85-day long Manipur University agitation called off in interest of pupils, says students' union president

Imphal: The 85-day long agitation at Manipur University was called off on Thursday by the protesters in the interest of students, Manipur University Students’ Union president M Dayaman Singh said. The students of the university had been demanding the removal of Vice-Chancellor A P Pandey and constitution of an Independent Enquiry Committee to look into the allegations of administrative and financial lapses made by the vice-chancellor. The agitation was called off in the interest of students and particularly after the HRD ministry agreed to all the terms included in the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed on 16 August, Singh said. [caption id=“attachment_5029961” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Manipur University. Image Courtesy: University’s website[/caption] The Manipur University Teachers’ Association and the Manipur University Students’ Union said it was for the authorities to decide when the classes would resume in the varsity. The MOA was signed by the Manipur University Students’ Union, the Manipur University Teachers’ Association, the Manipur University Staffs’ Association and representatives of the HRD Ministry and the state government. On 21 August, the HRD Ministry through the Registrar in-charge Prof M Shamkesho Singh had issued a press release, saying that the ministry had agreed to all the demands raised by the protesting bodies. M Dayaman Singh said as they have called off the protest, the university authorities can now initiate steps to hold MA exams and declare pending results of final year college students. He, however, maintained that their demand for removal of Pandey remains and any effort to reinstate him will not be accepted. The Manipur University Students’ Union had started the agitation on 30 May which had paralysed all academic activities in the Central varsity. When asked about all those deans and heads of departments who had resigned during the course of the agitation, M Dayaman Singh said the matter will now be taken up by the authorities concerned. Six deans, the PRO and 29 out of 31 head of departments had resigned after the agitation began. The HRD Ministry had set up a two-member inquiry committee to investigate the allegations of administrative and financial irregularities against Pandey.