IMPHAL, Oct 14 NNN : The proposed indefinite economic blockade in Manipur has been deferred by three days following a fervent appeal made by Manipur education minister M Oken to the tribal student leaders on Sunday.
The Joint Committee of Hill District Students Organisation (JCHDSO) had proposed to impose indefinite economic blockade from the midnight of October 15 on all the national highways passing through Manipur demanding to open examination centres of Teacher’s Eligibility Test (TET) in the hill districts from this year onwards and also to avail the forms for the same in the hill areas. TET exams are to be held on November 11.
The JCHDSO comprises Zeliarong Student’s Union, Manipur (ZSUM), Churachandpur District Student’s Union (CDSU), Senapati District Student’s Association (SDSA), Tangkhul Katamnao Saklong (TKS) and Naga Student’s Union, Chandel (NSUC).
On the reported technical problems the state government has not been able to conduct the exams in the hill districts from this year onwards. The tribal students are peeved by the this stand of the state government and hence announced to impose indefinite economic blockade.
A day before the proposed imposition of the economic blockade the JCHDSO held another round of talk with the state government represented by education minister M Oken which was also participated by tribal MLAs including Z Kikhonbou (Tamei), Preshaw Shimray (Chingai) and Alexander Pou (Karong) but no solution was arrived at.
Education minister M Oken reportedly requested the tribal student leaders to wait for three more days as he wants to consult the matter with the state chief minister and his colleagues. Complying the minister’s request the JCHDSO has deferred the proposed agitation. “However, failure to fulfill our demand will amount to invite indefinite economic blockade and we will no longer talk with the government then,” warns D Stephen, convenor of the JCHDSO. “We cannot compromise this matter,” asserted Stephen.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/economic-blockade-deferred-by-three-days/
