Imphal/Patna, September 16, 2014: The Manipur higher education commissioner today started an investigation into the trouble that broke out on the National Institute of Technology campus here last week as the Bihar government today decided to dispatch two senior officials to Manipur for the safe return of the students.
Principal secretary (home) Suresh Babu told reporters this afternoon that higher education commissioner P. Vaiphei was holding an inquiry into the matter and would submit a report in the next two to three days.
“The government will follow up the matter as per the findings and recommendations,” he said.
The probe is in addition to police inquiries by an officer of the rank of additional superintendent of police.
According to a Bihar government notification, principal secretary of vigilance department C. Lalsota and inspector-general of police (special cell) Jitendra Singh Gangwar have been asked to go to Manipur.
The two officials would coordinate with Manipur administration on the safe return of the students to the state, the notification said.
Trouble had broken out in the institute’s hostel mess at Langol in Imphal West district, 5km from here, on the night of September 11 over jumping queues, sources in the institute said.
While students from outside accused a local student, local students blamed non-local students.
What is known for sure is that an argument broke out, leading to a clash. No such incident has been reported in the institute before.
The next day, some non-local students from NIT were assaulted by youths in the market outside the hostel. The attackers were not students from the institute.
Director-general of police Shahid Ahmad said the police have registered two cases but no names have been mentioned in the FIRs though eight students — five outsiders and three locals — sustained minor injuries in the clashes.
“We will know the details after the police investigations are over,” he said.
A local student of NIT, Raju Singh, said the incident was unfortunate.
Suresh Babu also said normality had returned to the campus. Y.S. Rajan, chairman of the board of governors, NIT, Imphal, and state government officials said the situation was under control.
The situation on the campus, however, presented a different story.
Non-local students did not take part in the institute’s annual freshers’ meet today. While the programme was in progress at the institute’s auditorium, they gathered at the mess hall to discuss their problem.
Some students of Bihar and other states studying at NIT-Imphal claimed that the institute’s administration was exerting pressure on them not to leave Manipur.
An NIT-Imphal student from Patna said: “Today, some senior administrative officers came to our hostel and assured us of providing security. They and the faculty members asked us not to leave the institute because it would hamper our future.”
A source said the outsider students, in no mood to stay back at NIT-Imphal, demanded action against the hostel wardens and Manipuri students in the meeting.
“Our first priority is to move out from Manipur. We have decided to approach the Centre with a plea to shift us to other NITs,” said a student from Bihar.
NIT-Patna director Asok De, however, said: “There is no provision for shifting students from one NIT to another in mid-session.”
Sources claimed that if the students from other states indeed leave NIT-Imphal, their career would be at stake.
They would have to clear the IIT-Mains exam afresh to get admission to an NIT.
Source: The Telegraph
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