Talks fail to break ice on IGNTUSU demands
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Newmai News Network

Imphal, July 02 2013: Talks between the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University Students' Union (IGNTUSU), Regional Campus Manipur and the University authority could not break ice on Tuesday.

Following this development, the tribal students' body has decided to continue its agitation which has been going on since June 25.The Indira Gandhi National Tribal University Students' Union (IGNTUSU), Regional Campus, Manipur strongly condemned the University Headquarter for not addressing the demands and needs of the students even after one week of their agitation.

Meanwhile, the tribal students' body warned that it will be the sole responsibility of the varsity authority for any untoward incident.

The students' of the varsity also once again appealed to all the student organisations, student leaders, intellectuals, social activists, politicians and other like-minded people to extend full support to the IGNTUSU, sidelining any difference if any, in order to rescue this only institution for higher studies in the name of tribals in Manipur.

On June 27, the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University Students' Union (IGNTUSU), Regional Campus, Manipur had strongly condemned the university authority headquarter Amarkantak (MP) for non-compliance to the legitimate needs and demands forwarded through the Regional Director in charge.

"The students' have time and again, demanded for immediate implementation of approved written ordinances and separate budget for the Regional Campus of the varsity.

However to the grief of the students' the university headquarter has been trying to appease the students by sending draft ordinances, and budget which does not have its final approval.

The University Authority had failed to comply unfortunately till date.

Therefore, the students of the varsity are compel to close down the university campus indefinitely with effect from today, the 25th of June, 2013 until the incompetent Vice- Chancellor is removed from his post and the legitimate demands of the students' are fulfilled.

The University Authority should be solely responsible for any untoward incident during the course of agitation," had IGNTUSU warned.

Reasons why the students of IGNTU-RCM took the extreme step of closing down the university campus at this critical juncture from June 25 when important works like admission process and many other is going on are that the University Act has a vague reservation policy.

The Students' had sought clear cut reservation policy in terms of recruitment/appointment and admission since it launched its first agitation in 2010 and till date.

Unfortunately, nothing concrete policy in this regard has been made.

The students' body then said ordinances of both Regional Campus & Regional Director (RC & RD) has never been approved, but the university authority keeps fooling the students in this regard saying that it is already approved.

"If it were already approved, why it was not implemented?," it had asked.

It also stated that separate Budget ordinances too remained un-approved till date.

If the authority there (headquarter) remain the same, the students have nothing to hope for.

So we demand immediate removal of the incompetent VC Prof.Chandra Deo Singh and in no circumstances should his tenure be extended nor re-instated.

Staffs, both teaching and non-teaching, hardly meet the needs of the varsity.

For this, the demands of the students to regularized part-time employees remained un-answered.

Apart from its refusal to regularize the part-timers, there is no step for fresh recruitment till date.

So, any recruitment without clear cut reservation policy will be opposed tooth and nail from now.

Books and other study materials were never made available as per the syllabus provided by the university.

A university with only few hundred books and publications will not serve the needs of the students and scholars.

M.Phil course for Political Science was started with just one year in 2009 against the norms laid down by UGC.

The certificate issued by the university was not accepted by other universities on the ground that, it is invalid.

To the grief of the students, no clarification has been given till date whether necessary arrangement has been made by the university authority in this regard.

It was only after many reminders that the course has been extended for 18 months from the current academic session.

If reminder were not sent time and again, this change may not take place.

This proved the failure of the system there in the University Headquarter.

Two new departments, viz., MA (Post Graduate) for Tribal Studies and Sociology have been open up without any proper infrastructure.

No single staff recruited till date for the two departments.

Even syllabus is yet to see its light.

The reply against a reminder regarding this was: This is not the business of the Campus; the Headquarter will take care of it.

But, nothing has been done so far.

The university authority had never responded to the plight of the students of the campus in the past years.

But, recently there has been some reply regarding the needs of the students which all proved to be false (a copy of VC's reply attach).

Most of the points given in the reply of the VC happen to be just to appease the students so as to continue with his second term which is strongly against the interest of the students for his anti-students nature in general and anti-tribal in particular.

In fact, his step-motherly treatment towards the regional campus is proved by his own act: he always refused to pay even lip-service to the plights of the campus, not to talk of fulfilling its needs.

Whatever is being put up, he is always there to turn a deaf ear.

Basic infrastructures remained in an abhorrent condition.

To add some more points, no well-thinking person would imagine a university without hostel, without computer and internet facility, even without Xerox facility, without required reading materials against the syllabus, and what not, when we are suppose to have many other facilities like inviting good scholars from both within and outside, organizing international seminars/workshops, and the like.

According to IGNTUSU, the university has been running without Regional Director since the past two months.

Not even a single Professor, or Associate Professor is appointed so far though the varsity is about to complete five years.

A university with just three Asst.

Professors/teaching-staffs each in the already existing two departments is highly pitiful.

"The first time when the Vice-Chancellor seems to pay heed to the needs of the campus was when a three-member Review Committee appointed by the Hon'ble President of India, also Visitor of the varsity, visited the campus on the 15th Day of March 2013; that too just in front of the Committee and not after.

The second time is now, the present-this time, it is just for want of second term as VC.

The students found his activity very dangerous.

Hence no other alternative but strike while the iron is hot," it added.

"Last but not the least, the students deeply regretted how such an unable person was appointed to this August post.

Therefore the students will strongly opposed the re-appointment of VC of the university.

Instead we would welcome such person as VC who understands the interest of the students.

Further, we shall be ready to re-open the varsity if the concern authority make necessary recommendation and assure us on the following Charter of Demands which include maximum number of seats is reserved for the tribals in recruitment/appointment and admission with immediate effect; approved ordinances for RC & RD is implemented with immediate effect as already claimed by the university authority; separate budget is immediately approved and implemented; the tenure of the incompetent VC is terminated with written assurance to appoint new VC who would readily listen to the needs of the students;The authority gives us written assurance to fulfil all the other demands in days to come," the IGNTUSU had stated.

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