72-hr bandh ends; likely to resume if Government fails to meet JAC demands
Source: Hueiyen News Service / K Kopham Kanshouwa

Imphal, April 23 2015 : The 72-hour bandh following the imposition of restriction on inter-state transport services and movement of vehicles along highways ended on Thursday without reports of any violent incidents from the hill districts.

The bandh was imposed by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of All Manipur Hill Districts Contract Basis Teachers Association (AMHDCBTA) since April 20 midnight in protest against the State Government's failure to regularize services of hill district contract basis teachers of 2006 batch.

A team of media persons on Thursday visited Nagaland-Manipur border areas affected by the bandh.

Over 200 trucks ferrying essential commodities and passengers buses were stranded along the Imphal-Dimapur highway during the bandh.

Stranded passengers along National Highway 102

Sources said that these vehicles were likely to reach Imphal late Thursday night.

JAC-AMHDCBTA sources said that it decided to suspend the bandh in the interest of the people and in acknowledging the grievances of drivers stranded along the highway.

The JAC however said that it would be compelled to resume and intensify the agitation if the State Government failed to concede to the demands already submitted within a stipulated time.

JAC sources said that till late Thursday, the Government gave no positive response.

The 72-hour bandh affecting all inter-state road transport services along National/Trans-Asian Highways particularly Imphal-Dimapur (NH-102); Imphal-Silchar (NH-37), Imphal-Aizawl (NH-150) and Trans-Asian Road Pallel-Moreh (NH-102) was called with the support of several tribal bodies in the State.

It may be mention that the hill districts contract basis teachers were appointed by the Directorate of Education following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Manipur and different tribal civil society organisations led by the All Tribal Students Union, Manipur (ATSUM) .

JAC also reiterated that the teachers were appointed to cater to the needs of the government schools in the hill with acute shortage of teachers and headmasters/headmistress.

In November 2011, the physical verification was conducted by the Directorate of Education (S) for service extension/regularization.

A total of 772 contract basis teachers were found genuine by the directorate and a recommendation was forwarded to the higher authority for necessary action.

However, no concrete action has been taken so far by the Government, rued the JAC spokesperson.

He informed that several representations had been submitted to the State Government by the JAC and various student bodies along with civil society organisations had urged the Government to initiate steps so as to redress the grievances of the teachers.