Students take out rallies in Manipur valley to demand a 'disturbance-free education zone'

IMPHAL: Thousands of students today took out rallies in Manipur valley districts to press their demand for a 'disturbance-free education zone' in the state, official sources said.

Students of Imphal East and West gathered first at Thao ground at Thangmeiband and marched in a long procession through all the major roads before organising a public meeting at Khuman Lampak Stadium here, sources said.

Official reports from Thoubal and Bishenpur districts also said thousands of students took out rallies at districts and marched in procession through all major roads before conducting public meetings at respective play fields of the districts.

The rallies in Manipur valley districts by thousands of students followed recent attacks on school and educational complexes by suspected militants by hurling grenades or planting bombs in the past some months, reports said.

The latest attacks on educational institutions including hurling of grenades at Comet English School and Samurou English School in Imphal West districts, some interior educational institutions in Thoubal and Bishenpur districts, official sources said.

School authorities had clarified earlier that the institutions were set up for producing good students for a better Manipur and not for earning money.

School authorities said sometimes they received huge monetary demand from militant outfits which, the school authorities, could not pay.

A spokesman of Democratic Students' Alliance Manipur (DESAM) which organised today's rallies said they would further launch democratic agitation, if necessary, to prevent interference in the functioning of educational institutions.

He appealed to all to make all the educational institutions 'a disturbance-free education zone' at all parts of the state.

No untoward incident was reported during the rallies at various parts of Manipur valley districts so far, official sources said.