Teachers decry
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 28 2013: Strongly condemning thrashing of Modern College teachers by a group of students who allegedly identified themselves as the members of Monitoring Cell of Students' Union Election, college teachers have appealed the Government to ban the said organisation.

Modern College Teachers' Association (MCTA), Federation of Government College Teachers' Association (FEGOCTA), All Manipur College Teachers' Association and College Part-Time Lecturers' Association staged a sit-in-protest at Modern College, Porompat today.

Speaking to reporters, MCTA secretary Ch Rita Devi said, college teachers have also decided not to take part in college students union elections till 2014 .

She said that the gruesome incident happened at the college on the day of students union election on October 18 .

As per Government order, the election was conducted peacefully by the college authority from 9 am to 12 noon, Rita said and added that before the start of counting of votes, a group of young men, who introduced themselves as the members of Monitoring Cell of Students' Union Election came at the college and demanded that the results of five candidates be put on withheld.

The college authority did not entertain their demand after having a thorough discussion.

As such, the counting of votes was delayed and started at 5 pm at college multipurpose hall, Rita said.

In the middle of the counting process, a violent group of around 20-30 youths barged into the hall and broke chairs, tables, mike, bulbs and damaged ballots.

Then they turned towards the counting officials and thrashed the teachers present at the hall, Rita recalled.

Political Science faculty Dr R Horam was wounded on right wrist while Philosophy faculty Y Yaima was badly injured on backbone and thigh in the violent action of the youths.

Rita said that student's union election is a part of college education which gives leadership training to students for their future life.

This good name of education was tarnished by the bad atmosphere created by those so-called students.

Their unschooled emotions were let loose without any control and they could even assault teachers physically, she added.

Rita observed that beating of some teachers is similar to beating of the whole teachers' community.

Rita questioned who would compensate the morale loss given to the teachers by the incident although the physical wound would be healed by medical treatment.

Observing that teachers are downcast in Manipur, Rita said that even God would not forgive those students who were involved in the incident for this sin.

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