Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, July 10 2009:
The All Tribal students' Union Manipur (ATSUM) has decided to suspend the proposed total bandh and indefinite economic blockade for four days which was scheduled to commence from July 11 following a meeting with the ministers concerned held on Thursday at Secretariat, Imphal.
However, failure to meet the demands after the deadline would compel the students' body to agitate and negotiations would not be entertained until the demands are fully granted, stated a press release issued by ATSUM.
The ATSUM had taken the decision to suspend the total bandh and indefinite economic blockade following the assurance given by the Tribal Minister and Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) regarding the demands made by them in the meeting.
Ministers, Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) and the Tribal Minister were present in the meeting.
They had demanded the Government of Manipur to implement the 'Reservation for Schedule Caste (SC)/ Schedule Tribe (ST) according to the 100 point roster in all the government departments and semi-departments.
The students body had issued a press release alleging that The Manipur reservation of vacancies in Post and Service (for SC and ST) Act 2007 was still inoperative and not framed till date.
It also stated that tribals constituted a mere 25 per cent of the total State Government employees while a community constituting 56 per cent of the total population of the state had captured all jobs in the state.
The ATSUM further cautioned that if their demands are not met by the deadline, they would start agitating by imposing indefinite economic blockade from the midnight of July 15 and would not entertain any negotiation until the government grant their demands fully.