Manipur tribal students stage protest demanding release of ST scholarships

Imphal: At least 200 tribal students of different colleges in Manipur staged a protest near the Raj Bhavan here demanding immediate release of Scheduled Tribe scholarship for 2023-24, police said.

Holding placards and raising slogans, the students, under the aegis of All College Tribal Students Union (ACTSU), gathered in front of GP Women's College near Raj Bhavan to make their demand. They were, however, prevented from taking out a rally by security forces deployed at the location, leading to a brief confrontation.

Police fired a few teargas shells to disperse the agitating students. "Few students complained of breathing difficulties, but no serious injuries have been reported," police added.

Later, G Panmei, a student representative, told reporters, "Our ST scholarships for 2023-24 have not been released yet. We will meet officials of the tribal affairs department later to discuss the situation, and further course of action will be decided after that."