Students caught in NIT campus clashes
Source: The Sangai Express / Courtesy : TNN
Imphal, September 15 2014:
A minor tiff between local and non-local students of National Institute of Technology (NIT), Imphal, is snowballing into a major issue with 19 Telugu students fearing for their lives.
The students, who claim to be confined to their hostel rooms due to hostile conditions on the campus, have appealed to the governments of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to intervene and get them transferred to other NITs in the country.
According to the students, trouble began at the NIT hostel mess at Langol campus in Imphal on September 11 night when a senior student, hailing from Manipur, wanted to force his way ahead of a group of non-local students standing in the queue.
When the non-local students raised objections, an argument broke out between the two groups.
Subsequently, the next day, when a six-member group of non-local students from Bihar and Telangana went to a nearby cafe outside the campus, a group of locals attacked them with knuckle dusters.
"On the provocation of local students of NIT Langol campus, a group of local men attacked students from Bihar and Telangana with cycle chains and knuckle dusters.
The students ran back into the campus fearing for their lives," R Parameshwar, a NIT II year student from Adilabad, told TOI.
When the injured students reached the campus, other non-local students gathered and confronted the local pupils.
The situation turned tense and police arrived at the spot.
"As soon as the police arrived, all local students went inside their hostel rooms and cops lathi-charged the non-local students," B Raju, II year student from Warangal, said.
According to Raju, about 15 non-local students from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh suffered injuries in the lathi-charge.
Following the clashes on the campus, Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh visited the Langol campus and assured non-local students that security would be provided and there was no cause for worry.
"But on the same night local students booed and threatened us right in front of police personnel posted there.
Non-local students are feeling unsafe both at Langol and Takalpat campuses of NIT, Imphal," Parameshwar said.
On Sunday, some students contacted Telangana director-general of police (DGP) Anurag Sharma.
"After the students contacted me, I spoke to DGP, Manipur, Shahid Ahmed.
He said two police pickets have been set up at both NIT campuses," Anurag Sharma told TOI.
When contacted, Manipur DGP Shahid Ahmed said: "The situation is completely under control and the family members of students need not worry.
About half-a-dozen students suffered minor injuries in the clashes between two groups and we have registered two suo motu cases against both the groups for assault.
Adequate force has been deployed at NIT," the DGP added.
However, the students are worried that the situation could go out of hand and do not want to stay at the NIT campus in Imphal anymore.
They have appealed to the state governments of Telangana and AP to intervene.
"A day after the attack, a minister from Bihar spoke to the local government.
So far, neither Telangana nor AP government has contacted the Manipur government.
We are afraid of studying here and our request to the Telangana and AP governments is to talk to MHRD officials and transfer us to other NITs in the country," Raju and Parameshwar told TOI.
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