NIT students claim racial attack, lock institute in protest

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IMPHAL, April 2: A group of students from outside the State studying at the National Institute of Technology Langol today locked the main gate of the institute claiming that they were racially attacked.

After locking the gate around 5pm, the students brought out the benches from their classrooms and shouted slogans sitting behind the gate.

Their slogans included “Don’t beat us, we are to study, stop racial attack, we want justice, shame on authority and we want protection.”

The protesting students claimed that some 15 days back, some outsiders came inside the institute campus and used discriminatory words asking them to leave the State.

They claimed that the outsiders even locked their mess and told them that they would not be provided any food for the day.

There are two private security personnel at the main gate, but they are unable to stop people coming from outside the institute, the protesting students continued.

Records for outsiders coming into the institute are also not maintained, they said.

They further claimed that other than the two guards, IRB and Police personnel are also deployed inside the institute.

However, all of them remained silent even when they were assaulted, the students continued.

Even when complaints are made against their silence, the personnel continue to remain indifferent, they claimed.

The students continued that yesterday five of them were seriously injured in another attack, however, the authorities denied to take them to the hospital.

Due to such instances, they said they have been asking for deployment of CRPF personnel in the institute.

Assistant register L Doren and warden Benjamin A Shimray came out and tried to end the protest, but failed to bring any solution with the protesting students.

Meanwhile, according to the two officials, the protest was instigated by a few students.

They had even entered into a scuffle when other students refused to take part in the protest, they said.

Regarding yesterday’s incident, the officials claimed that there was fight during the OUGRI festival of the institute yesterday and a FIR has been filed with the police already.

As for demand for CRPF personnel in the institute, a memorandum has already been submitted to the DGP, they said.

The two officials also said that the institute had constructed a barrack after being asked to do so, however, later the authorities were informed that there was not enough personnel and since there was the Police and IRB personnel already, there is no need for the CRPF.

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