Kuki-Zo Medical Students Hold Protest Against Continued Discrimination; Urges Manipur Guv to Expedite Migration to Outside State

The internally displaced medical students from the Kuki-Zo community on Tuesday took to the street in protest against the continued discrimination by the concerned authority, debarring them from appearing the first year examination under the Manipur University that commenced today.

The Kuki-Zo students, who were displaced from the Meitei dominated Imphal, felt hurt because their fellow displaced students belonging to the Meitei community from Churachandpur Medical College were allowed to continue their studies at Imphal JNIMS centre uninterruptedly; whereas, no such arrangement was made for the displaced Kuki-Zo student community.

The Kuki-Zo students said that they somehow joined their fellow Churachandpur Medical College's students in the classes with the hope of writing University examination together with them, which was verbally assured by the Chief Secretary and the DC Churachandpur. However, they were denied appearing the examination.

The students took a rally from Tuibong Bazar to the Mini-Secretariat, Tuibong, and held a sit-in protest at the DC office gate the whole day and submitted a memorandum addressed to the Governor of Manipur through the Deputy Commissioner.

The protestors were also visited by the North East Students' Organisation ( NESO) leaders such as Ejan Lotha, NESO Coordinator; Medovi, President of NSF, and Heiko Kent, Secy Finance of NSF. The NESO Coordinator, Ejan Lotha, while talking to students, assured them that the organisation has taken the issue seriously and would try to solve it so that their grievances are sorted out.

In the memorandum, the medical students stated that there are 33 phase-I MBBS students (27 displaced from Imphal colleges and 6 non-displaced of CMC) continuing their classes at Churachandpur Medical College (CMC) since the aftermath of the ethnic crisis in Manipur.

The meeting of the Directors/Deans of medical colleges under the Manipur University held on October 20, 2023 had resolved to seek permission from the National Medical Commission for any alternative arrangement and possible modalities for conducting examination of the displaced students of the state. In the letter No. U 15028/2023-UGMEB dated 13/11/20323 issued by the National Medical Commission, the Commission clearly stated that "NMC has no objection if displaced students appearing in the university examination from Parent College or from a different college. University may take decision after due consultation with colleges and state authorities".

Accordingly, the 27 MBBS displaced tribal students also filled up their Examination forms, Admit Cards and deposited exam fees. The copies for payment of fees were submitted through DC, Churachandpur.

"We the 29 (2 BDS +27 MBBS) displaced students were thus preparing to write the university examination scheduled on 14/11/2023 and 21/11/2023 respectively. Unfortunately in the last minute of 13/11/2023, we were debarred from taking the BDS Exam and again on 18/11/2023, we were informed that Admit Cards and exam materials were sent only for six (6) MBBS Churachandpur Medical College students; and yet the displaced students were excluded,"  the students said in the memorandum.

"This arbitrary action of Manipur University has greatly disappointed us. We would, therefore, like to know on what ground our six fellow students from CMC are allowed to write their exam and we are denied the same when all of us have been having the same classes and same training under one roof? Why MU is not allowing us to write the university exam even after getting NoC from NMC?"

The displaced tribal students alleged that they were discriminated, intentionally sidelined and the concerned authority has taken away their Rights to Education.

With no hope in the University of Manipur, the students urged the Governor of Manipur, Anusuiya Uikey, to kindly expedite the process for migration of the minority Kuki-Zo medical students to other suitable Medical and Dental Colleges outside the state of Manipur, which was also the recommendation of the Supreme Court in its interim order W.P (c) No. 576/2023 (PIL-W) ORDER dated 11-07-2023.