Students and Staff of Various Schools in LAMKA and Kanggui Holds Mass Rally in Protest Against Disaffiliation of 25 Schools, Suspension of 3 ZEO Officials and the Recent Burning of SchoolS in Moreh

LAMKA: Spearheaded by the Joint Students’ Body Lamka and Kuki Students Organisation Churachandpur, students and staff of schools in Churachandpur district took to a mass rally against the disaffiliation of 25 schools in Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts from Central Board of Secondary Education.

Volunteers of the student bodies, students and staff of different schools under Churachandpur district gathered at Public ground, Hiangtam and marched towards Peace Ground, Tuibong on Thursday, protesting against the disaffiliation of 25 Schools by CBSE and suspension of 3 ZEO officials.

The students can be seen holding placards such as ‘Reverse Unjust CBSE Disaffiliation’, ‘Revoke the Suspension of 3 ZEO officials’, ‘No CBSE No Rest’ and many more.

Briefing the media after concluding the rally at Peace Ground Tuibong, Joint Secretary of the Joint Students Body Lamka, Samuel Taithul, said that the rally is a mark of protest against the unjust disaffiliation of 25 schools from Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts from Central Board of Secondary Education.

Alleging that the said schools were disaffiliated because of the pressure and influence by the state government, Samuel added that highest officials of CBSE and some officials of the central government have already approved for the affiliation of the 25 schools under CBSE.

The General Secretary JSB Lamka added that the rally is also a protest against the recent burning of 3 schools in Moreh under Tengnoupal district by the state forces and also the unjust suspension of 3 ZEO officials on the ground that they were not the competent authority to issue NOC for the schools.

As per the CBSE affiliation by laws of 2018, the district educational officer is a competent authority. However, despite that, the disaffiliation took place because of the influence by the state government, he added.
Samuel further said that the JSB Lamka has submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister through the Deputy Commissioner of Churachandpur district.

Advisor of Lamka Private Schools and Colleges Association, MV Haokip, appealed to the central government especially the CBSE to revoke the disaffiliation and re-affiliate the schools once again. He said the affiliation process were applied legally according to by laws of affiliation.
Haokip said that the lives of the students are at stake since they schools cannot approach Imphal valley for educational purposes.

Haokip further said, “The hills and the valley are separated geographically and emotionally in all areas. Therefore there is no way for us to come back again to Imphal for our education matters. We plead to the CBSE officials, education department of the state and the Centre to give us back our right of education through CBSE affiliation”.

The JSB also submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister of India through the Deputy Commissioner of Churachandpur.

In the memorandum, the JSB stated that 25 schools were de-affiliated on the grounds that affiliation was granted on the basis of a No Objection Certificate (NOC) issued without the consent of the State government and by officials deemed as not the competent authorities to do so.

However, as per official procedures contained in Chapter 1.3.25 of the CBSE Affiliation bye-law, 2018, it is provided that ‘an NOC means a letter issued by the Education Department of the State or Union Territory in respect of a school situated in the State or Union Territory for affiliation of the school to the CBSE’.

Hence, in this regard, the Zonal Education Officer (ZEO) is the authorized functionary of the State Government in respect of the concerned district. Thus, the de-affiliation on the pretext that NOCs were not issued by the competent authorities is legally and procedurally erroneous, the latter added.

This blatant de-affiliation of 25 schools in Churachandpur and Kangpokpi is only a politically motivated move on the part of the State government to deprive tribals of a fair educational system, which the CBSE can provide, it stated.
Most importantly, Chapter 13.14 of the Affiliation by-laws, 2018 of the CBSE states that, ‘The future and welfare of the students studying in the school will be kept in mind while imposing a penalty on the school.’ However, the de-affiliation on the malicious pretext that NOC was not issued by a competent authority when in this time of conflict and enmity, and where physical and virtual intimation of the State Government cannot be made, is a grievous overriding of the rationale of the students’ welfare, JSB added.

JSB also highlights issues in connection with unjust suspension of 3 ZEO officials and past instances of discriminatory practices of Manipur University towards Zo (Zomi- Kuki-Hmar-Mizo) students:

JSB also draws the attention of the Prime Minister to establish a central university in Lamka( Churachandpur) district so that students may get equal opportunities and access to higher education and that colleges affiliated under the university will have access to a fair and just system that is free from Meitei encroachment.

KANGGUI: Thousands of students across the Kuki-Zo-dominated Kangpokpi district held a massive rally today drawing the attention of the Prime Minister over the CBSE affiliation row.

The massive rally kicked off at Nute Kailhang in downtown Kangpokpi and proceeded toward Deputy Commissioner Kangpokpi’s office via the National Highway-2.

Traffic flow was disrupted during the rally while Kangpokpi police were on high alert monitoring the movement of the rally to avoid any unwanted incidents.

