Demanding full fledged status, teachers of 4 colleges stage sit-in
Will boycott Dec semester exam if no Govt action by Nov 15, say teachers
Source: The Sangai Express

Bishnupur, October 29 2018: Demanding the conversion of four colleges into full-fledged Government colleges, teachers of the colleges today staged a sit-in at Nambol Sabal Leikai community hall and cautioned the Government that they may even consider boycotting December semester examinations.

The sit-in protest organised by the Four Government Aided College Teachers' Association condemned the State Government for being silent on their demand.

The teachers and students of S Kula Women's College Nambol, Waikhom Mani Girls' College Thoubal, Moreh College and South East Manipur College Komlathabi have been appealing the Government for conversion of the colleges since the conversion of 6 colleges in March this year.

The exclusion of the two women/girls colleges and two hill district colleges were denounced by many and the students and teachers of the colleges had staged sit-ins before.

Speaking to reporters, convenor of the teachers' association, S Chandrakumar claimed that the Education Minister on May 27, through media, had informed that the "colleges will be adopted as full-fledged Government colleges after a verification, which was on at that time".

The verification has been concluded but there are no positive actions and response from the Government regarding the conversion of the colleges.

The Government has been silent all this while, Chandrakumar lamented and informed that the teachers, staff and students will wear black badges during classes starting from October 30 as a mark of protest.

"If there is no positive response from the Government by November 15, we are ready to boycott the December semester examination," he said.

President of the Four Government Aided College Teachers' Association, Ghanashyam Singh said that the teachers' association and students have firm belief that the Government will adopt the colleges as full-fledged Government colleges.

Conversion of the S Kula Women's College, the only women's college in Nambol and Waikhom Mani Girls' College, the only girls' college in Thoubal will go long way in empowering women and uplifting their spirits, he said.

The conversion of the women/girls colleges will also give life to "Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao" slogan of the Centre, he continued and appealed the Government to realise the dreams and aspirations of the teachers, students and communities associated with the colleges.

One senior woman teacher of a college lamented that some of the teachers of the colleges have been teaching for more than 40 years and still the colleges have not been made full-fledged Govt colleges.

Some teachers are on the verge of retirement without seeing the colleges as full-fledged Govt colleges, she said.

The Govt has been raising "Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao" slogans and similar promises like 'free education for women upto graduation, but these slogans are not being converted into reality, she said.

Questioning what had happened to the verification conducted to adopt the colleges, she condemned that the mere salary the teachers get are not enough to look after even the basic needs of their families and children.

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