Imphal, January 22: Peeved at being denied permission to meet the Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh to remind the CM of the agreement signed earlier for provision of adequate study materials to vocational stream students a student activists today attempted to self immolate.

The incident took place at around 12.50 pm as the president of All Manipur Vocational Students' Union (AMVSU) M Premier Singh was prevented from meeting the CM.

Fortunately, the self immolation bid did not materialize as the flames fizzled out without any major injury barring some minor burns at the lower limbs.

Imphal West district police personnel arrived at the scene and has taken the student protestor into custody for attempting to commit suicide (IPC 309).According to police department source, Premier Singh will be produced before a relevant court and is likely to be remanded to Judicial custody.

Premier Singh told media-persons that a five point agreement was signed in the January 6 meeting between representatives of AMVSU and Education Minister Francis Ngajokpa in the presence of SCERT Director N Debala and MSF president Kh Gourachandra to address grievances of the students.

The agreement includes intensification of vocational education classes to complete the syllabus, assessment of training raw material requirements including immediate supply, evaluation of training equipments for vocational trades, rationalization of vocational teaching staff and placement of teachers where necessary and review of classroom requirements including furniture.

He also alleged of the State Government not releasing funds released by Central Government for vocational education development with anxiety among the students reaching feverish pitch in view of the Council of Higher Secondary Education, Manipur scheduling March 3 to conduct examination.

The AMVSU had made repeated appeals to the State authorities to take serious look in the magnitude of the problem but still no positive measure was taken which constrained Premier Singh to resort to such a drastic action, further narrated the protestor.

Meanwhile, reacting strongly to the callous attitude of State Government to genuine demands of the vocational students, Democratic Students' Alliance of Manipur (Desam) said the attitude of the State authorities reflect its ignorance and negligence to the present society.

In a modern age where competition has risen to new level and global emphasis is on extending vocational and technical education to its citizens Manipur's situation is in such a despicable condition that students have to attempt suicide to demand its right to education, rued the student body.

Charging that the Government is not making any serious attempt to solve the problem being faced by the student community and complicating the situation even further by not explaining where the Central fund meant for vocational education development had been utilized, Desam observed with such attitude future of Manipur remains uncertain.

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