Month: February 2011

IMPHAL, Feb 26: Desperate and frustrated students have today warned of not appearing in their coming board and council exams in case the agitating teachers and the state government bring an amicable solution to the ongoing agitation of the teachers which have left the students with no teachers to teach them for nearly two months now.

Students of government run schools under the umbrella of the All Manipur Government High and Higher Secondary School Students Coordinating Committee, Manipur while reiterating its demand in a memorandum have submitted it to the Chief Minister today evening, demanding an amicable solution to the ongoing impasse and setting February 28 as deadline, failing which, the student have warned of not appearing in their upcoming class X and XII examinations.

At the same time, the student body maintained that the concerned authority should be held responsible incase the students suffer more due to the ongoing impasse.

Over hundreds of representatives of the All Manipur Government High and Higher Secondary School Students Coordinating Committee, Manipur bearing placards and banners which read `We want study` `COTA and Govt. should bring an amicable solution at the soonest` `We want normal classes` `Students are the pillars of Nation` etc. after gathering at Ram Lal Paul Higher Secondary School proceeded towards the Chief Minister`™s official residence to submit a memorandum. However the students were stopped by the police at Babupara.

Later four representatives of the student body was allowed to submit the memorandum at the office of the Chief Minister on failing to meet the chief minister who was said to be absent from his bungalow at the time.

While speaking to media persons, the co-convener of the students`™ apex body, M. Sanjoy, revealed that the motive of the students was to meet the Chief Minister, to request him to end the impasse at the earliest as it has adversely affected all government schools as their classes have remained defunct for sometime now. However he added that no amicable solution seems to be in sight as of the moment.

He further expressed his disappointment that the students were unable to meet the Chief Minister despite the gravity of the issue, however he added, that the students will certainly not appear in their exams in case the two parties fail to end the dead lock by February 28.

In the meantime, referring to the ongoing impasse, MLA, N. Mangi, chairman MANIDCO, said that teachers should be committed while discharging their duties adding it is obvious that the demands of the teachers will be fulfilled sooner or later. However some of the teachers must retrospect how far they are committed and sincere while performing their duties, he added.
The students at the same time need to have discipline, manner and to be hardworking. Students who are lacking such quality cannot be called students, the MLA added.

The MLA also appealed the Government to intervene into the prolonged impasse between COTA and the government in the interest of the students`™ communities.

The MLA was speaking during the 40th State Conference of All India Students`™ Federation, Manipur State Council, held at Standard College, Kongba, Imphal, today.

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IMPHAL Feb 26: COTA urges the state government to consider the rightful demand of the teachers at the earliest. The recent outburst of the Chief Minister O Ibobi alleging financial mishaps in the state if the demand of COTA is met is highly improbable , and the stance of the teachers should not be presented in the wrong light , a press release of COTA states.

The release further states that the cabinet should put up the matter on the table and further reflect on the pay structure received by the teaching fraternity in other states.

The college teachers also condemned the statement of Manipur chief minister O Ibobi Singh who said yesterday that the demand of the teachers couldn`™t be met.

It is worth noting that government teachers of Manipur under the aegis of Council of Teachers Association (COTA) have intensified their ongoing fast until death stir with 200 more teachers volunteering to break into a striking mode, more waiting in the anvil to join their colleagues at the face of stark reality following total apathy by the government to their demand for the implementation of central 6th revised pay commission recommendation in toto.

Teachers under COTA have been resorting to fast until death stir as a last option since January 19 at the campus premises of Johnstone Higher Secondary School and later shifted to Churachand Higher secondary School demanding implementation of the 6th pay commission recommendation in toto. As of today, 195 teachers have been arrested by the police and lodged in jail on charges of attempting to commit suicide.

It has been demanding the implementation of 6th pay recommendation since 2009 via various forms of agitation and negotiation. Early in 2010, the government and the striking teachers had reached an agreement with the government buckling under pressure and agreeing to adopt and accept the implementation of the recommendation of six pay commission.

But since their demand has been falling on deaf ears of the government, COTA has pledged to intensify its stir with member teachers volunteering in huge numbers .

At least 195 teachers who were on fast until death stir have since been arrested .

In their attempt to step up the agitation, 200 teachers ,180 from Imphal East zone II and 20 from Chandel district freshly joined the stir Beginning Tuesday last, the teachers are going into an overdrive with the ongoing fast until death stir in a group of 200 teachers. Earlier on, the teachers sat at the fast in a group of 20 so as not to disrupt the academic atmosphere of schools.

The teachers`™ body also alleged that despite three rounds of negotiation and constant pressure, the government is still unwilling to produce a white paper on the non-plan budget of teachers and education, hiding as it is within a non-transparent and unaccountable veil.

Federation of All Colleges Teachers`™ Association Manipur (FACTAM) has also been demanding UGC pay bands by going on a mass casual leave on February 18 and 19. Since yesterday, the college teachers have also resorted to sit in protest and have given February 28 as the deadline for the government to meet their demand failing which FACTAM will launch different forms of agitation.

This move of FACTAM will effectively paralyze around 28 colleges, bringing the academic atmosphere of the students to a complete halt.

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