ATSUM suspends stir, talk slated for feb 16
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 10 2013 : Consequent to the Government of Manipur's invitation to hold talks, All Tribal Students' Union Manipur (Atsum) has decided to suspend its agitation with effect from today evening.

"The government today sent two (tribal) representatives � a minister and an MLA and a meeting was held with Atsum representatives including me at the MLA's official residence in Imphal," said the tribal student body's speaker Majabung Gangmei adding that the meeting arrived at an agreement to hold talks on February 16 afternoon.

It is informed that Rural Development and Panchayati Raj minister Francis Ngajokpa and MLA Kikhonbou met with ATSUM leaders today.

Expressing hope that there would be positive response from the government to 'legitimate demands' of ATSUM at the upcoming talks, the speaker maintained that in honour of the request by the two representatives, the Union decided to temporarily suspend the agitation from 6 pm today.

"If the government continues to ignore our demands during the talks, Atsum will resume the stir with more rigid activities anytime," Gangmei asserted.

The ATSUM agitation, enforced since February 3 midnight, had serious impact on the ongoing rail project with project officials halting construction activities in apprehension of agitation supporters likely to target its men and machines.

In pursuit of its demand for an all-round development particularly on education section and effective governance in the hills, Atsum had declared that its second-phase agitation would close down or target central projects in tribal-dominated areas in the hills.

Even though the threat paralysed the rail line construction works in Tamenglong district, there was no report about any damage caused to machinery of the project whose foundation stone was laid by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in November 2004 .

Apart from setting up of Manipur State Commission for the Scheduled Tribes and B Ed centres in the hill districts, the other main demand of Atsum relates to appointment of adequate teaching and non-teaching staff in all educational institutions of the hill areas with better infrastructure.

The Union had also called a 24-hour general strike in January during which four vehicles were damaged.

The ATSUM agitation was in the backdrop of the state government planning to recruit 2000 police constables to meet reported insufficient strength of police in the hills as well as to guard ongoing railway and Loktak downstream projects.

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