Imphal, Sept. 18: Large number of students under the aegis of the All Manipur Students’ Union (AMSU) today Gherao the office of the MOBC, Government of Manipur over failure to clear the pending scholarship for the OBC students of the state.
At least 4 students and an employee of the directorate office sustained serious injury after police team resorted lathi charge by firing mock bomb to disperse the agitating students.
Report reaching here said that at around 11 am today, large number students from various schools and colleges of the state gathered in front of the MOBC Directorate office carrying placards demanding resignation of the Director MOBC. As the agitators reached the office of the MOBC, staffs of the MOBC locks all entry to the office.
The irate students then vandalised an entry gate and entered the office complex. Then as they rushed towards the Director’s office, the staffs tried to close the iron shutter. However the irate students vandalised the iron shutter too. The students demanded to meet the director but the staffs resisted saying that the Director was not at the office.
A team of police who arrived at the spot tried to control the agitators. However as the situation worsen the police started firing mock bomb and lathi charged the students. During the police action 3 students from the CC Higher Secondary School and another from the DM College of Science sustain injury. The injured were immediately rushed to Raj Medicity at North AOC and Shija Hospital at Langol for medical attention.
Later, at around noon a press conference was immediately convened at the AMSU head quarter. Manjit Sarangthem, President of the AMSU while speaking to reporters condemn the police action and demanded apology from the government. He said the director had prompted the students to stage such protest as he failed to clear the pending scholarships for the OBC students despite his assurance to clear it before September 10. He further said that the AMSU had staged protest earlier many times and had held talk with the director himself many times. During the talk the director had assured the students that the pending scholarship particularly for the 2016-17 will be cleared before September 10. However as no measures for the clearance of the scholarship has been noticed the students were left with no other choice but to protest.
Manjit further said that scholarship for the Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste which was awarded from the Ministry of Social Justice and empowerment were given on time but why the MOBC still cannot clear the scholarship for the OBC students.
The president of the AMSU further demanded resignation of the Director MOBC.
