Imphal, November 04 2009: The meeting organised by DESAM at BOAT on November 2 and the resolutions adopted there have been reduced to a farce as no schools have re-opened till date except some five 5/6 schools where attendance of students is only nominal, asserted the MSF, AMSU and KSA.

A joint statement issued by the three student bodies observed that DESAM activists have started going around streets shouting in loudspeakers.

Saying that it looked like a street play, the student organisations exhorted the people to enjoy it.

They accused DESAM and other like minded organisations of playing spoilsport and discouraging Meira Paibis, youths and other people directly involved in the movement from the very beginning.

Had it not been so, the movement would have been much more forceful, the student bodies said.

People have now learnt the tactics employed by the Government to subdue the people's movement after releasing some DESAM activists from jail.

DESAM would be playing different cards in the coming days to derail the people's movement in order to secure release of their colleagues currently in jail, asserted the student bodies and called upon the people to teach those DESAM activists a befitting lesson.

DESAM's assertion that a strong movement like that of June 18 is needed only exposed that it was acting at the instigation of the Government.

It has become obvious that DESAM do not know the genesis of the June 18 movement of 2001 for DESAM was not born then.

DESAM should note that the June 18 movement was a culmination of the people's continuous movement launched since 1997 against the threats to the integrity of Manipur.

Had DESAM existed before 2001, it is possible that the people's movement of June 18 might not be that much forceful or it could have ended mid-way.

As volunteers of AMSU, MSF and KSA pursued DESAM volunteers who were making false propaganda using loudspeakers in greater Imphal area today claiming that majority of schools have re-opened, it was found that the DESAM volunteers who were travelling in Tata Magic were being escorted by police commandos in uniform and civilian fatigue.

Alleging that DESAM is gaining name in the field of hooliganism, the three student bodies said that MU students interpreted DESAM as Destructive Education-less Students Alliance of Manipur (DESAM) when the MUSU president and the editor of ECHO were assaulted by DESAM volunteers for exposing admission by a student using forged certificate.

Reminding that much blood has been shed in the course of the protest movement against the July 23 Khwairamband killings while many activists have been languishing in prison, the student bodies appealed to the All Manipur Government Recognised Private School Welfare Association to keep in mind that the three months' old movement would determine life and death of the people.

It also appealed to teachers, guardians, teachers' associations and school founders to be cautious of falling into the trap laid by the Government.

Asserting that Chief Minister O Ibobi has been spending crores of rupees to suppress the people's movement, the student bodies appealed not to license O Ibobi to continue with the killing spree in exchange for some money.

Calling upon the people to stand united in order to save innocent lives as well as Manipur, the AMSU, MSF and KSA stated that students can attend class in normal atmosphere only after the Apunba Lup and the Government strike an agreement.

Saying that they have been keeping strict vigil to see which educational institutions are opposing/defying the class boycott, the student bodies said that necessary actions would be initiated against those institutions defying the class boycott later, if not immediately.

Quoting DESAM's statement 'if they don't the strength and skill to undertake a movement, they should learn more', the AMSU, MSF and KSA claimed that the same statement was more applicable to DESAM.

This was manifested when DESAM called general strike for 120 hours which was shortened to three days as it became a big joke.

It was a clear example of DESAM's weakness and lack of skill to carry on a movement.

They further appealed to all guardians and all those related to education sector to cooperate with the agitating parties in order to achieve the people's goal at the earliest, and not to undertake any activity against the class boycott agitation until the people's goal is achieved.

Comment