IMPHAL, August 14: With just a day left before the August 15 deadline set for the government to come up with an ILP bill and the Chief Minister already hinting that meeting the deadline is almost impossible, the movement demanding introduction of the ILP or a similar act has been intensified.
Five students from various schools including a girl student on Friday began an indefinite hunger strike in front of the Ananda Singh Higher Secondary Academy demanding the ILP bill.
Surjt Sagolsem, Dayananda Lairikyengbam and Oinam Suresh of Ananda Singh Higher Secondary School and two others Loitongbam Bidyaluxmi of Ibotonsana Girls`™ Higher Secondary School and Thoudam Mukesh of Lamlong Higher Secondary School have launched the hunger strike since 7am today against the failure of the government to bring out the bill within the set deadline, informed Joint Students`™ Union of Government Higher Secondary Schools convenor Surjit.
All five are studying in class XII.
Security forces have been allowed to mercilessly assault student protestors including girls. Schools and colleges have been closed down in order to prevent students from participating in the democratic movement, he claimed.
Instead of actually trying to introduce a bill, the government seems to be interested only in its delaying tactics, he asserted.
The demand for the ILP is the peoples`™ demand and the government need to act positively to meet it, he said and added, unfortunately, the State government has turned-out to be anti-people.
One of the hunger strikers, Bidyaluxmi who is also the general secretary of the Ibotonsana Girls`™ Higher Secondary School Students`™ Union said they have decided to launch the agitation as part of their ongoing movement against the boycotting of government educational institutes and demand for the ILP.
She said they had taken the decision to launch the protest on their own and will continue till the government brings out the bill.