MUSU questions objections by MP Bhabananda in RS
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 25 2018: While questioning the alleged awkward decisions adopted by the State Government over the 55 days old Manipur University crisis, the Manipur University Students' Union (MUSU) has condemned the statements given by BJP MPs Prahlad Singh Patel and K Bhabananda in the Parliament.

Rather than raising the protracted crisis in the Parliament in the interest of the students of his home State, Rajya Sabha K Bhabananda argued when CPI MP from Tamil Nadu D Raja raised the issue in the Parliament claiming that he (Bhabananda) has greater knowledge about the issue, MUSU functionaries decried.

Speaking to media persons at their office this afternoon, MUSU president M Dayaman said that MUSU is not agreeable to what Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar stated in the Parliament.

Prakash reportedly told the Parliament that a fact finding committee has initiated due process of enquiry and the Ministry has been working hard to resolve the MU crisis.

The common demand of MUSU, MUTA and MUSA is dismissal of VC Prof AP Pandey.

But the Government of India has been always working to protect the highly unpopular VC and at the same time, project the issue in the wrong light, he alleged.

The Union Minister was responding to a query raised by MP Thokchom Meinya on the MU crisis when Prahlad Singh Patel intervened and alleged that Manipur University is a home of militants.

This was a direct attempt to project the ongoing agitation in the wrong light.

The State Government must react to the BJP MP's outrageous statement, Dayaman demanded.

As invited by the Chief Minister, MUSU went to a meeting with high hopes thinking that the State Government had finally understood the issue of Manipur University but the State Government has been trying to misinterpret the Manipur University Act, he said.

Since Prof AP Pandey was appointed as the VC, there has been no Pro VC in MU.

But the all political parties meeting adopted a resolution for appointment of a Pro VC which sounds rather awkward and arrogant, he remarked.

A Pro VC should be appointed by the VC after convening a meeting of the Executive Council.

Nonetheless, the VC cannot appoint a Pro VC if the particular name recommended by the VC is not accepted by the executive council.

It is highly questionable whether the State Government is really ignorant about the Manipur University Act or are they playing ignorant, he questioned.

Prof Pandey should be given forced leave and a senior most Professor should be appointed as VC in-charge.

Appointment of Pro VC through hectic lobbying cannot resolve the MU crisis, said the MUSU president.

The only way to resolve the protracted crisis is through dismissal of Prof Pandey, he reiterated.

During a meeting with the MUSU, Chief Minister N Biren assured that he would urge the Government of India to dismiss Prof AP Pandey but the State Government is yet to table a single concrete step in line with the Chief Minister's assurance, Dayaman said.

He announced that MUSU would soon launch its next phase of agitation during which hoardings and signboards of all offices of Central Government and State Government will be painted black.

MUSU general secretary Laishram Kennedy rued that MP K Bhabananda should have joined the discussion on MU crisis when it was raised by a fellow MP from Tamil Nadu in the Parliament instead of claiming he has greater knowledge about the issue.

Bhabananda's claim and conduct only exposed his belief that only power matters and nothing else, Kennedy said.

It is rather unfortunate for all the people of Manipur that an MP from the State raised objections when the MU crisis was raised in the Parliament by an MP from Tamil Nadu, he added.

Meanwhile, an emergency joint meeting of MUSU, MUTA and MUSA was held today and the meeting adopted a resolution demanding an apology from BJP MP Prahlad Singh Patel for terming Manipur University as 'den of insurgents'.

MUSU, MUTA and MUSA members present at the meeting expressed that they were not surprised by the statement of Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar that an enquiry is already under way as the Ministry has been trying all along to side with alleged habitual liar Prof AP Pandey.

Nevertheless, the members were pained by the ease with which the Union HRD Minister lied on the floor of the Parliament while the enquiry committee has not been able to take off due to rejection by the MU community, conveyed a joint press release issued by MUSU, MUTA and MUSA.

Taking strong exception to the characterisation of Manipur University as a 'den of insurgents' by Prahlad Patel, the meeting agreed that it was a shameless attempt to cover the inefficiency, non-commitment and anti-academic behaviour of Prof AP Pandey.

The BJP MP's allegation was an admission by default of the failure of their attempt to saffronise the university, said the joint press release.

The statements of the Union HRD Minister and the MP manifested the frustration the Government has been experiencing in their failure to sabotage the two-month old democratic agitation by the university community for restoring sense and academic propriety in Manipur University, it added.

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