Senapati, October 21: Irked by news reports that the State government is considering to issue an Ordinance to prevent affiliation of educational institutes in Manipur to any outside state, the All Naga Students' Association Manipur (ANSAM) has asserted that the Naga students' body will not remain mute in the event of promulgation of such Ordinance.

"The minority Naga students enrolled in the private schools have demonstrated their desire to opt for suitable and preferable syllabus under Nagaland Board of School Education (NBSE) and have sought for affiliations," reasoned the ANSAM.

The student body said it strongly supports 'initiative of the Naga students while rejecting reported statement of "an anonymous senior official of the state government" who was quoted to have favoured an Ordinance to ban affiliation outside the state and disallow opening of Exam Centres of any other Board of School Education.

ANSAM pointed out that it is an adopted norm and policy of India to guarantee the right and freedom of the linguistic, religious and culture minority to opt for educational establishments and administrations of their choice.

While citing instances, ANSAM said West Bengal Board of Secondary Education is conducting Madhyamik or secondary examination annually and simultaneously all over the state of West Bengal and also in case of boards located outside West Bengal, elsewhere in India.

"Is it an unlawful demand, when democracy in India provides space for the ethnic minority to opine and follow their will and aspiration to preserve and protect their language, identity, culture, tradition and history?," asked the Naga students' body.

Construing the SPF Govt move as an attempt to muffle aspiration of the Naga student community through coercive means with an intent on stifling intellectual growth to ultimately annihilate them altogether, ANSAM decried that the proposed Ordinance is being initiated to deny inherent rights of the indigenous minority tribal communities in the state.

It also posed whether changing development in the hill districts makes the Manipur government panicky, frightened and to feel threatening.

While calling the state government as dominant in attitude towards the tribals, ANSAM pondered reasons why the government is unable to work in the interest of the minority ethnic communities and it is exploring unjustified exercise to disrespect the hill people.

"Coercive persuasion of the state government will be a futile exercise without respecting the rights of the minorities educationally, socially, politically and economically," predicted the ANSAM statement.

ANSAM on behalf of Naga students community announced it outrightly rejects the "blatant announcement" of the state decision considering the "discriminatory" Ordinance of state Cabinet.

The ANSAM pledged that the students' body is prepared to face any eventuality in safeguarding rights of the minority ethnic communities and resort to any democratic form of agitation.

"The social chaos and volatile situation that may arise because of the irresponsible utterance and decision of the State Government to ban private schools seeking affiliation outside the state and to disallow opening of Exam Centres of any Board of School Education and then enacting penalty clause to deny job opportunity and other state privileges for the certificate holders of the Nagaland Board of School Education and other University," further cautions the students body.

It finally said that these shall be viewed by ANSAM as the creation of the "dominant" State Government.

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