Source: Hueiyen News Service / Newmai News Network
Imphal, May 18 2009:
Normal lives in the five hill districts of Manipur were crippled toin the wake of the 12-hour general strike/bandh imposed by the All Tribal Students' Union, Manipur (ATSUM) from 6:00 a.m.to 6:00 p.m.of Monday in protest against non-fulfillment of its demands by the government of the state.
ATSUM, the apex body of tribal students in Manipur had demand 33 percent reservation in the recruitment to the vacant posts in the newly established Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences, JNIMS.
However, the director of JNIMS, AD Singh has allegedly failed to respond to the demands of the ATSUM and hence the strike called.
The general strike staged in the five hill districts of Senapati, Ukhrul, Chandel, Churachandpur and Tamenglong affected normal lives though peaceful as no vehicles were seen plying especially the inter-district buses.
Vehicles plying along the two national highways, NHs-39 and 53 including passenger vehicles were also suspended for the day.
Reports informed several trucks and inter-state passenger buses coming on the NH-39 were stranded at Mao gate bordering with Nagaland state owing to the strike.
No vehicles from Imphal left for the other places in the hills areas even though normal plying of passenger and other vehicles in the valley area was not disturbed.
And in the hill districts, life was crippled as all government offices, private undertaking, institutions remained close.
However, educational schools and related matter including essential services like the water supply and electricity were exempted.
Reports informed the districts of Churachandpur and Senapati were more affected than the rest.
However, with the end of the strike hours at 6:00 p.m., vehicles stranded at Mao gate have started heading towards Imphal with security escorts, police said.
The strike is being called over the allegations of the ATSUM that the director of the JNIMS, AD Singh failed to give a positive response to ATSUM's demand for reservation of 10 seats for Scheduled Tribes (ST) candidates in the recent appointments to JNIMS for various vacancies.
For starting the session of the JNIMS, the authority notified for appointments 10 posts for professors, 13 for associate professors, 23 for assistant professors and 33 for senior residents.
However, as no ST candidate could apply for the three upper posts due to shortage of qualification, the ATSUM is demanding reservation 10 seats for the ST in senior resident category.
ATSUM has also demanded to a bill be passed modifying the reservation policy of the state government and increased the current 27 percent to 31 percent at any circumstance at JNIMS for the ST.