IMPHAL, February 13: The All Tribal Students’ Union Manipur (ATSUM) will not hold any talk with the State Government and will not sign any kind of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) until it issues in black and white an order agreeing to their demands, president ATSUM Emboi Serto stated.
Speaking on the sidelines of the public mobilisation and poster campaign at Churachandpur, he said ‘ATSUM has been patiently waiting for a positive response from the government but it always fails to fulfill their promises to turn it into work for the welfare of the tribal peoples in the state. The union has
been compelled to impose the indefinite economic blockade in all the national highways of the state.’
“There is no point in holding talks with the government until it issues an order conceding to the ATSUM’s demands for the betterment of tribal peoples,” said Emboi Serto.
In the meantime, a joint press statement issued by the Hmar Student Association (HSA), Komrem Students’ Union (KRSU), ZILLAI (Vaiphei Students’ Union), Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) and Thadou Kuki Student Union (TKSU) stated that they will fully support and co-operate with the indefinite economic blockade called by ATSUM from February 16 onwards in protest against the non-fulfillment of its demands by the government of Manipur.
The joint press statement further stated that Churachandpur District Students’ Union (CDSU) is no longer in existence and the so called CDSU consists of people with vested interests and that they should stop using the name of CDSU as CDSU is now defunct with KRSU, TKSU, ZILLAI, HSA and MZP who constitute the majority in the nine constituent unit of the union leaving it.