Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, March 26 2009:
Registering its disapproval of deploying security personnel arranged for the coming Lok Sabha election in Manipur, the Democratic Students' Alliance of Manipur (DESAM) has urged the authority concerned not to station security personnel who are detailed for polling duty in educational institutions while also urging not to disturb the examinations of BA, B Sc, B Com scheduled to begin from April 2. A press statement of DESAM signed by its Publicity and Propaganda Secretary, KC Ibomcha said that the announcement of holidays due to the occupation of schools and colleges by security personnel is an infringement of the students' right to education while adding it is a big obstacle against the much needed quality education.
Asserting that the occupation and deployment of security in historical monuments, educational institutions and religious set up is not authorised according to declarations of the Geneva Convention of the UN, International Humanitarian Laws and UNESCO, the DESAM statement said that security forces have been deployed in Manipur in educational institutions, historical monuments, office building etc freely.
It also pointed out that Assam Rifles and Army were deployed at the historical palace of Maharaj Ganbhir Singh inside the Manipur University campus, INA Complex, Moirang, and Sendra Tourist Centre.
The statement further said that the total number of state security forces, Army and Central Para Military forces is more than 70, 000 apart from various other personnel and another 10,000 personnel are to be detailed.
It added that the state with a population of around 25lakhs is representing the features of a war zone.
It said that the deployment of more security personnel in the name of election duty is not acceptable to the people.
The DESAM statement said that the pronouncement of holidays due to occupation of educational institutions and assignment of teachers for election duty is totally against the efforts of making education a free zone and ushering in of quality education.