Students throw eggs, tomatoes at BSEM
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, May 10 2011:
A mob of agitated students today hurled eggs and tomatoes at the office of the Board of Secondary School (BSEM) at Babupara and also stormed the ZEO, Imphal West-I.Four student leaders, who took part in the protest, were detained by the police only to release later.
Students of various schools, both from private and government schools, suddenly appeared in front of the board office located opposite to the Imphal PS and hurled the eggs and tomatoes today at 1.40 pm.
Students were protesting against authorities' failure to ensure availability of textbooks even as academic session of the year had already commenced and also charged the BSEM authority of not distributing SSA books to the students pointing out there were enough textbooks in the stock.
The also shouted various slogans against the board authority and government alleging them of not taking interest in redressing plights of the students.
When the students started protesting there, security personnel at the board office alarmed the police nearby who rushed to the spot and detained four leaders of the students.
Assistant secretary Arambam Thoithoi of DESAM, publicity secretary Soibam Anil of AMSU and publicity and education secretary Surchand Mangang of KSA and secretary Anish Shah of MSF were later released around 3.30 pm.
Another group students stormed the ZEO Imphal West zone-I office at Khoyathong demanding textbooks around the same timing with the protest at BSEM office.
Teachers of some schools also took part in the protest.
Students and teachers were calmed down by the officials of the ZEO by convincing that government has assured to make available textbooks from May 15 .
They informed the agitating students and teachers that a committee comprising members of officials of the Education (S) Department and BSEM had started monitoring the printing of textbooks at various printing presses.Later talking to reporters at AMSU office, DM College campus, DESAM's publicity secretary Thoithoi said that students launched the protest as BSEM and other concerned authorities had failed to hear their demands despite repeated plea.
Informing that principal secretary (Education-S) has given assurance of starting supply of textbooks from May 15, Thoithoi said that if the assurance is failed to translate into action, then, they will stage same kind of protest until from the next day until their demands are met.
At the same time, he said, they could not believe with the assurance asserting that they had never seen government translation of any assurance by them into work in the past.
DESAM, AMSU, MSF and KSA jointly launched the protest.
They alleged BSEM of failing to distribute other textbooks for study from Class-I to Class-X which was published by them in the market so that students can buy.
Leaders of other student bodies alleged that the government is not interested in education of the students of the state and their future.
"Authorities of government are remaining like a silent spectator even though many textbooks lying in ZEOs undistributed despite students are facing non-availability of the same.
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