MU limping back to normalcy : Education central to it all
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: November 01 2018 -

With the High Court of Manipur appointing former Chief Secretary Jarnail Singh as the Administrator of Manipur University with all the powers of a regular Vice Chancellor, normalcy seems to have returned to the varsity.

And if reports coming from the varsity are anything to go by, then the Administrator seems to have injected a fresh dose of energy in the university, making it compulsory for all the staff to report right on time for office and to leave only when the clock strikes 4 pm and on Sundays too.

The loss of over three months due to the MU crisis may be the immediate reason for implementing the new ‘work ethics’ in the varsity, but it sure is a welcome change to see efforts being made to make up for lost time and infusing a new sense of duty amongst the employees of the varsity.

And when one talks about MU, it should not be forgotten that education is central to it all and this is where the Government, the different student organisations, civil society organi- sations, elders of society and the students themselves should come to the point that when one talks about education, they are then central to it all.

Leave the students alone, is a slogan which has been used in this column more than once and the intrinsic meaning behind this slogan should not blow over the heads of anyone.

Granted education is much more than what is taught in schools and colleges, but it is the formal type of education that will certainly help an individual make a mark for himself or herself and this is where all need to ponder over the question of whether the ideal atmosphere has been created for the students to pursue their academic career.

Academic career of the students.

This was the main concern of parents and elders of society when the MU crisis raged on for days and why everyone came out openly against the stubborn stand of AP Pandey.

Now it is time for all to move beyond AP Pandey and sincerely study whether anyone is vitiating the academic atmosphere of the young students.

Perhaps this is where some lessons may be drawn from the hill based organisations where students and anything related to the academic pursuit of the students are relaxed during any time of bandh or shut down.

The 12 hours bandh called by the UNC on Oct 31 is a case in point with the Council stating that the bandh will be relaxed for schools.

Let adults pursue matters which should strictly be the domain of adults.

Makes absolutely no sense to drag in young students into issues of which they may not have any knowledge about.

Moreover are the schools and colleges walking the extra mile to ensure that classes are interesting for the students ?

Why are parents and guardians compelled to send their children outside Manipur to pursue their higher education once they finish their Class XII ?

A point which has been repeated many times here and will continue to be pointed out as long as no one gives a thought to this.

Let students pursue their studies and let adults deal with matters which should be dealt by them.

Dragging young students into issues is not exactly making them aware of the reality, but rather amounts to using them and this is what is unacceptable.