Imphal students protest against suspension of classes

Imphal, Feb 13 (ANI): In a bid to re-start the suspended classes, Manipur students taged a protest here to end the ongoing tussle between teachers and the government.

The teachers under the banner of Council of Teachers' Association (COTA) suspended classes over the demand for the implementation of Sixth Central Pay in total.

Teachers from primary to secondary levels have decided to stay away from duty, as class 10th and 12th examination is due to begin from March 25 and March 16 respectively.

The protesting students holding banners in their hands marched to the residences of Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh and Governor Shivinder Singh Siddhu on Saturday.

Demanding the issue to be resolved within a week, they later threw their books and torn their notebooks at the gates of the residences of the Chief Minister and the Governor.

"We have organized this movement after we formed a new committee to break the impasses between the Council of Teachers' Association COTA and the Government, as we feel that the possibility of conducting the upcoming matriculation and secondary examination is getting very dim," said Heroji, a protesting student.

"Today, we have taken this extreme step, after we have approached and submitted memorandums four or five days ahead demanding to resolve the impasses. However, the government kept a deaf ear to those. We want to ask the Manipur Government who we are. There is no point of having students where there is no teacher," he added.

Heroji further said that there is no point of learning when there is no teaching at all.

"So what we are demanding right now is allow us to meet the Chief Minister, so that we can inform him that if such impasses will continue we will burn down the schools, as there is no point of keeping the schools, and we will intensify our agitation in various forms from tomorrow," he said.

"Due to the impasses between the teachers and the government, we students are going to damage our career. So, we want a free zone and want to study. So bring an end with the prevailing impasses between the Government and teachers, and make us study," added Thongram Henry Chanu, another student. (ANI)