The indefinite ban imposed on Times of India in Manipur by the Manipur Students' Federation (MSF) has been lifted. However the ban on the RSS for demanding extension of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 shall continue. Talking to reporters the MSF president K. Sirazuddin said that the RSS has declined to give a justification for its stand which is against the wish of the people. Instead its local functionaries have been rather making a sport of the MSF stand on the issue.
The president said that a student, Pebam Chittaranjan, had committed self immolation on the demand for the repeal of the AFSPA. Irom Sharmila has been fast unto death since November 4, 2000 on the same demand. All these years, all sections of people have been agitating for the repeal of the AFSPA.
Without understanding the ground realities and giving due respect to the wish of the people, the RSS said that the AFSPA should continue. The MSF says that the local unit of the RSS shall not be allowed to perform any function in Manipur.
The MSF is also demanding a 50 per cent discount for students in all private hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centres in Manipur.
