Terming the non-deputation of higher secondary lecturer at their school as a violation of the Right to Education, students of Lamlai Higher Secondary School, along with volunteers of Socialist Students’ Union of Manipur (SSUM) stormed the office of the Manipur Human Rights Commission (MHRC) on Thursday, demanding swift actions.

Protesting students charged the MHRC of double standard citing its intervention in the forceful shutdown of Standard Roberth Higher Secondary School by a student body over the suspicious death of a girl student in the boarding room of the school and its passive stand in the non-deputation of lecturers in the Lamlai Higher Secondary School.

Secretary-general of SSUM, Bushan Longjam said that the government has not deputed any higher secondary lecturers even though Lamlai Higher Secondary School was upgraded to higher secondary level in 2016 and session commence from 2018. To maintain an academic calendar in the school, the student leader informed that the student body, on its own expenses, is engaging three lecturers to fill up the shortfall in the faculty of the higher secondary.

Even as security personnel guarding the complex, students with placards marched towards the commission office and shouted slogans condemning the commission for not taking up action on the continued violation of the Right to Education by not deputing any higher secondary lecturer to Lamlai Higher Secondary School depriving students of valuable class hours.

Protesting students were later allowed to vent their grievances to the acting chairman of the commission, senior advocate, Khaidem Mani. The chairman subsequently issued a notice to the education commissioner to take necessary action regarding the non-deputation of higher secondary lecturers at Lamlai Higher Secondary School. The Commission also registered a complaint case and issued a notice to the commissioner (education) to take necessary action regarding the paucity of teachers on or before August 7.