Displaced by Manipur violence, Kuki medical students miss their exams

Displaced Kuki-Zomi students were not able to write their paper when the first year examinations were due to begin on November 14. They said they were not provided admit cards or examination material despite the National Medical Association giving a go-ahead for them to write their exams from a different college.

In a communication to the Dean of the School of Medical Sciences at Manipur University on November 13, an NMC official had stated that the examinations have to be conducted physically. It stated that the NMC had no objection if displaced students appeared for the university examination from a parent college or a differenct college. The communication stated that the “university may take decision after due consultation with colleges and state authorities.”

After the 29 displaced students were not able to write their exams scheduled for 14 and 21 November, they submitted a memorandum to Governor Anusuiya Uikey stating that they “have been intentionally sidelined and discriminated.” In their memorandum, they once again pushed their standing demand that they be transferred to medical and dental colleges outside the state, saying that “we are sorry to say that we don’t have much hope in the university of Manipur.”

Manipur University Registrar Chandbabu Singh said that the dean of the School of Medical Sciences has written to the NMC ”for clarity on some issues”. “We are still waiting for the reply. Once things are clear, we will conduct special exams for the students,” he said.

“In expectation that the exams would be held, even the DC had told us to study properly and we studied and went for the exams but there were no question papers for us, only for the original CMC students… If the exams would have been just after the incidents first started taking place, it would be still understandable even though even that would have been frustrating, because everything at that time happened in haste. But now we have been studying in the same room as the CMC students for six months, so I don’t understand why this has to be the case,” said one of the displaced students.