Imphal, November 02: Even as a long and serpentine queue of prospective candidates for the proposed recruitment of teachers were waiting for the arrival of officials to obtain their forms for the written test scheduled for November 12 at Maharaja Bodhchandra College, Palace Compound, some unidentified persons attempted to set the form submission counters on fire today morning.

Taking into account the arson attempt and the visibly high temper running among the prospective candidates who had been standing in queue since early morning and the possibility of resulting in untoward incidents, officials of the Board of Secondary Education Manipur, Imphal East SP L Kailun and Principal of MB College decided to suspend issuance of forms.

According to BSEM Secretary M Rajmohon, the Board arranged to issue application forms today for recruitment of 1423 primary teachers, 203 Hindi primary teachers, 46 graduate teachers and 255 adhoc teachers.

However, the plan to issue forms was cancelled due to lack of adequate security.

Yet, he disclosed that forms would be issued from tomorrow till November 9 at MB College and for this all security arrangements have been made.

Earlier in the day, thousands of job seekers thronged the MB College.

Taking advantage of the huge crowd, some unidentified persons sneaked near the counter no 2 at around 11 am and attempted to set the College on fire after pouring petrol/kerosene at the counter.

Fortunately, the matches failed to spark off.

Shortly after, police personnel arrived at the scene and asked the people to return.

According to Board officials, forms would be issued at Rs 110 for general candidates and Rs 60 for SC/ST candidates after producing photocopies of Exchange cards and two passport photographs.

Candidates would be given their admit cards then and there after filling up their forms at the counters, they added.

On the other hand, claiming responsibility for the attempted arson at MB College, MEELAL stated that it was not attempted with the intention to damage the College and hurt the people but it was aimed at demonstrating its strength to the State Government.

Speaking to reporters MEELAL president Ngaseppam Yumjao declared that MEELAL would launch a strong agitation if the State Government continues to ignore its demand.

He further warned that the Government and the individuals concerned would be held accountable for any casualty in the course of the agitation.

MEELAL has been demanding recruitment of primary teachers only with at least three years of experience in Meetei Mayek teaching.

Moreover, it has appealed repeatedly to authorities concerned including the Chief Minister to amend the appointment rules of primary teachers to suit the syllabi followed in primary schools, Yumjao said.

Saying that the ban on recruitment of primary teachers was imposed as a consequence of the State Government's failure to entertain the appeals of MEELAL, Yumjao clarified that its volunteers had no intention to become primary teachers.

The State Government had a notion that MEELAL volunteers were intent on becoming primary teachers, he observed.

Including those imparted training on Meetei Mayek by the State Government in 1987 before the establishment of MEELAL, there are more than 10,000 experienced Meetei Mayek teachers in the State, he asserted.

Maintaining that Govt would not be allowed to act in the interest of some people by deliberately sidelining those Meetei Mayek experienced teachers, MEELAL vice-president Sadokpam Tomba insisted that only those candidates with three years of experience in Meetei Mayek should be appointed as primary teachers after proper screening.

He further noted that most of the teachers teaching in class I and II where Meetei Mayek has been introduced already were Meetei Mayek illiterate.

He also reminded of the understanding reached between the State Government and MEELAL to replace all text books in Bengali script by Meetei Mayek text books within 2010.

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