MUTSU's demand for reservation
Stir turns violent, cars smashed, many held
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 06: The 48 hour State wide bandh called by the Manipur University Tribal Students' Union (MUTSU) and All Tribal Students' Union, Manipur (ATSUM) and supported by ANSAM and KSO took an ugly turn as violence erupted at the gate of MU forcing the police to crackdown on the agitators.

Police picked up 145 student agitators, but 135 of them were let off later in the evening.

The bandh was called to demand reservations of tribal candidates in the university as well as to protest the conduct of interview to select guest lecturers in the History Department.

Despite the bandh, the interview was conducted as scheduled today.

In connection with the incident, Manipur University authorities lodged an FIR with Singjamei police station.

Police cracks down on the agitating students to bring the situation under control and inset two of the three cars damaged

From early morning tribal students of MU stopped all vehicles passing in front of the university on NH-39 and forced the closure of shops in the vicinity of the varsity.

This led to a confrontation between the students and the local people and as the situation threatened to go out of hand, additional police force rushed to MU and cracked down on the agitating students and picked up 145 of them.

At about 10 am a large number of tribal students rushed towards the A Block of the university and personnel of 7 MR deployed there earlier swung into action to control the situation.

The security personnel resorted to lathi charge and fired tear gas shells.

Three cops including an officer were hurt in the stand off with the students.

Some of the students managed to extricate themselves from A Block and then smashed the window shields of the library, students home and other rooms.

Three cars belonging to faculty members of the university were also extensively damaged.

A Maruti 800 (AR-01A 6675) car belonging to Professor Amar Yumnam of the Department of Economics was extensively damaged with the windscreens and window shields shattered by the protesting students.

Ironically Prof Amar Yumnam has been writing in great details about the need to work for the betterment and development of the hill districts, which he call the Mountains as well as the hill people.

Later speaking to reporters, information secretary of ATSUM, Joseph Hmar condemned the assault launched by the local people and added that a student from Churachandpur, Sashang Vaiphei, a first semester student in the Economics Department, was injured.

Condemning the action of the local people, the student leader demanded the release of all the students Decrying the incident at the gate of MU when the local people allegedly attacked the agitating students, MUTSU and ATSUM informed that among those picked up by police were the president of MUTSU, president of ATSUM and the general secretary and demanded their release.