Students take on militants in Manipur

IMPHAL - In a daring act against the militants, students of Johnstone Higher Secondary School here recently overpowered an armed militant as he entered their school premises to extort money for his outfit.

The students overpowered the militant and handed him over to the police. wo underground activists, belonging to KCP-Noyon group entered the school premises and asked the teachers to pay Rs. 2,000 each as tax.

When some of the teachers raised objections, they slapped one of them and threatened to kidnap some women teachers, in case they refused to pay them.

Hearing the noise, some students gathered at the place. The militants asked them to go back. The students refused and overpowered them.

“I feel bad about the incident and the miseries suffered by the students. The militants must not resort to such act, which affect the student lives. I hope the incident will not occur again in the future,” said L. Jayentakumar Singh, the State Education Minister.

Students have boycotted classes in protest against extortion by militant outfits and asked militants not to target the educational institutions. Due to such threats our school is not able to function properly.

The mental harassment of the teachers ultimately affects studies. We request the militants not to not to do such things,” said one of the schoolteachers.

In a similar incident, students of Anand Singh Higher Secondary Academy took on an extortionist who asked the school to pay a sum of Rs. 5,000 per year for each schoolteacher.

The upset students confronted the militant and beat him up. Police arrested the man later who was identified as Mutum Jackie of the outlawed KCP (Noyon) group.

Educational institutions have become soft targets for militant outfits in Manipur.

Recently, teachers of the Khurai Popular High School were also threatened and asked to pay Rs. 2,000 each as tax. (ANI)