The Thadou Students’ Association (TSA) of Manipur which had threatened to call for a 36-hour shutdown starting from 6 am of January 16 till 6 pm of January 17 has suspended their scheduled agitation following ‘an understanding’ with the authorities on Monday afternoon. This was stated in a press release from the TSA on Monday evening.
The TSA had planned to impose a 36-hour blockade for the alleged failure of the Manipur Government to deliver justice in connection with a number of crime cases in 2016 and 2017 besides the issue of the authorities not introducing Thadou Kuki (MIL) subjects in the higher secondary schools, the release stated.
The press release informed about a meeting with state authorities and it was agreed that an inquiry commission (special investigation team) headed by Pramod Ashthana, ADGP (law and order and intelligence) would be set up within three days and a charge sheet would be submitted within three months regarding the May 5 2017 Sugnu murder cases, the release informed.
During the meeting the attending members reportedly agreed that action is to be taken at the earliest and a charge sheet be submitted within three months and that the state’s government pay an ex-gratia of Rs five lakh besides a government job to the next of kin of the deceased ‘immediately.’
About the alleged ‘non-introduction’ of Thadou-Kuki (MIL) subject in higher secondary schools in the valley, it is said that the members agreed upon recruitment of temporary teachers for the MIL and other tribal dialects in relevant government higher secondary schools before the next academic session of 2018-19 and that the subjects to be introduced from 2018-19 onwards.
The agitation was planned for the Imphal-Moreh, Imphal-Dimapur, Imphal-Jiribam and Imphal-Churachandpur roads, as reported earlier in North East Now.
The TSA said it would resume their agitation ‘if the clauses in the understanding which was reached with the government on Monday are not fulfilled within the stipulated timeframe.’