The student protesters who shouted the slogans, “Revoke the three education officials’ suspension orders”, “Free Education from Politics”, and “We Want Justice”, etc. also held placards that read, “Re-officiate the 25 tribal schools”, “Neglecting education is a crime against the future”, “Empower minds, promote fair and accessible education, not political agendas”, “We need equal access to education”, “We cannot tolerate a politically motivated and unjust de-affiliation of our sacred portal of learning”, “Keep your dirty hands off our right to education, no room for political games”, “Manipur Government against the right to education”, etc.

The massive student rally led by the Kuki Students’ Organization Sadar Hills submitted a four-page representation to the Prime Minister through DC Kangpokpi calling immediate attention to the alleged deplorable state of education in Kuki-Zo districts of Manipur.

The Kuki-Zo student’s representation to the Prime Minister highlighted the alleged politically motivated de-affiliation of 25 schools in the tribal areas with the CBSE; the alleged unjust suspension of three ZEO officials; and the past instances of alleged discriminatory practices of Manipur University towards the Kuki-Zo students while demanding re-affiliating the 25 schools, revoke the suspension order of the three ZEO officials, and establish a Central University in Lamka(Churachandpur) district.

On the sideline of the rally, KSO Sadar Hills General Secretary, Thangtinlen Haokip said that the massive protest rally is in continuation of demand for a fair share of justice in the education sector in the state of Manipur.

He recalled that the Kuki Students Organizations had publicly appealed for the revocation of the suspension order of three of our Kuki-Zo Officials, who were wrongfully charged by the Meitei majoritarian administration and had served an ultimatum of 48 hours which has already lapsed.

“This willful and wanton exercise of power especially in the field of education will have a resounding impact on the future careers of our generation”, he asserted.

He further said that Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and his cohorts are appealed yet again to retract from their ill-conceived and ill-advised political discourse which has shamed the people of Manipur.

Meanwhile, the Sadar Hills Private Schools Association, or the SHIPS, while staunchly refuting the suspension of the three dedicated officials, urged Manipur’s Education Department to consider its decision and ensure immediate revocation of the suspended three officials for the good of all.

The Zonal Education Officer of Churachandpur, Jangkhohao Haokip, the Zonal Education Officer of Kangpokpi, Lhingtinneng Singsit, and the Deputy Inspector of Schools, Samulamlan Block, L. Taithul were suspended with effect on January 12, purportedly based on the issuance of No Objection Certificates, or the NOC, to 25 schools in the strife-torn Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts for their affiliation to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), the only national level school education board.

Vehemently condemning the suspension of the three officials, SHIPS demanded a few actions from the state Government and the Education Department sooner than later.

Firstly, the top educational body of Sadar Hills challenged the state’s Education Department to provide or produce the specific standing or pertinent legislation that prohibits Zonal Education Officers from issuing NOCs and urged the department to make the legislation accessible to the public.

Secondly, it demanded the publication of the issued NOCs or the immediate release of all NOCs issued to private schools in the valley districts accompanied by an official statement affirming that no NOCs have been issued by ZEOs of the valley district as transparency is crucial to establish the veracity of the accusations against the suspended officials.

Thirdly, SHIPS called for the issuance of public notification on NOC fees or outlining the fees to be paid and the expected number of days to be waited to obtain an NOC, stating that clear guidelines will help dispel any ambiguity and ensure fair practices in the NOC issuance process.

Fourthly, the association insisted on the presentation of the state Government Gazette notification containing the prescribed procedure and legislation for obtaining NOC for affiliation to CBSE as it will provide a comprehensive understanding of the established norms and rules governing the affiliation process.

Fifthly, SHIPS demanded justification from the Manipur Government and the Meitei communities as to why the Kuki-Zo community should not disassociate themselves from them and be separate from the Manipur Meitei Government that executed ethnic cleansing and complete practical separation.

It also stated that the targeted community, the Kuki-Zo, in Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, Chandel, and Tengnoupal Districts can and will never have any more trust in the institutions and machineries of the state Government of Manipur under the Meetei majoritarianism.

“This has been bluntly and comprehensively shown by the ethnic cleansing pogrom executed by the Meetei radicals under state patronage that has been taking place since May 3, 2023, till date”, it stated.

SHIPS also emphasized that the suspended officials were merely fulfilling their duty and responsibilities as the rightful authorities at the district level.

It maintained that the withdrawal of affiliation by CBSE, allegedly under political pressure, should have been a sufficient punishment for the officials.

“Withdrawing all the affiliations and then suspending the officials is tantamount to double punishment and injustice meted to the communities living in the affected districts”, it added.

SHIPS further stated that the State Government should rather appreciate the initiative of the Union Government for quality education as per NEP 2020 and NCF 2023 to be spearheaded by CBSE, which is the highest school-level education body.

While urging the state Education Department to reconsider its decision and ensure immediate revocation of the suspensions, it stated that SHIPS stands united in its commitment to upholding the integrity of the education system and advocates for a just resolution to this issue and immediate revocation of the suspended officials and affiliation for the good of all.