Manipur University bandh: CM N Biren Singh urges varsity students to withdraw 48-hr shutdown call, says govt ready to hold talks

Imphal: Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh appealed to several student organisations to withdraw their call for a 48-hour state-wide bandh beginning from Wednesday midnight, demanding release of the arrested teachers and students of the Manipur University. The chief minister said any issue can be resolved through dialogue and his government is ready to hold talks with the students anywhere and anytime. The bandh call was given after 89 students and six teachers of the Manipur University were arrested on 21 September following an agitation on the institute’s campus the day before. [caption id=“attachment_5233261” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of heavy security deployment around Manipur University campus. Image courtesy: Sunzu Bachaspatimayum[/caption] A team of officers raided the university hostel and the residential quarters at around 1 am and took the students and the teachers into custody based on a complaint filed by newly appointed Acting Vice Chancellor K Yugindro Singh. On Monday also, the chief minister had appealed to the students, teachers and employees of the university to work together to bring a solution rather than prolonging the impasse. Since the university falls under the jurisdiction of the Union HRD ministry, the state authorities cannot directly intervene but is committed to restore normalcy and peaceful academic atmosphere, he had said. The chief minister told reporters at the secretariat that it should kept in mind by all that incumbent Vice-Chancellor K Yugindro Singh was appointed as per the orders of MHRD. He said it’s high time that the people introspect the reason for bandh and it’s negative impact, adding that all government officials would attend their offices. Chief Secretary J Suresh Babu also issued an order asking government officials across the state to attend their duties failing which disciplinary action would be taken up against them. K Yugindro Singh, in his complaint, had said he was “gheraoed” by the agitators for trying to assume charges at the central university, where a prolonged battle between former vice chancellor AP Panday and the students and teachers have hampered academic activities for over four months. President Ram Nath Kovind, in his capacity as Visitor of the Manipur University, recently placed Panday under suspension as an inquiry into the allegations of irregularities against him was underway. K Yugindro Singh was appointed as the Acting V-C by the Ministry of Human Resources Department, soon after the suspension of Panday.