MU shutdown for over 30 days : Centre sleeps, MU ‘burns’ !
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: July 04 2018 -
For over 30 days MU has been shut down. An educational hub now reduced to the status of a ghost town, with the only activities coming from the agitating students and the teacher associations and other staff supporting the demand put up by the Manipur University Students’ Union (MUSU) .
The only activity that may be associated with MU at the moment will be vast media coverage that the stand off at the university has kicked off and surely this is not what a centre of learning should be about.
If the VC was rarely at his place of posting, one of the grievances put up by MUSU, then today it is not only about the VC but about all those associated with the university having to stay away due to the agitation launched by MUSU for more than 30 days now.
Being a Central university, the State Government obviously does not have much of a say in the internal affairs of the varsity, but it can surely send missives to the Centre to do the needful so that the stand off is resolved.
The important question is, has the State Government got in contact with the Centre to resolve the matter or is it more than satisfied waiting for the Centre to respond to the situation ?
A question which cannot be brushed aside that easily for one here is talking about the future of thousands of students.
Has the VC ever been summoned or asked to come to Delhi and explain the situation ?
If not why the delay ?
Or is the Centre satisfied with the feedbacks it receives from the office of the VC ?
If yes then let it state its stand on the matter clearly and if not then call back the VC.
This is about taking decision and when it involves the future of the students, decisions have to be taken.
The matter cannot be allowed to fester. As things stand, with each passing day the situation is getting more critical.
So far 32 heads of departments of the university have tendered their resignation in support of the call given by MUSU while 5 academic Deans had earlier resigned.
Does the Centre want more resignations to follow or is the stand off going to be a case of mass resignations with no solution in sight ?
At the moment, the issue centres around the university, metaphorically and realistically speaking, but there is no guarantee that it will stay confined within the varsity.
What if it moves beyond the campus of the university and besiege the whole State ?
By not acting the Centre is only inviting the situation to get more complicated.
A look at the politics should suffice the observation that is made here.
Already some student organisations have jumped into the fray and come out in support of the VC and against the agitation.
Interest of the students is the reason laid out, but then why openly back the VC at this critical juncture.
If it is in the interest of the students why take sides, is the question that follows.
This is where the politics at play becomes clear and this can have unwanted ramifications.
Is this what the Centre wants ?
Do not let the issue snowball into something bigger and unwanted.
Let it be a stand off between MUSU and the VC and don’t let it lead to a clash between student organisations.
Manipur has had enough of such clashes and this is where dirty politics should be avoided by either side.
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