Dimapur, October 17 (MExN): The ANSAM rejected Manipur government’s mulling a legislation to curtail the move of hill students’ in Manipur to be affiliated to the NBSE. The minority Naga students enrolled in private schools has demonstrated their desire to opt for suitable and preferable syllabus under NBSE and have sought for affiliation, the All Naga Students Association Manipur pointed out.
Expressing strong support to the initiative of Naga Students, the ANSAM rejected the reported statement by an anonymous senior official of the Manipur government to consider ordinance to ban affiliation outside the state and disallow opening of Exam Centers of any board of school education. The association explained the reason that it is an adopted norm and policy of India to guarantee the right and freedom of linguistic, religious and culture minorities to opt for educational establishment and administration of their choice. A note from the ANSAM gave an instance through its press secretary Daniel Leivon: “The West Bengal Board of Secondary Education is conducting Madhyamik or secondary examination annually and simultaneously all over the state of West Bengal and also in affiliates of the board located outside West Bengal, elsewhere in India. Is it an unlawful demand, when democracy in India provides space for the ethnic minority to opine and follow their will and aspiration to preserve and protect their language, identity, culture, tradition and history?”
The students’ termed the Manipur government’s stance as a “coercive attempt with despotic and chauvinistic attitude, to forcibly chain the tribal people at the whim of dominant majority.” The ANSAM stated that the minority ethnic groups in Manipur have tolerated with patience, the oppression, exploitation, discrimination, deprivation of the dominant-ruled government for the past many decades.
“Is the changing development in the Hill Districts panicking, frightening and threatening? Why the dominant state government is unable to reason the interest of the minority ethnic communities? Why explore unjustified exercise to disrespect the hill people? Coercive persuasion of the state will be a futile exercise without respecting the rights of the minorities educationally, socially, politically and economically.” The ANSAM “rejects the blatant announcement of the state decision considering the discriminatory ordinance of State Cabinet and regulation that deny and deprive the ethnic minorities of their rights to educational establishment and administration of their choice.”
It assured the Manipur government that the Naga students are very much prepared to face any eventuality in safeguarding the rights of the minority ethnic communities.
