Imphal, November 25: With the objective of ensuring free and fair poll in the November, 30 students' union election of State's Government colleges, the Manipuri Students' Federation (MSF) has entrusted its mobile teams to begin monitoring of the polling process.

Reminding that MSF constituted the mobile teams last year after receiving numerous complaints of non-student disruptive elements threatening aspiring candidates and their parents apart from student voters feeling insecure, an MSF statement issued today also charged some State level student bodies of undermining tranquility of higher educational institutions during the previous student union poll.

Commenting that in the last poll these disruptive elements loitered inside the college campus and resorted to intimidatory tactics by using mobile phones to exhibit muscle power by summoning non-student volunteers in support of their favoured candidates, MSF urged the college authorities to bar entry of outsiders in the run as well as poll day.

It also appealed to the Education (U) authorities to strictly enforce guidelines of the Lyngdoh Commission on conduct of student bodies' poll instead of remaining silent spectator to disruptive elements breaching peace and tranquility of colleges.

MSF also suggested that candidates and their supporters need to understand that the student union election is the foundation for moulding the society in an acceptable manner and shake off the misconception that the polls is an occasion to revel with money and muscle power.

It is the concern for the future generation, preserve sanctity of educational institutions and facilitate free and fair poll that MSF had set up mobile teams as relying on money power and physical strength during such poll is akin to embracing India's political game of winning election at any cost.

Highlighting that MSF's ambition is to encourage the zeal and willingness of the candidates to serve the student community in particular and the society in general, the statement further cautioned aspiring candidates against ceaseless supply of alcohol and narcotic substances to woo gullible student voters.

Reposing faith upon respective election committees comprising of teacher representatives of the institutes concerned, MSF also desired that any unwanted incident/ s that takes place in the run-up to the election or on poll day should be amicably resolved by the college authorities taking into account that the issue is an internal matter.

Asserting that mobile team of the MSF would not intervene in such matter, the student body also called upon its counter-parts to respect sanctity of educational institutions.

Contending that its mobile team would not get directly involved in the polling process, MSF however asserted that in case cases of threat and intimidations arise it would leave no stone unturned to protect interest of the student community.

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