IMPHAL, Nov 21 NNN : The quagmire pertaining to the \u2018revival\u2019 of All Tribal Students\u2019 Union, Manipur (ATSUM) is here to stay for a longer period than expected.
\nOn Wednesday, the Kuki Students\u2019 Organisation (KSO) said that it does not recognize the \u2018general assembly\u2019 convened November 20 at Hotel Tampha by some tribal student leaders in the guise of All Tribal Students\u2019 Union, Manipur (ATSUM). The KSO declared that all decisions or resolutions adopted in that \u201cbogus assembly\u201d were in vain. And the mooted \u2018tribal commission\u2019 advocated by the assembly was nothing but futile attempt to gain acceptance in the eyes of the public by posing as ATSUM, the Kuki students\u2019 body stated.
\n\u201cOn November 13, 2012, a consultative meeting was held at Hotel Imphal participated by Senapati District Students\u2019 Association (SDSA), Naga Students\u2019 Union Chandel (NSUC), Kuki Students\u2019 Organisation (KSO- General Headquarters) and its district branches, former ATSUM presidents, secretaries, and advisors; in the august presence of the ATSUM\u2019s founder president. In that meeting the controversial formation of ATSUM was deliberated and all the participants expressed their regrets that such a situation that had never happened in the history of ATSUM came out to taunt the tribal society today.
\nAfter a threadbare discussion, it was unanimously agreed that an \u2018interim body\u2019 of five members be formed. Accordingly a \u2018five member interim body\u2019 was constituted which includes the ATSUM founder president and four other senior leaders.
\nThe five member interim body was authorized to find a solution for holding a legitimate ATSUM election. The meeting resolved that no leaders should waver from supporting this course of action until its objective is achieved.
\nThe interim body also decided not to resort to a \u2018paper war\u2019 in the interest of tribal solidarity and well being of ATSUM,\u201d the Kuki Students\u2019 Organisation (KSO) said.
\nAccording to the KSO, it pledges to find a way out of this imbroglio and settle this contentious issue in a peaceful manner.
\n\u201cIt is to be noted that Churachandpur District Students\u2019 Union (CDSU), in its letter addressed to the \u2018self styled\u2019 speaker of ATSUM, has already \u2018suspended\u2019 its presidential candidacy in the supposedly formed ATSUM. It does not support this ATSUM anymore. Therefore, this supposedly formed ATSUM can never represent the whole tribal population of Manipur. It does not have the mandate to represent the hope and aspiration of the tribal people. As a matter of fact, it is prudent of these student leaders to form a new organization if they are that much eager to work for tribal interests, rather than function in the name and style of ATSUM,\u201d the KSO suggested.
\nThe Kuki students\u2019 body then said since this is a \u201cpseudo ATSUM\u201d having no legitimate support of KSO and All Naga Students\u2019 Association, Manipur (ANSAM), verily it will be seen that everything it embodied will be just hogwash. \u201cThese people should not try to steal the name of ATSUM but trying to realize that ATSUM cannot just work without the \u2018unanimous\u2019 support of the KSO and ANSAM as its supporting pillars. These supposed leaders of ATSUM must not hope to take the easy way out by trying to gain mileage from whatever ATSUM had painstakingly built and achieved so far,\u201d the Kuki students\u2019 body cautions.
\nTime and again, the KSO then urges the public not to accord any recognition or lend any support to this \u2018pseudo ATSUM\u2019.
\nThe ATSUM will be restored to its former self under the auspice of the \u2018five member interim body\u2019, with the support of the ANSAM, the KSO, and the former leaders of ATSUM, the Kuki students\u2019 body added.<\/p>\n\n