ATSUM called 48-hour inter-State bandh from Sept. 14

The All Tribal Students’ Union Manipur (ATSUM) has called a 48-hour inter-State bandh from September 14. The 48 hours bandh is called to express resentment towards the State Government’s ‘lackadaisical’ attitude over the ‘agreed’ charter of demands. ATSUM along with ANSAM (All Naga Students’ Association Manipur) and KSO (Kuki Students’ Organisation) had submitted the charter of demands in 2019 and the Government had agreed to act on them on August 13, 2019, said ATSUM in a statement today.

ATSUM had recently reminded the Government about the charter demands and urged it to act on it at the earliest. The decision to call the bandh was taken during the general assembly held on September 7 at Hmar Community Hall, Lamphel. Media and medical services are exempted from the purview of the proposed bandh, it added highlighting their demands.

The charter of demands include :

1. Filling up of ST backlog/shortfall posts of Assistant Professors in Government colleges
2. Opening of approved BEd centres in the hill districts
3. Opening of Science stream in Tamenglong and Senapati Government colleges
4. Formulation of district cadre recruitment
5. To stop the culture of utilisation of Government employees
6. Recruitment of approved MIL (tribal dialect) teachers in Government colleges and schools
7. Regularisation of hills contract teachers of 2006 batch
8. Recruitment of adequate staff in the Directorate of Tribal Affairs and Hills
9. Inclusion of mother tongue as an essential qualification in the recruitment of Primary teachers under 6 Autonomous District Councils
10. Upgradation of Tribal Research Institute (TRI) to a full fledged Directorate
11. Enactment of legislation/Act for implementation of Tribal Sub Scheme (TSS)
12. Filling up of ST backlog/short falls of all categories in various Departments
13. Implementation of reservation quantum as per DoPT, Government of India in direct recruitment to Group C and D posts in Central institutions
14. Improvement of adequate manpower and infrastructure in Health Services and posting of specialist doctors in the hill districts
15. Upgradation of IGNTU-RCM (Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, Regional Campus Manipur) to a full fledged university
    ATSUM also reminded the Government of the ‘agreement’ they had regarding appointment of native IAS officers to the post of Chief Secretary.

An ‘agreement’ was reached between the Government and student bodies-ATSUM, DESAM and AIMS regarding the matter on June 9, 2018. The Government has also failed to keep this promise as a non-native IAS officer was appointed as the Chief Secretary in place of former CS Dr J Suresh Babu recently, alleged ATSUM.
The student body urged the Government to solve the imbroglio between the Government and Hill District Private Schools Association Manipur (HIDIPSAM).

On MCSCCE 2016 main examination, ATSUM said that the re-examination should not be conducted until & unless CBI’s probe is completed and all the erring officers of the MPSC involved are befittingly punished.
It urged the Government to implement reservation policy in promotion in MSPDCL (Manipur State Power Distribution Company Limited).
ATSUM also raised their voice against mining in hill areas and appealed for disbursal of pre and post matric scholarship under Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of Manipur.