Our Correspondent
Imphal, July 18 (EMN): A 48-hour general strike by Manipur University Students’ Union (MUSU) from July 17 midnight threw normal life out of gear in the North Eastern border state on Wednesday. The strike will conclude on July 19 midnight.
The general strike was very effective in the greater Imphal area and other districts after major students’ and womenfolk’s organisations besides local clubs supported the movement in the state.
The roads in the state capital and other adjoining areas wore a deserted look on Wednesday after transport services were suspended for the day. As a result, most of the government and private offices, besides educational institutions, markets, shops and business establishments, remained closed for the day. But the strike did not affect the normal functioning of Imphal airport. There was also no report of any unwanted incident till the filing of the report.
The ongoing strike of MUSU entered the 50th day on Wednesday as the student body launched total shutdown of the university since May 30 with the only demand to remove Prof Pandey from his post on alleged financial and administrative irregularities. Supporting the movement, Manipur University Teachers Association (MUTA) and Manipur University Staffs Association (MUTA) in association with MUSU intensified the agitation and launched a relay hunger strike from July 9 at MU gate at Canchipur.
Even though the central authority issued order to conduct enquiry into the allegation made against the Vice Chancellor Prof Pandey by reconstituting the already formed Fact Finding Committee (FFC),the agitators said they want the removal of VC. President M Dayaman of MUSU told the media here that they’ll continue to take up other forms of agitation if the authorities failed to fulfill their demands.
MUTA, MUSU and MUSA also still stick to their stand and continue to demand the removal of Prof Pandey from his position.
In an emergency joint meeting of its executive members here, resolved that “the removal of present VC Prof AP Pandey, is a sine quo non to precede any intervention to resolve the present crisis in Manipur University.” They also decided not to co-operate with the fact finding committee.
It may be mentioned that retired Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court T Nandakumar was inducted as chairperson of the FFC with JK Tripathi, Joint Secretary UGC and Surat Singh, Deputy Secretary Higher Education MHRD as members for the enquiry according to government sources.
