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| Students demonstrate in Imphal on Monday |
Imphal, April 30: A day after
cities and towns rose as one to seek justice for Manipuri student
Richard Loitam, students’ organisations in the state today chalked out a
course of action to demand punishment for the culprits.
The students’ organisations announced
their agitation even as chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh today said he
was constantly in touch with his Karnataka counterpart D.V. Sadananda
Gowda and other government authorities to have a proper investigation
and book the culprits.
“I have written to my counterpart in
Karnataka. We are putting pressure on the Karnataka government to book
the culprits,” Ibobi Singh told reporters on the sidelines of a function
here today. Ibobi Singh termed the incident “very unfortunate”. Six
student organisations of Manipur — Kangleipak Students’ Association, All
Manipur Students’ Union, Manipuri Students’ Federation, Democratic
Students’ Alliance of Manipur, Students’ Union of Kangleipak and
Students’ Welfare Association of Kangleipak — today announced their
agitation beginning from May 4 to protest against the failure of the
Karnataka government to arrest the “culprits” behind Richard’s death and
demanding intervention by the Manipur government.
The agitation includea sit-in protest on
May 4, formation of a human chain on May 5, rallies on May 7 in the twin
districts of Imphal East and West and closure of government offices on
May 8.
Richard, 19, from Imphal was found dead
under mysterious circumstances on April 18 in his hostel room at the
Acharya NRV School of Architecture in Madanayakanahalli, 30km from
Bangalore. Two students — Vishal Banerjee from Chhattisgarh and Sayed
Afsal Ali from Jharkhand — assaulted Richard the previous night,
according to the hostel warden. The institute director (placements),
Bhooshan C.B.M. reportedly announced the suspension of two students from
the hostel, but did not give any names. The students were not, however,
suspended from the institute.
Yesterday, demonstrations were held in
cities of the country, including Bangalore and Imphal seeking justice in
the case. Announcing the course of agitation, All Manipur Students’
Union president Suresh Thokchom said the students’ bodies decided to
launch the agitation in protest against the failure of Karnataka
government to book the culprits and also “inaction” by the Manipur
government.The student organisations are also protesting the alleged
abduction of Rahul Takhellambam, a student of Don Bosco School,
Imphal,by unknown persons on April 21. The school said the student was
freed at Chandel by abductors today and the school authorities went to
Chandel to bring him back to Imphal.
