Reaffirming stand of 2016 unity : Working together
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: October 11 2019 -

It goes back to 2016 and extremely encouraging to learn that DESAM and ANSAM have reaffirmed their stand to work together on issues which concern the youth and the students.

In many ways this also reflects the reality of student organisations failing to represent Manipur as a whole.

A reality driven by the fact that Manipur is home to different communities or a reflection that not all identify themselves with the place called Manipur though all are natives of this place called Manipur.

The very fact that two prominent student organisations have reaffirmed their 2016 stand to work together should tell the story of how student organisations have been pursuing what they feel is for the common good of all, but which not all would identify with.

Unfortunate it is, but the past is more than indicative that different student bodies have been identified with the community to which their members belong to with many failing to cut a pan Manipur identity.

So it has been the case that a student body with immense clout in the valley would not have much of a say or influence in the hill areas.

Again the hills is divided along the line of community with the two major tribes, the Nagas and the Kukis having their own apex student organisations.

This should explain why there are so many student organisations in the State and there have been times when the interest of one student body would clash with the interest of another student body and this never did paint a good picture of the State as a whole.

Now that ANSAM and DESAM have reaffirmed their stand to work together on issues which concern the interests of the students, one hopes that this is the beginning of something bigger and better.

The reach and influence of student organisations is immense and it is not without reason why they are a powerful and influential lobby group and the decision of the two student bodies to come together should be seen in this context.

Remember the intense movement to have the former Vice Chancellor of Manipur University removed was spearheaded by student organisations.

The decision of ANSAM and DESAM to work together on issues which concern the interests of the students also predates the move of the BJP led Government at Imphal to reach out to the hills and bridge the gap between the hills and the valley and this will certainly fall in line with the need of the time.

One is a student body which is there to highlight the interests of the Naga people and the other is a student body with a pan Manipur outlook and the coming together of two such student organisations augurs well for the State.

There is a lesson to be learnt here for all and if ANSAM and DESAM can come together and collectively work for issues which concern the interests of the students, there can be grounds for other civil society organisations which can work together too cutting across the hill and valley divide.

One such avenue is human rights and a united stand against the continued imposition of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act.

In many ways the coming together of ANSAM and DESAM may also be seen beyond the coming together of two student organisations.

Let this be a beginning for something better and bigger.