Best option : A graceful exit :: Time for Pandey to act
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: July 16 2018 -
For two days on the trot the English edition of The Sangai Express ran banner stories on the crisis at Manipur University and it has not been pleasant at all.
Not pleasant for what is at stake here is the future of thousands of students who study at the university and are students of colleges affiliated to the varsity.
Already more than 40 days old and there is no indication that the crisis at MU will see the end of day anytime soon.
Even as the University Grants Commission (UGC) has gone ahead and announced the names of the officials who will form the probe panel, Manipur University Students’ Union (MUSU), Manipur University Teachers’ Association (MUTA) and Manipur University Staff Association (MUSA), have resoundingly said a big no to the fact finding committee instituted by the UGC/MRHD on the ground that the probe committee is a low level body.
MUSU, MUTA and MUSA are also against the appointment of the Registrar of MU as the nodal officer of the probe team.
Not clear how the Centre would respond to the stand of the student body and the teachers, but it should be more than clear to all that prolonging the shutdown of the university will only go against the academic pursuit of the students.
As things stand today, many students who have appeared for their sixth semester examinations are yet to receive their results and hence cannot proceed to the university of their choice to pursue their higher studies.
Whose loss it is needs no elaboration. And
to repeat a point, remember it was the stand off over the admission quota for ST and SC students that left the door wide open for the Centre to step in and appoint Prof AP Pandey as the VC of MU some time back.
Not clear if any lesson has been learnt from the past, but this is a point which should not be swept under the carpet.
This is a critical phase for MU and it is at times like this that tough questions, however uncomfortable it may be must be addressed to sincerely.
On the other hand, the two sides, that is the VC and his supporters and MUSU, MUTA and MUSA must realise that it is no longer a question of who will emerge the winner.
In a way all have lost for here is a case of MU shutting down for over 40 days and thousands of students who have finished their 6th semester yet to receive their results.
It is here that the teacher in AP Pandey should come to the fore and take note of the fact that it is today no longer a question of who is right and who is wrong, but about caring for the future of the students.
It is here that he would be best advised to put in his resignation papers and walk out with his head held high.
Resign not because of the demand put up by MUSU and MUTA but make way for the sake of thousands of students.
Such a move will make him the moral victor.
And it stands that this move will be all that more remarkable if it comes before the probe panel starts its due investigation.
Enough time has been lost and all need to realise that in the present stand off there can be no victors for the loss has already been the students and on a larger canvass, education.
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