Ukhrul, September 1: The Student & Education Affairs Department and the Women & Child Wing of the Tribal Youth Council Manipur (TYCM), Central Headquarters, have lodged a complaint with the Manipur State Commission for Scheduled Tribes (MSCST) on September 1, 2025, regarding the occupation of the entire Tribal Girls’ Hostel at Old Lambulane, Imphal, by para-military forces. The complaint urged the Commission to initiate suo-motu action against the concerned authorities and to issue appropriate directions for their removal so that the hostel can begin functioning.
On August 28, 2025, at 2:00 p.m., the Student & Education Affairs Department and the Women & Child Wing of TYCM, Central Headquarters, inspected the Tribal Girls’ Hostel at Old Lambulane, Imphal, along with media personnel.
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During the inspection, it was found that the entire Tribal Girls’ Hostel had been occupied by para-military forces, and not a single tribal girl student was staying there. The hostel, constructed and run by the Tribal Affairs & Hills Department, Government of Manipur, is the only one in Imphal meant for the welfare of tribal girl students of the state.
The TYCM-CHQ questioned the purpose of constructing the hostel if it is occupied by para-military forces, stating that in such a case, the very purpose of the hostel becomes meaningless. It termed the occupation a “total suppression of the rights of the tribal students of Manipur.”
The statement noted that tribal girl students from far-flung and remote areas are now staying in rented houses in Imphal, paying rent despite hardships. Parents of these students struggle to support their children’s education while also managing their families and sustaining livelihoods through paddy cultivation.
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In this regard, the Student & Education Affairs Department and the Women & Child Wing of TYCM, Central Headquarters, also submitted representations to the Governor of Manipur, Security Advisor of Manipur, Chief Secretary of Manipur Government, Additional Chief Secretary of Tribal Affairs & Hills Department, Commissioner of Home Department, Director General of Police of Manipur, and Director of Tribal Affairs & Hills Department, Manipur, on September 1, 2025.