DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 6: Zeliangrong Youth Front alleged that Manipur University has become an “institution of manipulation, origination of discrimination and deliverance of injustice to tribal students despite the fact of reservation rules”.
The ZYF has also strongly condemned the alleged manipulation of reservation rules so as to cut down the numbers of tribal students to pursue higher studies even in academic institution like Manipur University and dubbed it as “another systematic exploitative and suppressive policy adopted by the authority of the university to suppress the tribal people which is complete violation of the tribal student’s “right to education”, according to a release issued by ZYF president Titus Kamei today.
“It is quite disheartening and challenging to know that the Manipur University which is considered as one of the highest learning institutions in the State of Manipur for students to pursue not only higher education and academic knowledge but also a platform to learn and shape students’ life to become as a responsible citizens has turned out to be an institution of manipulation, origination of discrimination and deliverance of injustice to tribal students despite the fact of reservation rules,” the youth organisation stated.
It said the attempt to deny the tribal students their legitimate rights at the “convenience and interest of authority of Manipur University in collusion with certain individuals by way of manipulation of rules should be punished in accordance to law,” .
“Denial of any kind of benefits to the tribal people in the State of Manipur is not a new thing be it development fund, essential commodities, jobs and employment etc and now even in educational institution,” the ZYF stated.
It also lamented that when the Delimitation Commission proposed for increment of five seats for the tribal people for the sake of equal representation in the 60-member Manipur Legislative Assembly based on population ratio in 2001, the matter was strongly challenged in the court of law by a few individuals from non-tribal Meitei community. “The matter was stayed with direction to maintain as ‘status quo’ of existing 40/20 in the State Assembly instead of 35/25 by denying the legitimate rights of the tribal people to have equal representation which shows that the interest of the few individuals of Meitei community has outweighs to interest of lakhs of tribal people,” the ZYF said.
The ZYF, while fully supporting the tribal students fight against the injustice and suppressive policy of the authority of Manipur University, urged the Manipur Governor, who is the Chancellor of the University and also the guardian of the tribal people in the State of Manipur, to intervene in the matter and resolve the issue in accordance with the existing rules.
It said the tribal students spearheading the issue this time should not allow the Manipur University to continue its sinister design in the highest academic learning institution.
