Imphal, December 22: With the All Tribal Students' Union, Manipur deciding to seal all Government offices under the ZEOs to protest the failure of the Government to implement the MoU signed on September 20 this year, the written test conducted all over the State to recruit 1332 primary teachers ran into trouble at Chandel, Senapati and Ukhrul today.

The situation at Tamenglong was however different as the district administration had clamped CrPC 144 and out of the 940 candidates listed to appear for the exam, about 836 appeared.

There were however minor attempts to foil the test.

ATSUM is demanding 50 pc reservation for the ST in the latest DPC held to recruit graduate teachers.

Even as the process of the written examination started, candidates were herded out from the examination halls at Chandel while at Senapati the test was not held at all following some differences over the exam centre venue.

At Ukhrul, security personnel swung into action and fired tear gas shells to disperse volunteers who had come to disrupt the written test.

Reports received from the Board and police said that even though the examination was disrupted at some centres, it passed off well at the other centres.

The written test was held from 9 am till 12 pm.

Interestingly one candidate was found using a mobile phone inside the examination hall at the DM College of Arts centre.

The 'enterprising' candidate was hauled up by the invigilator.

Later the candidate was allowed to sit for the examination.

On being contacted the Secretary of the Board said that it is yet to be decided what course of action would be taken up against the candidate.

With 23 thousand candidates appearing for the said written test, trouble started at Senapati when some volunteers came to the Don Bosco School and claimed that it is wrong to allot the centre to a private institution.

This happened at about 10 am today.

The examination was finally not held, said police.

At Ukhrul, even as the examination was underway, some volunteers came to the Ukhrul Higher Secondary School and demanded that the written test be stopped.

Police then swung into action to disperse the volunteers and 4/5 persons sustained injuries in the melee that followed.

Sources said that four volunteers of the Tangkhul Katamnao Saklong were hurt in the incident.

Two of them are stated to be in serious condition and they are being rushed to RIMS.

One of the injured is identified as Pemchuiyo Wungleng, 21 s/o W Ngachanso of Wino Bazaar Ukhrul.

He was hurt on the left leg, reports our correspondent. All the injured were rushed to Ukhrul Dist' hospital and Leishiphung Christian Hospital.

The identities of the others are yet to be ascertained.

Later at about 5.30 pm, unidentified miscreants set the official quarters of the SDO of Ukhrul, Nidhi Kirsa Wani on fire.

One room was gutted.

At the Maha Union High School, Chandel, a number of volunteers herded out all the candidates from the examination hall.

Officials from the School Education Department said that it is still not yet clear when fresh examinations will be held for Chandel and Senapati districts.

Meanwhile, ATSUM has reacted very strongly against the police action.

In a statement, ATSUM said that it will not tolerate the use of force by police on the volunteers of TKS and SDSA at Ukhrul and Senapati respectively.

Reports of atrocities in other hill districts are being awaited, said ATSUM and added that the SPF Government should take the full responsibility for the incidents.

ATSUM said that Chief Minister O Ibobi, Education Minister L Nandakumar and Education Commissioner Budhachandra Singh should be held responsible for the violent incidents today and accused them of being anti-tribal and anti-students.

Asserting that there will be no let up in the stand of ATSUM, the student body said that it has banned further selection of teachers to any post.

All ZEO offices in the hill dists will not be allowed to function until and unless the issue of 50 pc reservation for the tribals in the latest DPC held for appointing graduate teachers is addressed to in letter and spirit.

The MoU signed between ATSUM and Govt must be implemented, it added.

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