Students union poll caught in imbroglio
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 19 2013 :
Even as students' union elections for other colleges have passed off without much hitches, the same election is caught in a tricky situation for Modern College, Porompat.
Thadou Students Association, Imphal, Kuki Students' Organisation Ghqs and AT-SUM have strongly decried the violent disturbances made during counting of votes yesterday afternoon on the charge that the election was not held in compliance with the election code of conduct.
Speaking to media persons at Haokip Veng here this afternoon, TSA Imphal presi- dent Thangminlen Haokip, on behalf of the three student bo-dies, said that the joint moni- toring cell constituted by AMSU, MSF, DESAM, KSA, SUK and AIMS rejected five tribal candidates after the voting was over.
On learning about this, a joint team of TSA, KSO Gqs and ATSUM went to Modern College.
After talking about the matter with the Principal, the Principal suggested that the sealed ballot boxes would be deposited with police.
But the team insisted on opening the ballot boxes to start counting of votes.
At this, the Principal suggested to talk the matter with the joint monitoring cell and bring an agreement.
Subsequently, the team invited members of the joint monitoring cell to Modern College but none of them accepted the invitation.
The five ST candidates rejected by the joint monitoring cell included magazine secretary candidate Rareiphy Shinglai.
Although he withdrew from the election after he was summoned by the joint monitoring cell for violating code of conduct, the joint monitoring cell could not give any reason for rejecting the remaining four candidates, Thangminlen Haokip said.
With no members of the joint monitoring cell coming forward to talk about the matter, counting of votes was started.
After the votes cast in four booths were counted, some volunteers of AMSU, MSF and KSA armed with clubs barged into the counting room just as the ballot papers of the fifth booth were drawn out.
They vandalised furniture items, window panes and components of PA system.
They also scattered and destroyed ballot papers drawn out from the fifth booth.
They further assaulted a teacher, said Thangminlen Haokip.
Saying that ballot papers of booth numbers 6 and 7 have been kept in a safe place, Thangminlen questioned as to why the student volunteers indulged in violence after refusing their invitation to talk the matter peacefully.
Strongly condemning the violent conduct of the student volunteers, Thangminlen said that they would not remain silent if such violence is repeated.
Re-poll may be held for booth number 5 but there should not any re-poll for booth nos 6 and 7, he added.