Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 03 2009:
The AMSU, MSF and KSA are all prepared to take on any one challenging the class boycott movement, whether they be individuals or organisations or school founders.
According to a joint statement issued by the three student bodies, rather than opening schools, all schools have been totally deserted after the BOAT meeting.
Dubbing those individuals, who have been deliberately overlooking the root causes of the ongoing class boycott movement but only deliberating on the impact of class boycott, as enemies of the people, the student bodies warned those individuals to rectify themselves before it is too late.
The student bodies said that they participated in the dialogue with the Government under the Apunba Lup in accordance to the desire of the people to bring a solution to the issue by comprising positions of both the opposing parties to some extent.
But the Government was harbouring a secret agenda of exerting their position while making the agitation organisations to retract their positions.
Saying that people cannot afford defeat in the ongoing movement, the student bodies emphasised the need to strengthen the movement considering the unfolding situation which has also thrown up a rare opportunity not only to teach a lesson to the incumbent Government but also to unmask those masquerading as civil society organisations and students' bodies.
Addressing those organisations who were present at the time of taking resolutions at the meeting organised by DESAM on October 2, the AMSU, MSF and KSA asked if they have done anything recognisable by the public against the July 23 Khwairamband killings.
It is obvious that the individuals and organisations who took part in the meeting disapprove class boycott but they do not have any qualms about security forces killing innocent people.
These organisations ought to functioning as workers of political parties or their student wings instead of masquerading themselves as civil organisations or student bodies.
Asserting that those organisations who attended the meeting at BOAT preferred to remain silent against the July 23 fake encounter, the student bodies derided the resolution adopted there against the class boycott movement being undertaken as a part of the people's movement being spearheaded by the Apunba Lup.
Claiming that no educational institutions have followed the resolution for immediate class resumption adopted at the meeting allegedly jointly organised by the Government and DESAM, the student bodies said that DESAM would have known beforehand that the resolution could not break the class boycott movement.
The objective of the meeting was not enabling students attend class but to serve as a defensive shield for Chief Minister Okram Ibobi against admonition or any move to topple him by the Centre.
The student bodies also questioned the sensibility of those people who attended the meeting organised by DESAM and some other organisations earlier and never bothered to speak any single word against the Khwairamband killing or share a word of condolence to the families of Sanjit, Rabina and the injured victims.
Following the sustained movement, the saying 'birds of the same feather flock together' has become quite noticeable and true.
Going by the same saying, it is only natural for DESAM and some other organisations to take side with the Government.
Recalling that the DGP openly mooted in media to ban DESAM some months back, the student bodies observed that the State Police/Government is now walking hand in hand with the same DESAM.
The call to launch other forms of protest movement than class boycott exposed the mindset of those men who could not imagine any part in all the efforts aimed at saving the people from extra-judicial killings and other excesses.
It is questionable why they asked the AMSU, MSF and KSA to launch alternative modes of protest movement instead of coming up with the alternative modes and volunteering to launch the alternative movements jointly.
The student bodies further cautioned those teachers currently working with DESAM that they may be summoned and brutalised by DESAM one day when they refuse to toe the line of DESAM.
Reminding that the class boycott movement was not launched at the first place but after a series of bloody protest movement, the three student organisations asked what could be a beneficial movement if the class boycott movement is disastrous.
Had the organisations now shouting for suspension of class boycott joined the people's movement, students could have attend class already, the student bodies added.