Four students were injured when the police fired tear- gas shells to disperse agitating students who tried to raid the house of K. Yugindro, the acting Vice-Chancellor of Manipur University, on Saturday night. The students, representing six students' bodies, are demanding unconditional release of six MU professors and 10 students.
They were arrested during the September 20 raids on MU hostels. Chief Minister N. Biren justified the raids, saying in the past a professor was gunned down while two others, including the then V-C Prof. N. Bijoy, were kneecapped. However, as part of the ongoing negotiations, police and paramilitary personnel were withdrawn from the campus.
“The teachers and students were arrested on the basis of an FIR filed by Prof Yugindro. If the FIR is withdrawn, the arrested persons could be released,” the CM had said.
However, Prof. Yugindro sent a letter to Union HRD Ministry on October 1, contending that Governor Najma Heptulla and Mr. Biren were siding with “terrorists”. Both the Governor and the Chief Minister have not publicly reacted to this serious charge. Veteran politician and former Minister O. Joy said: “The charge is outlandish and highly condemnable.”
Meanwhile, in response to an PIL, the Manipur High Court gave time to the MU authority till October 11 to restore normality on the campus. The Division Bench of Justices N. Koteswor and Kh. Nobin said after this deadline, the court would intervene to restore normality.
After 85 days of closure of the MU, classes and official work were resumed once the V-C, Prof A.P. Pandey, was given forced leave. However, the academic atmosphere was vitiated when Prof. Yugindro was appointed the V-C in charge.
Girl students have been on relay hunger strike demanding release of the teachers and students. A two-member inquiry committee headed by N. Nandakumar, retired acting Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court, is looking into the charges against Prof. Pandey.
Though police and security personnel were withdrawn from the campus as part of the interim agreement, the police have beefed up security measures on the MU campus.
Armed and riot police have been deployed in the Thangapat areas of Imphal where the house of Prof. Yugindro is located. No vehicle is allowed in the locality.
