Imphal, November 21 2009: Asserting that right to life is the first and foremost necessity for survival of a nation, the AMSU, MSF and KSA pointed out that there cannot right to education in the absence of right to life.

A joint statement issued by the three student bodies asserted that the ongoing movement naturally underscores the crucial importance of securing a condition where right to education can be enjoyed after ensuring right to life for all citizens.

Stating that they were aware of the loss brought about by the class boycott, the student bodies maintained, nevertheless, that the class boycott movement for some period cannot jeopardise the career of students.

They called upon guardians/parents to shoulder extra responsibility keeping in mind that the class boycott is a movement of the nation.

One cannot say that this is not a issue of the nation on the ground that the movement does not encompass hill districts.

The famous Dandi March of Mahatma Gandhi in the course of the country's freedom struggle did not reach many parts of the country, the student bodies pointed out.

Reacting to Haobijam Kulla who in the guise of a guardian advised AMSU to concentrate on study and remarked that the July 23 incident was a part of the prevailing conflict situation; that this could not be treated separately, and that such incidents may recur in future too, the AMSU, MSF and KSA asked Kulla if he would stand and watch when a row of houses caught fire because the houses were burning in series and that the same fire might spread further to other houses.

His statement has the implication that the July 23 killing was bound to happen and that one need not worry about such incidents, asserted the student bodies.

Claiming that Kulla's remark amounted to condoning the police excesses, they suggested that it would be more appropriate to rename the All Manipur Students' Guardians Association for which Kulla is a advisor as All Manipur Security Guardians/Guards Association.

Being founded for certain agenda, the people have now realised that the Government has started using the All Manipur Students' Guardians Association as a tool, the student bodies claimed.

Hitting back at Political Science Lecturer of NG College Ch Ashok Sharma who questioned the authenticity of AMSU at the meeting organised by DESAM at BOAT on November 2, the AMSU, MSF and KSA asserted that they are genuine student bodies unlike Ch Ashok who is also reportedly engaging himself in trade on Moreh goods besides being a teacher.

The term 'agitational terrorism' was used recently by the GOC of India's Northern Command in the context of the people's movement against the Shopian Rape case of May this year.

The DESAM president was only parroting the GOC on behalf of the State which wished to call all the people's movements as 'terrorism' but unable to find any premise to use the term.

Using such terminology which is misleading and has the potential to project the people's movement in the wrong light was a clear case of 'pseudo-intellectualism'.

Saying that they have been employing the most democratic mode of agitation available to students, the AMSU, MSF and KSA pointed out that the nature of class boycott would vary according to context.

Ministers, MLAs, politicians, bureaucrats and police officers may be pretending that the ongoing movement is not a separatist movement but a movement to save democracy and rule of law under which right to life can be safeguarded so that all can enjoy right to education towards attaining quality and dignified life.

But the people particularly educationists, academics, intellectuals, journalists, columnists, creative minds and opinion makers should not overlook this basic purpose of the ongoing movement.

It would be a great blunder and a direct challenge to the mass if any quarter is scheming to suppress the movement forcibly without addressing the root cause of the class boycott.

It would be grossly incorrect if any one is assuming that the people now oppose the movement for securing right to life on the mere ground that people could not openly express their support to the movement which, according to the student bodies, is because of the Government's harsh repressive measures and that they have raised some concerns over the continuing class boycott.

If it is not enough, it is only natural to launch other forms of agitation too in addition to the class boycott.

Preparations have been made for this, the joint statement of the student bodies claimed.

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