Police fired tear gas shells to disperse a group of protestors inside the Manipur University campus on Monday. Eight volunteers were hurt. The varsity community has heavily come down on the police action terming it as an “unprovoked attack”.
A joint statement of the varsity community appearing in the The Indian Express stated, “We condemn the excessive and unprovoked police action including use of tear gas shell, mock bombs on the democratically agitating members of the university community, especially the students.” However, police claimed they resorted to firing tear gas only to diffuse confrontation between two groups.
The report further stated that with the Manipur University impasse entering its 69th day, people in different areas including students on Monday took out rallies on the streets across the State demanding that the varsity be reopened which has been paralysed since May 30 last. The rallies were taken out in Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Churachandpur and Ukhrul districts.
The Manipur University Students’ Union (MUSU) general secretary, N Kennedy, claimed that the Government is using the innocent people to “sabotage” the movement of the Manipur University community.
As part of the rally demanding restoration of normalcy in the varsity, hundreds of people carrying banners which read – ‘Protest Rally Against the Prolonged Closure of Manipur University’ – marched the streets till the varsity gate. In response, volunteers of the varsity community also immediately organised a rally, which resulted in an altercation between the two agitating sides.
Police said that the “situation would have spun out of control” had it not used tear gas shell to disperse the agitating groups. S Tondang, who participated in the rally and is from Imphal East, said, “We have had enough of this unrest prevailing in Manipur University. The University should be reopened immediately to save the future of students. The varsity issue should not be politicised. The varsity teachers who do not want to educate students must be removed.”
Of late, there has been pressure from various quarters for a solution to the varsity impasse. Following the institution of a fact-finding committee to conduct enquiry on the allegations made by the MUSU against the Vice-Chancellor
(V-C) Professor AP Pandey, the latter has been sent on leave for 30 days appointing a senior most professor of the varsity as V-C in-charge.
Professor AP Pandey has been charged with “administrative and financial irregularities” by MUSU, allegations which the former has denied. The MUSU, Manipur University Teachers’ Association (MUTA) and the Manipur University Staffs’ Association (MUSA) held a meeting on Sunday demanding the ouster of Pandey and also decided to launch an indefinite hunger strike on August 10 next.