Newmai News Network IMPHAL | OCTOBER 9 Various apex organizations from the hills have urged the President of India, Ramnath Kovind to “immediately intervene” into the ongoing Manipur University impasse. The hill based organizations also demanded that a “separate Hill Tribal Central University” be set up at the earliest for the tribal people of Manipur. In a joint memorandum addressed to Ramnath Kovind, which was made available to Newmai News Network tonight, the United Naga Council (UNC), the Zomi Council (ZC), the Hmar Inpui, General Headquarters (HI-GHQ), the Mizo Peoples’ Convention, Manipur (MPC) and the Thadou Inpi, General Headquarters (TI-GHQ), under the banner of Outer Manipur Tribals’ Forum (OMTF), urged the President of India to initiate “necessary prompt action with all seriousness” on the issues. In the memorandum, the five signatories said that the Outer Manipur Tribals’ Forum (OMTF) “seriously viewed the chaos created by some students, teachers and employees of Manipur Central University, the ‘Highest Temple of Wisdom’, spoiling the precious career of hundreds of thousands of promising students just to meet their selfish and ill motivated agenda.” The five hill based organizations then demanded that, a “separate Hill Tribal Central University be set up at the earliest for the tribal people of Manipur.” They also demanded that the Government of India should take up all the pending CBI cases “lodged against the officials of the Manipur Central University effecting from October 13, 2005” and book according to the law of the land immediately. The five hill based organizations then demanded that an independent High Power Committee be constituted by the Government of India to investigate in order to bring normalcy and solve the entire “chronic problems” of Manipur Central University once and for all. “In view of the above mentioned points and circumstances and to maintain the sanctity of the Manipur Central University, attention of the Honourable President of India is grabbed to take up necessary appropriate prompt action in the best interest of the student community and also to bring back normalcy in the university,” the memorandum added. The memorandum was jointly signed by Stephen Thangtinlen Haokip, President of Thadou Inpi General Headquarters (TI-GHQ), Vanlalrinliana, President, Mizo Peoples’ Convention, Manipur (MPC-M), Joseph Lalrothang, President, Hmar Inpui, General Headquarters (HI-GHQ), John K. Ngaihte, Chairman, Zomi Council (ZC) and Gaidon Kamei, President, United Naga Council (UNC).
