IMPHAL, July 12: Several student bodies of the state today condemned the alleged physical assault of students by state police.
This was conveyed during a press held at the office of the All Manipur Students Union today. The student bodies are AMSU, DESAM, SUK, KSA and SWAK.
According to the students’ bodies, state police used force while trying to stop the students taking out a rally. The students were marching towards the new state Assembly building to submit their memorandum regarding the implementation of Inner Line Permit system in the state.
It may be mentioned that earlier in the day, the student bodies had collectively staged a rally and tried to storm the Assembly and submit their memorandum at around 11:30am today.
However they were stopped by the Imphal police led by SDPO Modhunimai from entering the Assembly complex where the 2nd session of the 10th Manipur Legislative Assembly is going on.
Meanwhile, charging the police of highhandedness and physical assault against the students, AMSU general secretary Dipanjit Ningthoujam said that even as students were trying to enter the Assembly complex to submit their memorandum, a team of Imphal Police led by SDPO, Modhunimai blocked the students and assaulted them.
The students were stopped at Thangmeiband Watham Leirak.
He further said a leader of the SUK, Santosh was admitted at the RIMS for treatment for injuries sustained during the police assualt. He was later released from the hospital, Dipenjit alleged.
He alleged that six of the students were arrested by the police from the spot.
He identified the students as SWAK gen sec Punshiba, DESAM VP Angam, DESAM members Bormani and Ajitkumar, KSA deputy sec Anil and AMSU president Suresh.
Elaborating on today’s incident, the he claimed that the remaining students later stormed the Lamphel police and the Imphal Police courting mass arrest.
The six students were released later in the afternoon.
Condemning the state Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh for deviating his stances on the ILP issue at different times, DESAM president Angamba said that the Chief Minister along with the House to take a firm stance on the issue and announced it before the general public.
Police shouldn’t place barriers before the student bodies in their agitations, as the ILP implementation is not just for the students but for the whole state.
Students of Sir Churachand Singh Higher Secondary School Students, Tamphasana Higher Secondary School and Ibotonsana Girls’ Higher Secondary School started separate rallies from their respective schools.
The rallies which were supposed to conclude at the new state Assembly building where the students were to submit memorandums were however cut short by the police.
However, police anticipating that the students of Sir Johnstone Higer Secondary School would also come out, barred them from leaving their school gate.
Meanwhile all the students of the three schools were seen holding their own memorandums to be submitted to the state Chief Minister making it aptly clear that they are not under any compulsion but have come out of concern for the land.
Around a thousand Sir Churachand Singh Higher Secondary School students, more than two students from Tamphasana Girls Higher Secondary school and several Ibotonsana School students participated in their respective rallies.
One of the demonstrating students told IFP, that the students had also tried to submit a memorandum to the state Chief Minister yesterday however police had blocked them saying that they will forward it to the Chief Minister.
It was learnt that however the memorandum never reached the Chief Minister, the student added.
TG students also complained to IFP about similar acts of police.
Another TG student on conditions of anonymity told IFP, “We are students and totally harmless, but the police should not take undue advantage of it”.
She also complained of police using harsh words against students.
“Instead they must cooperate because we are protecting the land where they earn their living”, she lamented.
The CC students were however blocked in front of the City Convention Centre, Palace Gate by a team of Imphal East police led by Addl SP Rajen, while the TG students were stopped in front of the Kangla western gate by a City police team led by its OC RK Tejbir.
Students of Ibotonsana were stopped at RIMS gate by a team of Lamphel Police led by its OC Ingocha.
Meanwhile, meira rallies were also seen at different areas of the state.
