FAMYC warns of NH blockade over scholarship demand
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, May 18 2012: The Federation of All Manipur Youth Clubs (FAMYC), Manipur has warned of launching various sorts of agitations including blockade along the NHs of the state if the Pre-Metric Scholarship to Minority (Christians) for the year 2009-10 Phase-II for 24 schools is not released within five days by the authority concerned.

Addressing media persons in this regard at Manipur Press Club here today, R Asing, President of Federation of All Manipur Youth Clubs, Manipur informed that a memorandum in this connection had already been handed over to the Minister for Minority Affairs, Government of India.

The Chief Minister of Manipur as well as the Director of MOBC would also be intimated in this regard Asing alleged that the minorities in Manipur are being economically marginalized systemically and the present state government has exploited the Religious Minority of Manipur for too long and too much.

Above all, the Minorities of the state have been sidelined in all respects.

All the Minority of the North East in general and the Minorities of Manipur in particular are most unfortunate due to endless exploitations meted out by the larger community for ages, he added.

The memorandum submitted by the Federation demanded that the Pre-Metric Scholarship to Minority (Christians) for the year 2009-10 Phase-II should be released for the 24 schools; the Post of Director in the Minority Department (MOBC & SC) be given to someone who belongs to the Minority and conversant with the issue of Minority.

The memorandum further alleged that the funds allotted for the Minorities are very often monopolized and the funds meant for the tribal seldom reaches the poor and demanded that the funds allotted to the Minority be utilized for the welfare of the Minorities judiciously.

Meanwhile, United Lois Students' Union (UNILSU), Manipur, in a press statement asserted that the announcement made by Director of MOBC&SC, Manipur that the Schedule Caste Post-Metric Scholarship for the year 2010-11 would be disbursed starting from May 21, 2012 has proved to be a move for creating tensions among the SC students of the state since the scholarship disbursement is meant for students of DM College of Arts, GP Women College, Manipur University, Imphal College and Technical students.

The approach of the state government is a pure case of Divide and Rule policy, UNILSU maintained.

The statement appealed to the students of the four colleges and the Technical students not to accept the Post Metric Scholarship and urged the state government to disburse the scholarships for all the SC students at a same time.

The Union has also categorically informed that there would be no change in the 48 hours general strike starting from May 24, which the Union had announced earlier.

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