SENAPATI, Nov 22: The All Naga Students’ Association,
Manipur (ANSAM) has set November 27, 2023, as
dateline for the state government to implement its
assurance regarding the demands of the Naga student
body.
In a statement issued to Newmai News Network, the
ANSAM said that it “takes due cognizance” of the
grievances of the voice of the people in the “peace
areas” of Manipur not affected by the ongoing violence
and “voice of the voiceless democratic citizens” through
print media relentlessly urging the government
concerned to restore internet connectivity in all “peace
areas” of the state especially the “Naga areas” which are
not affected by the violence. The Naga student body has
also been demanding for declaration of the long pending
result of the already 190 assistant professor posts.
“Taking reference of the Memorandum of Agreement
(MoA) pertaining to the subject matter on
October 26, 2023, between the ANSAM and the
Government of Manipur and the assurance committed
by the convener of the Naga Legislators’ Forum, minister
Awangbou Newmai and a representative of the state
government, the office of the ANSAM strongly questions
the failure on the part of the government of not fulfilling
their promise by not declaring the result for the assistant
professors recruitment and partial internet restoration
(only in district headquarters) of Senapati, Tamenlong,
Chandel and Ukhrul districts of Manipur”, the Naga
student body fumed.
According to the ANSAM, the interview process for 190
(145+45 – Special ST Drive) posts of assistant professors
was completed in the month of November 2021 which is
clearly mentioned in the Urgent Letter by the director of
Higher Education vide letter no. 3/3116/2018UHE (Vol
VII) dated November 25, 2021. “It categorically clarifies
that approval for result declaration was sought from the
department of personnel. However, it has been more
than 2 years since then and the result for the same is
being kept on a complete halt thereby depriving the
appeared candidates of their fundamental rights and
defeating their strong and vibrant aspirations,” the Naga
student body pointed out.
It is also pertinent to mention that the economic
blockade launched by the Naga student body in
retaliation to the “state government’s deliberate
defiance of agreements” signed on October 26, 2023,
was amicably suspended for the time being following an
assurance given to the ANSAM and its units by minister
Awangbou Newmai, as the convener of Naga Legislators’
Forum and representative of the state government, in an
urgent meeting held between the ANSAM, its executive
council, its units, and the representative of the Naga
Legislators’ Forum held at the ANSAM Secretariat in
Senapati on November 9, 2023. “Now, the assured
deadline of 4 to 5 days from the day of the urgent
meeting for declaring the said result and restoration of
internet connectivity in all the “peace areas of the
Nagas” not affected by the ongoing violence has lapsed
and the government and the department concerned are
remaining mum on it particularly to the demand for
declaration of result for recruitment of assistant
professors 190(145+45 ST Special Drive) posts”, the Naga
student body added.
The ANSAM then said it “considers the inactiveness” of
the government in declaring the result of the assistant
professors recruitment a complete mockery on their part
as far as the betterment of the Higher Education sector
in the state is concerned and failure of restoration of
internet connectivity in all the “peace areas” not
affected by violence as assured in the meeting is a
“blatant lie” to the association. The Naga student body
also “considers such lackadaisical attitude of the current
government an absolute negation to the hallmark of
Welfarism”. The ANSAM further said the assurance
committed by the sole state representative to the
ANSAM and its units is a “blatant lie” and total disregard
and betrayal with the “only apex Naga students body”
and its units in Manipur. The ANSAM then said that, in
exercise with the support and endorsement to the
befiitting resolutions adopted in the meeting pertaining
to the legitimate demands of the ANSAM following the
assurance committed by the state government, the
association has decided to launch agitations of all kinds
failing to fulfill the demands and resume any mode of
agitations from November 27, 2023, and the State
Government “shall be responsible for any unwanted
incidents during the course of the agitation”. (NNN)
