Non-local mission school teachers flee Manipur

IMPHAL, March 4: Eight missionary schools located in the valley area are in the throes of an acute crisis as many non local teachers who are serving at the state have started fleeing fearing repercussions from underground organisations. Sources said the demand served on the schools by a particular underground organisation to cough up Rs 2 crore and the failure of the schools to pay the astronomical amount triggered the mass exodus. According to reports received here an underground organisation had served demand notice of Rs 5 lakh on each of the eight missionary schools. This works out to Rs 40 lakh. However the mission schools had intimated to the militant group that they are not in a position to cough up the amount. As a result the underground organisation slapped a penalty amounting to Rs 2 crore, said sources. The underground organisation then threatened the mission schools to pay the amount within five days or to close down the schools. Incidentally the deadline set by the underground organisation expired today. Parents and guardians were also instructed by the underground organisation to obtain the transfer certificates of their children and wards from the schools. In the event of the schools failing to cough up the amount and taking into account killing of some Catholic priests, many non-local teachers and administrators have started leaving the State for safer climes, the source said. In the light of the latest development a joint meeting of the parents' association, teachers and drivers of school vans of Don Bosco High School, Chingmeirong was held amidst tight security today. At the meeting the parents strongly voiced their opinion against any move to close down the schools. The parents also made it very clear that they would not obtain the transfer certificates of their children and urged for resumption of classes. The Principal of Don Bosco High School has also left the State and assigned one Manipuri teacher the task of looking after the school and running the administrative affairs. Meanwhile, the Parents' Association of Little Flowers School has appealed to all organisations, individuals and others concerned to help maintain peaceful academic atmosphere at LFS and other schools in the general interest of the people. In a statement, the Parents' Association said the State is passing through a critical phase and the academic atmosphere in various schools have been disturbed. This issue and other related maters were discussed threadbare during a meeting of the Association.