Students march to Raj Bhavan, submit memo

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Nov 25: Vehemently protesting the brute force unleashed by security forces and the physical assault on IDPs, and demanding immediate resettlement of all IDPs, students of CC Higher Secondary School, Johnstone Higher Secondary School and Ibotonsana Higher Secondary School marched to the Raj Bhavan today.
A little past 11 am today,   the students marching from the Sanjenthong side reached the Nupi Lan complex. There they met a strong security barricade.
The security forces drove back the protesting students by firing several rounds of tear gas shells and smoke bombs.
After driving back the students beyond Sanjen-thong, the security forces took three students to the Raj Bhavan and let them submit a memorandum.
The memorandum was handed over to the reception of the Governor’s office as Ajay Kumar Bhalla was away from the Raj Bhavan at that moment.
The protesters used placards which read as “IDPs should be allowed to go home immediately”, “Don’t terrorise students” etc.
In the meantime, a large number of security forces surrounded both Johnstone Higher Secondary School and Ibotonsana Higher Secondary School, and they did not allow any student from moving out of their school campuses without valid reasons.
One Ningthoujam Pun-siba, a Class XII (Science) student of CC Higher Secondary School said they condemn in the strongest terms the brute force unleashed by Manipur Police  and Central forces at Dolaithabi against IDPs who were only going back home on Monday.
Among others, one Chandam Adison, a displaced student from Ikou sustained grievous injuries in the excessive police action and this is a matter of grave concern, Punsiba said.
He said that a memorandum was submitted to the Governor demanding befitting action against the security personnel involved in yesterday’s brutal crackdown on IDPs, medical help to the injured victims from the side of the Government and immediate resettlement of IDPs at their homes.
Punsiba said that they will launch more intense agitation if their demands are not fulfilled at the earliest.