Newmai News Network
Senapati: Even after picketing government offices in the “Naga areas” in Manipur for the past two days by the All Naga Students’ Association, Manipur (ANSAM), the government has yet to pay any heed to the demands of the Naga student body. As such, ANSAM announced this evening that it would continue picketing government offices under its jurisdiction. The Naga student body also said it would intensify its agitation.
The Naga student body is agitating against the “lackadaisical attitude of the government in depriving the rights of the people and denying to hear the voice of the people” demanding that immediate lifting of the order of internet shutdown, and also to declare the result of the interview held in the month of September 2021, for the appointment of 190 posts of assistant professors (145 + 45 ST Special Drive) for government colleges of Manipur at the earliest.
The ANSAM, however, expressed its appreciation to its sub-ordinate units, constituent units and the general public in the state of Manipur for their “unflinching support and cooperation to the agitation of picketing of government offices on October 24 and October 25 called by the student body during this hard time”.
In a statement issued today, the ANSAM said, “Expressing our strong resentment against the government with no positive response to our demand and acknowledging the selfless and relentless contributions of the units, the ANSAM informed allthe concerns and general populace that as part of resorting to our agitation, picketing of government offices will continue in hill districts of Manipur and the mode of agitation will be intensified if the government refuses to fulfil our legitimate demands”. Disgruntled with the administrative system of the government in depriving “our rights, we are compelled to take up this agitation to make our demand heard,” it added.
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The ANSAM, “with a deep concern for grievances faced by citizens due to blanket banning of the internet in the state and the shortage of teaching faculty in government colleges of Manipur, particularly in hill districts, raises our demand”. It further said 923 graduate teachers had been recruited as part of the ‘School Fagathansi Mission’. It is high time the teaching faculty shortage in government colleges be taken care of through the declaration of recruitment results for 190 assistant professor posts as part of the “College Fagathansi Mission” as promised by the chief minister and assurance given for declaration of the aforesaid recruitment result, it added.
The press release of June 23, 2022, by the Secretariat; Higher and Technical Education Department confirmed that the interview process for the 190 assistant professor posts was completed and had been referred to the Dept ofPersonnel (DP) for the declaration of result, the ANSAM pointed out. As such, the prolonged delay dating from June 23, 2022, till date at the end of the Department of Personnel (DP) in declaring the result for the same is highly questionable as far as the aspirations and fundamental rights of citizens are concerned, it also stated.
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The ANSAM then reiterated that the internet is not merely a communication system but it is a chosen platform for research and information among others. Lifting the order only for a few broadband users and government offices for administrative purposes at an exorbitant rate does not provide a solution to the necessities in times of urgency and cannot be a justification for its proportionality to the ongoing violence and prevailing situation, it further added.
Therefore, the ANSAM further requested its constituent units and sub-ordinate bodies to strictly enforce the picketing of government offices in their respective jurisdictions to withstand and fight for the rights and for implementation of the demands.
The ANSAM further appealed to government officials and the public for utmost co-operation and understanding during the course of the agitation.
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