Schools boycott affects Manipur students

Imphal, (ANI) : A boycott of all schools and colleges under the banner of the Manipur Students Organisation has affected the future of thousands of students into risk.

Ten -year-old Nand Kumar is busy playing these days.The reason: His school, the Regular English High School at Kwakeithel Kongeingbam Leikai in Imphal West has been closed since September 9.

Though Kumar is unaware of what it means, his parents are extremely worried that their child may lose an academic year. They are against the forcible closure of schools and want studies to resume.

Parents felt that as their children haven't been to school from some time, they have forgotten what they have learnt.

They felt that all organizations should come up with a solution that ensures resumption of classes.

The responsibility for the existing situation lies at the doorsteps of three Student Organizations - the All Manipur Students Union, Manipur Students' Federation and Kangleipak Students' Organization, who have called for a boycott in protest against an alleged encounter on July 23 in the Imphal market complex.

The State Government has announced that educational institutions will resume classes. Security has been provided at many schools, particularly in four districts - Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishenpur and Thoubal.

Currently over 20 per cent of schools have resumed classes.

"Government should take some steps otherwise everything will be finished. It's too much because it's been almost four to five months and none of the students are going to school. Our colleges are already closed and if somebody goes there, students' Union, they come and create so many problems. Government should take some initiatives otherwise," said Manocha a Manipuri native settled in Delhi.

According to Soeum a Manipuri studying in Chennai : "My dad is a businessman. He is running a textile shop out there. So the thing is, if anything likes this happen, the whole state comes to a halt - curfew or a bandh imposed. It goes for a week and week, and no one knows when it is going to end, basically affect everybody in Manipur. Not only me, but everybody."

Education is the key to success in the modern world and the closure of educational institutions will affect the current generation of Manipuri children's ability to make a place for themselves and compete in the contemporary society. (ANI)