Newmai News Network Imphal | November 7 The All Tribal Students' Union Manipur (ATSUM) has appealed the Manipur State Government to respect the Constitutional rights of the tribals and “immediately” initiate the recruitment process of filling up the back log posts of Assistant Professors of government colleges at the earliest. Failing to address the "genuine rights" of the tribal populace, ATSUM said it will resort to its course of agitation. Recalling the background, the ATSUM said that, as per the decision of the joint sitting of State Government of Manipur and ATSUM on September 27, 2017 in the chamber of the Chief Secretary, the Government of Manipur, the Higher Education was supposed to declare the results of recruitment of 280 Assistant Professors and to simultaneously announce for conducting a special recruitment drive for backlog Scheduled Tribe (ST) reserved posts of Assistant Professor on the day of result declaration. “However, the Higher Education department, Manipur has failed to respect the understanding and decision of the meeting dated September 27, 2017 deliberately,” it alleged. On the “impasse” of the appointment of the Tribal Research Institute (TRI)’s Deputy Director and the “using of muscle power by All Manipur Student Union (AMSU) against the decision of the department, Government of Manipur on August 1, 2017” the ATSUM said such acts are tantamount to breach of rule of law. “Locking up the TRI office and storming into the office of the principal secretary, TA & Hills by volunteers of AMSU right on the nose of the security personnel, speak volumes that mob justice is encouraged in Manipur. ATSUM as an apex tribal body is for the well being of the state and not to create enmity with any civil organizations,” it added. According to the ATSUM, TRI is solely funded by the “Ministry” with the objective of uplifting the tribals to promote, preserve tribal cultural research and developmental aspects, preservation of tribal culture and languages. “As such, the government is to see that, the operational guideline of the Ministry is strictly followed,” the ATSUM asserted.