Newmai News Network
IMPHAL, January 23
Volunteers of Manipur University Revival Demand Committee (MURDC) today gheroed the Manipur University’s A Block who also burned effigies of the Governor and the Vice-Chancellor demanding for revival of MUSU.MURDC continued their dharna today demanding for revival of MUSU inside the varsity campus. The agitating students also gheraoed the A Block of Manipur University after being locked it from outside. They also destroyed some flowerpots kept outside the Vice-Chancellor’s residential quarter.
MURDC said denial of its key demand prompted it to indulge in vandalism. As a mark of their demand for revival of Manipur University Students’ Union (MUSU), the committee members had launched the agitation inside the campus since December 20 by wearing black badges.
The student protestors later burned effigies of MU Vice-Chancellor Prof H Nandakumar Sarma and Governor VK Duggal at the campus. However, they allowed the A Block staff to leave the office room about 3 p.m.
A large number of police personnel from Singjamei Police arrived at the scene however they were unable to control the agitating students.
“The sudden and fresh trouble in the campus started after the Vice-Chancellor, Dr H Nandakumar Sarma has failed to meet the committee’s long-pending key demand,” they said. They also said the committee had urged the VC through a memorandum to fulfill the key demand for revival of MUSU by December 20 last. They also blamed Dr Nandakumar for delay tactics over the issue.
MURDC said in a statement that absence of an elected student body in MU has obviously dampened the performance of the institution in academic, cultural, and sporting aspects, besides hampering maintenance of administrative transparency.
It said the abolition of MUSU in 2009 by the authority appears to be a great lapse on the overall students’ movement in Manipur. The erstwhile MUSU had been in existence since the establishment of the varsity on June 5, 1980.
