ATSUM CAUTIONS FOR GENERAL STRIKE

Pothashang News Service

Imphal, September 22: All Tribal Students’ Union Manipur, ATSUM has warned the government that a state wide 24 hours general strike will be imposed on September 28 if the government fails to respond their demands submitted to chief minister Nongthombam Biren Singh.

Members of the student body staged a sit-in today near by DM college in Imphal.

Students staging sit-in in Imphal – Photo by Jiten

The student body complained that they had submitted a charter of demands to the chief minister on August 17. Till today the government remains silent even if they appealed the people to come for talks before indulging to any protest. We strongly condemn it.

Today we take up a peaceful sit-in protest, but if the government does not respond we will impose general strike on 28, said Vareiyo Shatsang, President, ATSUM.

The demands included appointment of adequate teaching and non-teaching staff in the hill districts; development of infrastructures in all the educational institutions with library facilities, computer, lab equipments, staff quarters and recreational facilities; utilization of teachers in places other than one’s actual place of posting; Establishment of residential schools with well equipped infrastructures and qualified teachers; proper infrastructural facilities for ZEO office; rationalisation of teachers; regularisation of adhoc teachers were other demands; MIL of recognized tribes be introduced in higher secondary schools and colleges with adequate teaching faculties; open B. Ed centers; and initiations for felicitating competitive examination centers in the hill districts.

We take serious note on the recurrent manipulation of ST seats by Manipur university authority inspite of the Honb’le Manipur High Court which clearly states 31% for ST, 2% for SC and 17% for OBC, said Vareiyo.

ATSUM also demanded up-gradation of IGNTU regional centre, Manipur to a full-fledged autonomous central university; declaration of assistant professor result and special recruitment drive for ST; special attention to health sector; and reorganisation of police jurisdiction in the hill districts.

It also demanded to take initiatives to bridge the development gap between schedule tribes and the rest of the population.

In appreciation of the slogan of the chief minister ‘Go to the Hills’ the ATSUM wishes to see the ray of hope in the realm of education, said Vareiyo.