Source: Hueiyen News Service / Newmai News Network
Imphal, November 26 2010:
In what appeared to be a case of authority brandishing its power gratuitously, the newly-appointed principal and registrar of Sainik School, Pangei located in the outskirt of Imphal came under heavy fire from the students on charges of arbitrary rules and restrictions.
The principal of the school has been identified as Col.Rabikumar and the registrar has been identified as Maj.
Anand Thoudam.
By the time the episode in the campus was revealed to outside world, the school was sealed off from media glare.
Authorities in the school refused to talk to the waiting pressmen.
But according to information culled from the spot, the students of the school have resorted to arsoning and rampaging of public and private property within the school premises on November 25 at around 10 p.m.following a tense stand-off between the students and the school authority since a couple of months ago.
The newly appointed authorities, particularly the principal and the registrar, have been allegedly imposing arbitrary restrictions on the students upon their arrival without so much as a regard for the old rule book of the school which was selectively and arbitrarily being replaced.
When the students had it enough, a written complain was lodged to the principal.
Rather than looking into the merit of the complaint, the principal said, "You have no authority to complain against the registrar, it (new rules and regulations) is the authority's decision by which you all have to abide", said a source in the know of things.
Even as an uneasy calm prevailed, on November 25 a class XII student from Arunachal Pradesh was allegedly expelled from the school and an order released under the principal's signature to summon the parents of the dissenting students.
This move of the authority enraged the students who ran rampage inside the school premises destroying Maj.
Anand's car and two other small vehicles, besides street lamps in the campus.
In the milieu, Raju, a hostel superintendent was reportedly injured.
On being informed, the Imphal East commando team and Heingang Police Station rushed to the spot and counterbalanced the infuriated students' crowd with a blank fire.
The students were shouting a slogan "go back registrar, go back principal" .
Incidentally, the school authority has swiftly declared winter vacation immediately, effective till December 8, 2010.Parents and guardians were asked to receive their wards for winter vacation.
In the meanwhile, the students of the school have demanded for the transfer of the principal and registrar, until which time the students pledge to stay off the classroom.