Students suspend strike

Students of Biramangol College, Saombung, Imphal East have suspended its agitation of fast unto death and exam boycott.
Biramangol College Student Union in a press statement expressed its decision to suspend its strike for the time being while the exams are going on taking into account of the future of the students.
Police yesterday picked up four student leaders who were undergoing fast unto death. They were released today after they were treated at JNIMS..
The students launched their fast unto death agitation on Saturday pressing three main demands –immediate formation of a governing body, payment of pending salaries of 24 months to teachers and the appointment of a regular principal by replacing the incumbent principal.
Biramangol College is the state’s oldest aided college but now it remains a college for a namesake and due to the absence of the governing body for the last two years, teachers of the college are left without any pay for the last more than one year. None of the teachers regularly conducted classes in the college having 2500 students losing their opportunity to study properly and there has been no regular principal, as complained by the students.
The students had also cautioned to boycott second semester exams in the college that began today if the education minister and authorities concerned fail to fulfill their demands ahead of the exams. However the exam could not be disturbed as the college was guarded by state police.
President of all Manipur Democratic Students’ Alliance Manipur, Moirangthem Angamba Meitei has drawn the attention of education minister Th. Radheshyam over the issue.
Angamba said as there has not been a governing body of the college for the last few years due to failure of selection of its secretary which led to this undesirable situation. It is very unfortunate that the problem remain unsolved for a long time while the students are deprived of their rights to education.