DESAM, ATSUM and others condemn attack, demand fitting penalty
IMPHAL, February 21: Following a violent affront on a flying squad of examination authorities by a mob, the authorities of the Council of Higher Secondary Education, Manipur, CoHSEM, have blacklisted Lilong Haoreibi College, one of the examination centres for ongoing Class XII examination.
The immediate provocation for the drastic action was a demonstration by locals at Lilong demanding pardon and another chance for three students expelled from the examination hall today for cheating. The enraged mob also vandalized vehicles of the council`™s flying squad team today.
The incident happened when an inspection team comprising DC, Thoubal, Council Chairman, K Athar; Council Secretary, Sarangajit Khundrakpam; Under Secretary expelled three students from a Higher Secondary School in Lilong for cheating during the ongoing HSSLC examination.
Out of the expelled students, one was found to be an imposter.
A total of 380 students are sitting for their HSSLC examination at the Lilong Haoreibi College as centre.
In protest, local people agitated the centre demanding the students to given another chance and allowed to write the examination.
After the day`™s exam concluded around 12.15pm, the mob ransacked and attacked vehicles of the officials parked inside the college campus.
In the wake of the violent attack, a government statement has said that the Lilong Haoreibi College, Lilong has been blacklisted and accordingly debarred as an Exam Centre for all Exams conducted by Council of Higher Secondary Education, Manipur (CoHSEM) with effect immediately from the conclusion of the ongoing Council Exams for a period of five years.
`In view of the illegal, unlawful and undesired acts of orchestrating mob violence upon the detection of candidates of Class XII Exams, conducted by the Council of Higher Secondary Education, Manipur (CoHSEM), who were caught indulging in cheating/copying today at the Lilong Haoreibi College, Lilong resulting in mob violence and severely damaging a number of Govt. vehicles including those of the Chairman, Council of Higher Secondary Education, Manipur (CoHSEM), the Governor of Manipur is pleased to take immediate punitive action and declared the Lilong Haoreibi College, Lilong as blacklisted and accordingly debarred as an Exam Centre for all Exams conducted by Council of Higher Secondary Education, Manipur (CoHSEM) with effect immediately from the conclusion of the ongoing Council Exams for a period of 5 (Five) years,` a statement of State Higher & Technical Education Department said.
The statement has also warned all other colleges functioning as exam centres of the Council of Higher Secondary Education, Manipur (CoHSEM) to ensure strict discipline as required by the Council.
While urging invigilators to submit reports of any unlawful or illegal acts by the candidates appearing in the exams to the Council for appropriate action, it warned that any centre which fails to do this would face disciplinary action and the officers-in-charge of the Exam Centres would be held responsible for dereliction of duty.
Meanwhile, the Joint Students`™ Coordination Committee has vehemently condemned the incident at Lilong Haoreibi College centre, where expelled students vandalised a vehicle of CoHSEM flying squad team.
A press conference was held today at the DESAM office regarding the incident.
Joint Students`™ Coordination Committee convenor Thangjam Premananda speaking to media persons said that the incident happened when a flying squad team of CoHSEM went to invigilate at Lilong Haoreibi College.
He said that the flying squad caught three students using unfair means and impersonating during the examination. The said students were expelled from the examination hall and the students in return vandalized a car of the flying squad team, he said.
The students even pelted stones at the media persons and stopped them from covering the incident, he added.
The officer-in-charge of the centre should be held responsible for the incident, Premandanda said.
The JSCC strongly urged the government to take up action against the officer-in-charge of the said exam centre and also to conduct a departmental enquiry in regard to the incident.
He also demanded the concerned authority to shift the students who are appearing the exam at Lilong Haoreibi College centre to some other centre to continue the exam in a fair manner saying that there is no hope that the exam will continue in a fair manner at the said centre.
He further said that at another centre namely Waikhom Mani College, a flying squad team of JSCC was not allowed to enter the exam centre for invigilation by the teachers.
He said that there is a suspicion that the teachers might be helping the students in using unfair means in the exam.
Regarding this, JSCC appealed to the Council to check the exam centre so that the exams continue fairly.
JSCC also appealed to all the clubs, organizations and associations surrounding the exam centres to support and to co-operate the flying squad teams to stop using the unfair means in exam.
Meanwhile, the All Tribal Students`™ Union Manipur (ATSUM) has also strongly condemned the attacked of CoHSEM members including its Chairman and destroying their vehicles today at Lilong Hourabi College, Lilong.
Emboi Serto, president, ATSUM alleged that the three candidates appearing in the HSE examination conducted by Council of Higher Secondary Education Manipur at Lilong Haoreibi College, Lilong were caught indulging in cheating/copying and impersonation by the Council officials and expelled them for their acts.
However, a large mob suddenly turn up and damaged the vehicles of the Council members including the Chairman of CoHSEM and demanded the three expelled candidates be allowed to continue the day`™s exam as well as to write the remaining examination, Emboi said.
`It is scandalously unfortunate that dedicated and committed Council officials were attacked for their efforts to bring clean examination in the state for the welfare of the future society`, said the student leader while urging the general public to abstained from such uncivilized and unsolicited mob violence in future so as to ensure that young learners have bright future in a very decent manners.