Imphal, November 06 2008: NEARLY 650 tribal students who left their Manipur University campus exactly a month ago in protest against the authority's failure to provide their demands returned to their varsity at Canchipur today.

The decision to return to their respective hostels in the Manipur University campus was taken by the leaders of the Manipur University Tribal Students Union following government's positive gesture to fulfill their demands.

John Pamei, core committee member of the MUTSU conveyed this to a group media persons at the guest house of the district council at Poumai colony near here this morning.

The tribal students have been demanding job reservation for them in recruiting both teaching and non-teaching staffs of the newly converted Central Manipur University.

However the varsity authority including the Vice-Chancellor Prof C Amuba couldn't do anything as they follow the guidelines and norms of a central university.

The tribal students leaders started to rethink and decided to suspend their stir temporarily as the state cabinet meet on Wednesday begins to discuss their demands.

On Wednesday Chief Minister O Ibobi chaired cabinet meeting had discussed the prolonged demands of the tribal students bodies for establishing a separate hill university in the state.

In view of the demands of tribal students bodies of the state the meeting also reportedly decided to seek acceptance from the concerned Central authorities for the establishment of a regional centre named Indira Gandhi National Tribal University in the state under the Amar Kanta National Tribal Univeristy, Madhya Pardesh.

"We are satisfied with the decision of the state government regarding opening of a university in the hill, so decided to the back to the university and attain normal classes," said Saonthang Haokip, president Manipur University Tribal Students' Union.

According to the president Saonthang, Centre has also agreed to the application of the state reservation policy in the admission matter but it declined for the purpose of teaching and non-teaching jobs in the university.

John pamei, considering the move of the state authority informed that they're ready to return to the university campus now."But we may re-launch our strike if they (government) fails to fulfill our demands" he warned.

With the support of Kuki Students' Organization, General Headquarters and All Naga Students' Association, Manipur which have warned of resorting to "a joint struggle" to have a separate "Hill University" in Manipur,All Tribal Students' union of Manipur and MUTSU had even called a a general strike on October 6 last in protest against the recent recruitment of Guest Lecturers in History Department of Manipur University.