Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, November 11 2009:
Six rooms of a government school in Thoubal district of Manipur has been totally gutted by miscreants last night in the escalating attacks on schools defying the class boycott stir and reopen to resume normal class.
Some unknown persons suspected to be supporters of the class boycott stir set ablaze Langmeidong Government High School, Langmeidong village in Thoubal district last night at about 11 pm.
At least six rooms of the school have been totally gutted, police said today.
At least five schools, two in Imphal East district and three in Thoubal district have been targeted by the unknowns who police suspect volunteers of three students bodies spearheading the class boycott stir in support of the people agitations demanding resignation of Chief Minister, O Ibobi Singh among others.
The Apunba Lup is spearheading the three month long agitations.
The attacking of schools started for last Monday, the day after a meeting of the MLAs of Secular Progressive Front (SPF) and All Manipur Students Guardians' Organisation as well as some students' bodies who were against the class boycott stir made appeal to the parents and guardians to send their wards to the schools for resumption of normal last.
The burnt down school reopened to resume classes from Monday in response to the appeals even though no security was provided, according to local report.
A public meeting of the villagers of surrounding villages of the burnt down school today held at the school ground while strongly condemning the act of burning down the school, urged the state authority to rebuild the gutted rooms within one month time.
The meeting also demanded clarification from the responsible group on why the only high school where children of around 50 villages of the surrounding study is targeted.