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Front Page >> Editorials > Story
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Of Power And Responsibilities
Student power is acknowledged the world over and Manipur is no exception. In fact the last few years have clearly demonstrated that the numerous student organizations which have sprung up all over the State have the capability to bring the State Government to its knees and take to the streets on any issues. One just has to recollect the State wide agitation launched by the All Manipur Students' Union in the nineties to include Manipuri language in the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution. Student organizations have also been at the fore front of many issues besetting the State and today they have become one of the most powerful pressure groups in the State.

It is therefore not for nothing that the Government wakes up whenever the student bodies take up any issue. At the moment, the demand to affiliate the private schools in the district of Ukhrul, Senapati, Tamenglong and Chandel to the Nagaland Board of Secondary Education is being spearheaded by the All Naga Students' Association, Manipur, which is one of the most powerful student organizations in the hill districts of Manipur. The crippling 52 days economic blockade was also imposed by ANSAM. We cite these few examples because of the immense clout and power that student bodies enjoy today and it is also important for these bodies to realize that along with the power and influence they wield, they also have a corresponding responsibility to ensure that any agitation or cause they take up does not become destructive or takes on a negative tinge.

Today the Manipuri Students' Federation, another powerful student body, is out on the street demanding that the Government ensures regular classes at the Government aided colleges. Demanding regular classes is absolutely justified and no one can question the legitimacy of raising such a demand in the backdrop of the lack of any initiative taken up by the Government to break the deadlock with the aided college teachers.

In pursuit of their demand, the MSF has launched a spree of burning Government files which were previously seized from different departments. This is where we would like to raise our concern and reservations against the method adopted by the MSF. Their demand is justified, no doubt, but a relook at the mode of their protest is desirable. Burning Government files, means burning the valuable records and data which are crucial for running the affairs of the State. Moreover burning such files may mean effectively destroying evidences that may be produced later against any employee. Remember skeletons have been tumbling out of the closet in the Education Department over the large scale fake appointments of employees, the fraudulent withdrawal of funds etc and investigations into these cases are still going on. There is no guarantee that the files which have been consigned to the flames do not contain valuable information for the investigation to proceed to its logical end.

The issue taken up by MSF is commendable but a relook at its mode of protest is required. As a student body, MSF should realize that along with the power and influence they wield, they also have responsibilities and burning Government files is not exactly a responsible act.

(Courtesy: The Sangai Express)

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