Students storm MOBC office
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 19 2017: A large number students along with AMSU volunteers, stormed MOBC office today, demanding release of pending scholarship for the students .

The incident occurred at around 12.30 pm today, when a large number of students along with AMSU volunteers marched toward MOBC office .

The police personnel present near the area, on spotting the huge number of students, closed the gate and tried to prevent the students from advancing further .

But the students overpowered the police and poured inside the office campus after breaking open the small entrance present beside the main gate .

The students protested inside the campus by shouting slogans demanding immediate release of the scholarship funds and also tried to break open the lock on the main gate and the shutter which was shut down by the security personnel .

Additional police forces eventually arrived to disperse the student protesters and the police had to resort to using mock bombs and lathi charge to push back the students .

Several students were reportedly injured in the stand off, with some even sustaining severe head injuries .

Later, speaking to media person at AMSU Headquarters, the president of AMSU, Manjit Sarangthem said that the 300-400 students tried to storm the Minority and Other Backward Classes (MOBC) Department as it failed to provide the scholarship for the session 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 to the students .

The OBC students had appealed numerous times to the Department to release the scholarship but to no avail and the association had even set July 5 as the deadline for the Department to heed the appeal .

But instead of considering the miseries of the students, the Director concerned and the Nodal officers ignored the issue .

He claimed that the scholarships for the ST and SC students released by the Ministry of Minority Affairs and Ministry of Social Justice, are provided consistently every year but the scholarships for the OBC and minority students have not been provided.

He also appealed to the authority concerned to launch an inquiry against MOBC Director, Kh Dineshchandra and to take up necessary actions against him .

Manjit Sarangthem also said that unless the authority concerned suspends the Director and take up steps to release the pending scholarship funds, AMSU will continue its protest .

He also condemned the brutal actions of the police against the student protesters .

Bonish, a 1st semester student of DM College Science and Jason, a class XI student of CC Higher Secondary School, were rushed to Shija Hospital and Raj Medicity for treatment due to head injuries, he added.

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