Ukhrul, October 1: The Tribal Youth Council Manipur (TYCM), Council Headquarters, has confirmed that paramilitary forces stationed at the Tribal Girls’ Hostel, Old Lambulane, Imphal, have vacated the premises following sustained representations to the state government.
According to a statement issued by TYCM, an official from the Government of Manipur informed the council on September 29 that the paramilitary personnel had been withdrawn. A verification team led by TYCM president Momo Tantanga conducted a spot inspection at 1:15 PM on September 30 and confirmed the vacation of the forces.
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Expressing appreciation to the Home Department and other government officers “who directly or indirectly assisted,” TYCM said the move reflected responsiveness to public grievances. The council had earlier served a 15-day ultimatum to the government on September 23, demanding the removal of the forces from the hostel.
TYCM also acknowledged the support of the Rongmei Naga Students’ Organisation, Manipur (RNSOM), Zeme Students’ Organisation, Manipur (ZSOM), and All Inpui Students’ Union (AISU), which endorsed the council’s demand. “We hope RNSOM, ZSOM, AISU, tribal CSOs, and the tribal people will continue to extend their support towards the tribal cause in the future,” the statement read.
The council further recalled that earlier this year, it had pressed the government to include Scheduled Tribe (ST) personnel in the promotion process for Manipur Rifles and Indian Reserve Battalions. Following repeated representations, the government issued approval on April 15 and a follow-up message on April 22 to include ST candidates, a move TYCM welcomed.
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Meanwhile, TYCM has appealed to the Tribal Affairs Department to resume the functioning of the Tribal Girls’ Hostel without delay. TYCM urged authorities to facilitate the accommodation of tribal girl students “at the earliest” to ease the hardships faced by them.