?

This is the right time to try and find a way out of the MU quagmire for remember AP Pandey has only been suspended and future course of action against him will depend on the findings of the probe team.

Now how about the FIR lodged by the former Pro VC against some teachers and students of MU ?

Common sense says that the FIR should be withdrawn and it is hard to digest that the said FIR is yet to be withdrawn even now.

This is where the role of Prof K Yugindro will be interesting to watch.

As repeated many times earlier in this column, it is also right for the MU community to sincerely study, introspect and retrospect under what circumstances AP Pandey was sent to MU to take over as the VC.

It was after a number of Professors who were appointed as VC in charge had resigned one after the other unable to bear the pressure exerted from different directions over the reservation norms of ST students for admission to MU in different disciplines.

Stick by the rules. Do what the rules say and do not interpret the rules according to one’s convenience is the point that should not blow over the heads of anyone.

AP Pandey suspended. Pro VC Prof K Yugindro removed.

In former Chief Secretary Jarnail Singh as the Administrator of MU.

Now MU should strive to move forward. Enough time has been lost.