Newmai News Network Imphal | September 23 The Thadou Students’ Association, General Headquarters (TSA-GHQ) said it "vehemently" condemned the alleged mob violence "meted out to the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Pro VC) by a group of agitators" at Manipur University (MU) on September 20, 2018. According to the TSA-GHQ, the mob allegedly threatened the Pro VC and Registrar (in charge) with the same "fate meted out to Prof. Islamuddin", who was murdered inside the university in May, 2009. The TSA-GHQ said that "this alarming" situation required law enforcement agencies to step in and take effective measures. The TSA-GHQ also alleged that the mob also made the Pro Vice Chancellor and Registrar (in charge) to sign an apology letter under duress stating “apologies for my unpardonable act and solemnly affirmed not to repeat such act of misconduct and violation of the sanctity of the university in the future” on September 20, 2018 at the university campus. The TSA-GHQ then said that it also condemned the "desperate public campaign" taken up by the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) and its constituent bodies. "University, which should be free from politics, has unfortunately been seized as a political ground by the MPCC to strike back at its opponent," said the TSA-GHQ. "It is not that such a crisis has not happened during the Congress regime in Manipur. It was during the Congress rule in 2016 the mass exodus of tribal students from the Manipur University happened due to systematic discrimination of tribal students in the university. The politics is still on. The blatant politicization of the unfortunate situation in Manipur University at the cost of the students is very unfortunate. It is high time political parties stop interfering in the functioning and administration of the university,” the TSA-GHQ stated. The TSA-GHQ then said that, if the real intention of Manipur University Students' Union (MUSU) was to remove Prof A P Pandey as the Vice-Chancellor "as they always claimed, MUSU would have shunned agitation and confrontation against the Pro VC and VC Prof K Yugindro Singh and Registrar Shyamkesho Singh consequent upon the suspension of Prof AP Pandey by the President of India through Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD) pending the investigation by the Two Men Independent Enquiry Committee". The TSA-GHQ then questioned MUSU whether the "whole agenda" of their agitation was to appoint a particular person to the post of the Vice Chancellor of the university. "Being a student association, it would be prudent on the part of MUSU to focus on education rather than being too involved in the appointment of the VC", the TSA-GHQ advised. Meanwhile, the TSA-GHQ appealed to all concerned civil societies to refrain from any activity that could vitiate the functioning of the university and be cautious about supporting mob agitations that could lead to mob violence. "It is pertinent to note that the state cabinet has recently passed an ordinance implementing the Manipur Mob Violence Control and Prohibition Bill, 2018 with immediate effect in view of the increasing rate of incidents of awarding instant punishment by mob without any fair trial," the TSA-GHQ stated.
