ATSUM president Seiboi Haokip said that the students’ bodies had submitted a Charter of Demand in 2017 to the government regarding reservations issues, health, education, etc.
TFM Report
All Tribal Students’ Union Manipur (ATSUM), All Naga Students’ Association, Manipur (ANSAM) and Kuki Students’ Organization (KSO) on Monday warned of intense agitation anytime if the government doesn’t immediately put into action what was agreed upon in August 2019.
A press conference was held on Monday at ATSUM’s office, Chingmeirong attended by ATSUM president Seiboi Haokip, ANSAM president Wanglar Thiirtung and KSO president Paotinthang Luphang. Seiboi Haokip said that the students’ bodies had submitted a Charter of Demand in 2017 to the government regarding reservations issues, health, education, etc.
On August 13, 2019 representatives of the students’ bodies held a meeting with the chief minister. Seiboi Haokip said that the regularisation of the contract teachers recruited for the hill districts under Directorate of Education (S) in 2006 was agreed upon. The recruitment of 46 MIL lecturers was also agreed upon. All these were to put into action within two months, but there had been no positive steps till date, he lamented.
The recent move of the government to recruit contractual graduate and pre-primary teachers under Directorate of Education (S) is unacceptable. The 2006 contractual teachers should be regularised first, he demanded.
Bachelor of Education degree (B.Ed) is required for graduate teachers. However, there are no B.Ed centres or colleges in hill districts. There was some assurance in this regard, Seiboi Haokip said and urged the government to look into it.
The ATSUM president also urged the government to upgrade Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, Regional Campus Manipur (IGNTU-RCM) to a full-fledged university. He also appealed to the government to recruit the staff of the Tribal Affairs & Hills Directorate.