Protest Erupts in Moreh Against Burning of Educational Institutions; Demands Removal of Police Commandos

Large numbers of students, teachers, members of Moreh Private Schools Association (MoPSA) and womenfolk today held a sit-in-protest against the burning down of educational institutions by police commandos in Moreh town. A similar protest was also held in Tengnoupal district headquarters.

The agitating students, teachers and members of MoPSA held placards - “Give Us Chance To Go To School By Removing CDO from Moreh,” “We Want Peace, Not Commando,” “PM Modi Ji, Please Open Our School,” “Education Our Birth Right,” “We Want Re-opening of Schools,” “Burning of Educational Institutions is Hatred Towards Mankind,” “Save Our Schools By Removing Commando” and they also shouted slogans like “We Want Normalcy In Moreh,” “Pu Modi Open Our School,” “Pu Union Home Minister fulfill Our Memorandum” and “No To Meitei Commandos.”

On 17 January, 2024 a fierce gunfight broke out between police commandos and suspected village volunteers in Moreh following which the police commandos torched several civilian houses including three educational institutions - Mt. Moreh Public School (Canan veng Moreh), Bethsaida Academy (Phaicham veng Moreh) and Dr. Colvin Academy (Phaicham veng Moreh).

On December 30, 2023, the police commando abducted a teacher from Moreh bazaar and mercilessly thrashed and tortured him. On the said day, a gunfight broke out between police commandos and village volunteers near JJ Children Home, Moreh. Peter Holkholal Mate who is an assistant teacher at Bethel High School, was unaware of the gunfiring as the school is located at Mission Veng which is over 3km away from the gun fight area. Being unaware of the gun fight he was on his way home when he was abducted by the police commandos at Moreh bazaar. Peter Holkholal Mate son of Tinnu Mate is also said to be the Joint Secretary of the MYC (Moreh Youth Club) Unit - IV and an executive member of the St. George Parish Youths, Moreh.

Deliberate attacks on teachers and members of the students community and burning down of educational institutions has forced students, teachers, members of MoPSA and womenfolk to demand removal of the perpetrators – the police commandos – from Moreh town.

Banners at the protest site read, ‘The deliberate attempt to destroy the educational institutions by burning down 3 High schools in Moreh town by Manipur state forces,’ ‘The total disregard and disrespect towards the future of the children of Moreh and its surroundings trampling the students’ right to education by the state and central government’ and ‘The delay tactics of removal of Manipur police commandos from Tengnoupal district despite the strong appeal from the people of the district’.

The Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO) Moreh Block, Kuki Women Union for Human Rights (KWUHR) and Moreh Private Schools Association (MoPSA) submitted a joint memorandum to the Home Minister demanding the HM to remove police commandos from Moreh so as to bring back normalcy and to re-open the educational institutions in the border town.

Burning of schools and deliberate attack on teachers and students community amidst the intermittent gunfight has instilled a sense of fear and insecurity to parents and Moreh residents who are now refusing to send their children to schools. Moreover, scared by the targeted attacks, the teachers and school proprietors are reluctant to resume their normal functioning and the schools have remained shut since May 3, leaving thousands of students staring at an uncertain future.