Imphal, November 08 2009: Even though hectic efforts are being made to bring about a settlement to the ongoing agitations through talks with representatives of various organisations involved in the movement, the Apunba Lup is upset that the State Government had proclaimed resumption of classes from tomorrow.

The apunba Lup, a conglomerate body of numerous organisations, is particularly peeved with the Government's decision to prise open educational institutions which the body insist is against the spirit of efforts to sort out differences through negotiations.

An informed source said functionaries of the Senior Citizens' Forum for Society and Working Committee of the Apunba Lup held talks today and later in the day a Forum delegation met representatives of the State Government.

The Forum had also facilitated first round of talks between the agitating bodies and the Government on an earlier occasion and there is strong speculation that further negotiations would be held at the earliest to restore social tranquillity in the State which had witnessed various form of agitations ever since the Tehelka news magazine exposed involvement of police commandos in slaying a former militant in a stage-managed encounter at BT road on July 23 this year.

A pregnant woman was also killed allegedly in firing by the police commandos in addition to five other civilians suffering injuries.

While the general public breathed a sign of huge relief when talks were held for the first time between the agitators and Government, expecting that the impasse would be resolved, failure to sustain the negotiation has undoubtedly spoilt the atmosphere.

However, the source opined that the Forum delegation holding talks with both the agitators and the Government today is a positive sign that all out efforts are being made to bring an early end to the impasse as organisations leading the agitation are likely to come to the negotiating table.

Responding to a query, the source also claimed that when talks resume differences that cropped up during the first round of talks and seemingly the main stumbling block alluding agreement might be sorted out in a positive way.

On the otherhand, the Working Committee of the Apunba Lup has voiced strong annoyance against the acts and attitude of the State Government.

A Lup statement that reflected its willingness and preparedness to enter into dialogues with the Government in settling the vexed issues, further informed that at the end of the first round of talk Lup representatives had conveyed to the Government to have an internal deliberation on the points raised by the Government after which the outcome would be intimated the State authorities.

The statement also disclosed that decisions taken at a joint meeting of Apunba Lup, JACs, AMSU, MSF and KSA with regard to posers of the Government were conveyed on November 2 to four responsible members of the SPF Government, among whom three are Cabinet Ministers.

Claiming that with apparent reference to intimation of the joint bodies conveyed through the Lup, a Cabinet Minister made a telephonic call regarding unwillingness of the SPF Government to translate the Lup proposals into action, the Lup's statement described the Cabinet Minister's attitude as lacking decorum.

Either convening a joint meeting or conveying the Government's stand through the mediators (Senior Citizens' Forum) would have been more appropriate, it expressed.

The statement also opined that declaration of the SPF legislature party for reopening educational institutions tantamount to clearly demonstrating objective of the Government to use all its resources to dilute the people's movement that had been lingering for over three months.

The Apunba Lup further expressed that main agenda of the SPF Government seems to not only confuse the people by pretending to welcome negotiated settlement of the issues at hand but also is reflects seriousness and commitment to find solutions.

Holding talks with the agitating bodies but making decisions on its own would be detrimental in finding an honourable solution, the Lup cautioned.

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