6 Manipur student bodies oppose ATSUM’s bandh call tomorrow

The 12-hour shutdown call by the All Tribal Students’ Union Manipur (ATSUM) has created a divide in Manipur.

While several organisations are backing the 12-hour “total shutdown” call in the hill districts of Manipur on April 24, tomorrow, several student bodies are against the shutdown call.

Six student organisations in Manipur – All Manipur Students’ Union (AMSU), Manipuri Students’ Federation (MSF), Democratic Students’ Alliance of Manipur (DESAM), Kangleipak Students’ Association (KSA), Students’ Union of Kangleipak (SUK), and Apunba Ireipakki Maheiroi Sinpanglup (AIMS), have appealed to ATSUM to withdraw its proposed total shutdown in public interest.

The ATSUM has called for a 12-hour shutdown from 6 am to 6 pm tomorrow (April 24) to protest against the failure of the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) to implement the reservation policy in jobs and RIMS failure to abide by the resolutions written in the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) signed between the RIMS and ATSUM in the presence of the state government on April 3.

As of April 19, the RIMS had yet to receive a response from the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare regarding the decision of the RIMS to cancel the results of LDCs (Lower Division Clerks) and declare fresh results within one week with a 34 percent reservation for ST candidates based on the Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) already held.

It is to be mentioned here that the tripartite agreement was signed between ATSUM, RIMS, and the Manipur state government pertaining to:
(i) Cancellation of the RIMS notice dated 03-03-2023 for declaration of results for appointment to posts of LDC
(ii) Fresh declaration of LDC appointment results with reservation as SC (3%), ST (34%), and OBC (13%), within one week, and
(iii) to follow existing rules and DoPT guidelines in matters of recruitment to Group C and Group D posts.

The organisations that have extended their support to the shutdown call include the All Naga Students Association, Manipur (ANSAM), Kuki Student’s Organisation (KSO), office of Senapati District Students’ Association (SDSA), office of the Tangkhul Katamnao Saklong (TKS), and Liangmai Naga Katimai Ruangdi (LNRK-M).

Also Read: ANSAM, KSO backs ATSUM’s 12-hour bandh in Manipur hill districts on April 24