Imphal, November 06 2009: Confusion reigns among students in Imphal whether to attend classes or not.

Even as the tussle among the students organisations one group asking the educational institutions to resume classes and the other affirming to continue 'boycotting' of classesheightens in the valley districts of Manipur, some educational institutions have cautiously started unlocking the doors of institutions since Thursday albeit the attendance of students are almost nil in these institutions.

Following the resolution taken on the November 2 Democratic Students Alliance of Manipur (DESAM) sponsored public convention some institutions have been appealing students to start attending classes.

The educational institutions in the valley districts of Manipur have been remaining closed as All Manipur Students Union (AMSU), Manipuri Students Federation (MSF) and Kangleipak Students Association (KSA) boycotted classes since September 9 as part of the ongoing 'mass movement' under the banner of the Apunba Lup in protest against the July 23 fake encounter incident.

After the November 2 convention, the DESAM volunteers while using loud speakers, have been appealing institutions to resume classes.

Although some educational institutions are seen opening since yesterday, students are nowhere to be seen except in a couple of institutions.

However, in the outskirts of Imphal, the number of students attending classes are comparatively larger then in the Greater Imphal localities.

Meanwhile, the media war between the DESAM on one side and the AMSU, MSF and KSA on the other is snowballing.

The media war is so charged that even the terms 'boycott' and 'ban' have been raked up to the fullest definition while trying to outdo each other in driving home their points.

DESAM said that the AMSU, MSF and KSA sponsored ongoing agitation is 'coercive or forced agitation' or 'agitational terrorism'.

Meanwhile, according to speculations doing the round in the State capital, the school authorities are at the fix as to when the annual examinations should be conducted.

Suggestions have been pouring in to cancel the usual winter vacation so that during this long holiday period the loss can be made up in a way that the annual examinations are held sometime in the middle of January next year, arrange a gap of just a short reasonal period for mark evaluation and then straight away to the new academic session.

But it is still confuse to take concrete stand in this regard to so long as the present quagmire prevails.

The much-hyped Apunba Lup and the State Government talks over the stalemate have not been taken place after the last Saturday meeting between the two parties.

In that talk, the room for the continuation of the meeting was created but till now nothing of that sort has taken place.

The AMSU, MSF and KSA have been reiterating to continue their move of 'class boycott' unless the peoples demands' are met.

The mass movement which has been going on under the banner of the Apunba Lup demanding the resignations of Manipur Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh, State police chief Y Joykumar and the awarding of befitting punishments to the police personnel involved in the July 23 incident where two persons were killed and five others injured.

Comment