The ball is in Govt's court: MUTA
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 28 2018:
The Manipur University crisis which has brought all the activities of the university to a grinding halt for the past 58 days is unlikely to be resolved any time soon as the university community is still sticking to their guns while the Government has done nothing to translate the university community's demand into action.
Meanwhile, the Manipur University Teachers' Association (MUTA) has categorically stated that the ball is now in the court of the HRD Ministry and the State Government.
Speaking to media persons today, MUTA spokesman Prof Ng Nimai said that resolving the protracted crisis is up to the HRD Ministry and the State Government.
He ruled out any possibility of withdrawing their agitation until and unless Vice Chancellor Prof AP Pandey is dismissed.
On the other hand, the first phase of MUTA's relay hunger strike has finished and the second phase has already begun.
Saying that the agitation of MU community is different from the agitation of other Indian universities as it is supported by all the people of Manipur, Prof Nimai urged the Government of India either to coax Prof Pandey politically and remove from his post or force him to resign.
It is a matter of great concern that Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar stated on the floor of the Parliament that the MU crisis is likely to be resolved soon as an enquiry has already against the VC.
No member of the fact finding committee has ever visited MU in connection with their enquiry nor have they sent any correspondence to the university community, Prof Nimai said.
Taking strong exception to BJP MP Prahlad Singh Patel's assertion that MU is a den of insurgents, the MUTA spokesman decried that the MP's statement projected the people of Manipur and the agitators as anti-Nationals.
He then demanded the State Government to react to the MP's allegation in a befitting manner.
As two members of the fact finding committee are officials of HRD Ministry and UGC, the enquiry against the VC will never be independent and powerful enough.
If the Government of India removes Prof Pandey either through coercion or forcefully, MU teachers will work on a war-footing from the next day to declare pending examination results of Graduate and Post Graduate courses at the earliest, he assured.
Welcoming Education Minister Th Radheshyam's statement that the pending examination results may be declared after resolving the MU crisis by the second week of August, Prof Nimai wished that the Education Minister's confidence is transformed into reality.
Prof Pandey is still outside the State but no one knows to whom he handed over the charge of VC, he added.
Questioning the source of TA/DA for the VC's frequent movement outside the State, Prof Nimai asserted that the entire MU community knows the genuineness of the charges levelled against Prof Pandey and there will not be any difficulty in establishing them.
Investigation into such irregularities like coming to office after 12 noon, travelling outside the State twice or thrice in a month, giving no dates of retun on leave notices, concentrating all administrative powers in his hands by appointing in-charge Registrar, Exam Controller, Librarian, Curator etc instead of making regular appointments, failure to fill up the vacant post of Chancellor, failure to hold the university's court meetings, smart class scandal, Science Congress scandal and answer sheet scandal will establish all the charges levelled against Prof Pandey.
The MUTA spokesman then urged the President of India who is also the Visitor of MU to exercise his statutory power and dismiss Prof Pandey before initiating a high level independent enquiry against Prof Pandey.
Meanwhile, MUSU has decried that no politicians of the State has ever taken up a single concrete step to help resolve the MU crisis except for giving lip-service.
Alleging that Deputy Chief Minister Y Joykumar, Education Minister Th Radheshyam, Health Minister L Jayantakumar and CAF&PD Minister Karam Shyam pledged to resign from the Government if the careers of students are not protected, a press release issued by MUSU asked what the Ministers are waiting for.MUSU also decried the way Deputy Chief Minister Y Joykumar disowned his own statement on the floor of the State Assembly.
When Y Joykumar and his Ministerial colleagues came to MU on July 21 and 22, he stated that the claim of one UG group serving a monetary demand of Rs 5 crore to Prof Pandey was fabricated but disowned the same statement on the floor of the State Assembly, MUSU said.
According to MUSU, MLA S Subhashchandra and L Radhakishore too offered to resign.
Asserting that it was police who unleashed brute force upon agitating students, MUSU decried the allegation of Manipur Police that the ongoing agitation is violent and undemocratic.
Questioning how long the Central Government will protect Prof AP Pandey, MUSU maintained that it is not the time for Chief Minister N Biren to continue dancing to the tune of the Central Government.
It further warned both the State Government and the Central Government that the aggrieved students may be compelled to launch a self-immolation campaign.
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