‘Hardest decision’: As Manipur remains on boil, several Kuki-Zo students quit studies

Lian*, a 30-year-old PhD scholar from Churachandpur, was among 284 Manipur University students from the Kuki-Zo communities who had approached the Supreme Court in November last year. It was to ensure he could continue his studies from other central universities after being displaced by ethnic violence. But he is “in a blind spot right now”. 

The court had asked to process the transfer of these students to two central universities – the Assam University and the North Eastern Hill University – through a nodal officer of the Manipur University. Lian was contacted by the officer in February. “But after those initial calls”, he has got “no other information”. 

He is now in Tripura to be with his brother amid the conflict. And he isn’t the only student from the university who is struggling to carry on with studies. Of the 284 students who had approached the top court, most are staring at an uncertain future, according to the Manipur University Eimi Welfare Society, a Kuki-Zo students’ outfit. 

The violence has displaced both Kukis and Meiteis, but in Manipur University it was largely members of the Kuki-Zo communities who were impacted.

Months after violence, a notification

The Manipur University had put out a notification in July this year saying that it was decided that all students will complete their courses from the same varsity due to the “vast difference” in curriculum and the unavailability of certain courses at other institutes. This came six months after the court had cleared the petition by 284 students. As many as 25 of these students subsequently filed another petition in the top court, which asked them to approach a panel led by Justice Gita Mittal, tasked to look into their grievances and present suggestions. The court will hear the matter again this week.

Meanwhile, according to the MUEWS, most of those 284 students have either enrolled themselves in fresh programmes on their own or discontinued their studies. It said 93 have moved to Delhi, 159 to other northeastern states, three to West Bengal, and many of the rest are in southern states. Newslaundry spoke to a section of these 284 students to understand their struggles, nearly 16 months after an incident triggered a cycle of violence that continues unabated, with thousands displaced so far.

Newslaundry had earlier detailed how violence on the Manipur University campus had displaced Kuki-Zo students. Many of them had received help from their Meitei friends but alleged an insider hand in the incident. Some of them recalled their ordeal later in Delhi. 

Struggle for migration certificate to loss of academic year

A migration certificate is often required for new admissions.  

Haukhup Naulak, a 23-year-old from Churachandpur, had to seek the help of his friend from the Naga community to source it from the Manipur University in order to apply afresh for a masters in anthropology programme at the North Eastern Hill University in Shillong. He was in the first year of this programme at the Manipur University after graduating from the varsity. “I was able to begin this new chapter in Shillong and move closer to my goals.”

He managed to save an academic year unlike several others.

Lamneilhing Kipgen, a 25-year-old from Sadar Hills district, whose parents are daily-wage labourers, had to change her course because the Kannur University doesn’t offer a programme on ancient history and archaeology. 

“I was enrolled in ancient history and archaeology as a postgraduate student at Manipur University in 2022 but didn't finish the course due to the conflict…After the transfer, I had to pursue a course in social entrepreneurship and development as a fresher at Kannur university.”

Peter Paoginpu, the youngest of eight siblings in a family from Chandel, had to start his PhD afresh at Mizoram University last month despite putting in three years into his research on the rise of BJP in the northeast at Manipur university. 

“I did approach the head body of Mizoram political science department and some of the professors there. So they were really concerned about me and for all other displaced students, but since the Supreme Court did not direct Mizoram University to admit any displaced students, they asked us to sit for entrance and for the interview just like other students.”

His parents are daily wagers and he is trying to support his family through a teaching gig at the Dimapur University.

Meanwhile, Maso*, a 34-year-old PhD scholar at Manipur university’s life sciences department, has “resigned” from his course. Had he managed to complete the course, he would’ve been the first from his family to do so. “The prestige, pride and esteem I could bring to my tribe as a whole and to my family in particular is self-explanatory.”

He is now unemployed and dependent on his parent’s pensions in Churachandpur. 

While the Manipur University maintains that it had conducted online classes, as instructed by the Supreme Court, Kimneihoi Kipgen from Kanggui, who was enrolled in the masters of biochemistry programme at the varsity, claimed that she dropped out in the absence of online classes. “It was very difficult to continue my studies with just self-study without the help of the professors. So I just dropped out of the course.”

Kimneihoi said she couldn’t go to Imphal due to financial difficulties after her father’s death, who was a court clerk, due to illness last year and the impact of the conflict on her mother’s farm activities. “It was the hardest decision to let go of my studies but what choice did I have?” 

While an online exam helped 26-year-old Letjapao Haokip to finish his masters in history, he can’t proceed with further studies at the moment because all his documents, according to him, were damaged during violence on the university premises last year. “All my documents are nearly gone. It is difficult to continue my studies,” he claimed, adding that he is now preparing for recruitment exams.

Financial hardship

“I never wanted to leave Manipur, especially my education,” said Jessica, who dropped out of her masters in English programme at Manipur university as she did not want to depend on her family to pursue her career. “I have finally made a decision to go for a competitive exam. But even today, I’m still on the fence and can’t let go of my real interest which is to pursue my higher education and be an educator.” 

She is now in Delhi, preparing for recruitment exams, living with her elder sister and her brother-in-law. Her mother and another sister are in Churachandpur.

Maso* claimed the Supreme Court order was “not very conducive” as the Manipur University processed applications at a “snail’s pace”. He dropped out of his PhD as it was not convenient to leave behind his two children, wife, and an ailing mother in Churachandpur, where he is now dependent on his parents’ pension. His junior research fellowship stipend is stuck because of zero attendance and little progress on his research. “Despite multiple collective grievance letters regarding fellowship, addressed to authorities at MU, requesting them to convey our situation to our fellowship providers (CSIR, UGC), nothing seems to be done about that.”  

Several other PhD scholars claimed that their JRF stipends have taken a hit.

Biak Thang, who has started his PhD afresh at the Delhi University, claimed that it’s getting difficult to depend on his sister’s family and his savings to continue his studies, and that his JRF funding is going to stop since he hasn’t resumed the course from where he left off at Manipur university. His father’s small business too has suffered because of the violence.

“This is very troublesome…once I apply fresh from the Delhi University, they would know that I had already availed it (the scholarship) in Manipur for two years. So I will face the precondition of refunding the previous money that I had availed…and then they might perhaps allow me to take on fresh JRF.”

Leaving Manipur was difficult. “I had completed my course…had collected a lot of material during the duration of two years. There was no time for us to pick our things up. My laptop, books, everything was left behind…two years of hard work disappeared just like that.”

There are at least a 100 other students from other colleges who have been displaced, according to MUEWS.

Among them is Goulungmon Haokip, 26, who was enrolled in the fifth semester of the LLB programme at LMS College under Dhanamanjuri University in Manipur but is now in the fourth semester of the course at the Kannur University in Kerala where he relocated amid the violence. He lost an academic year but claimed that he was not facing financial problems as the Kerala government and Kannur University were providing him with financial aid on humanitarian grounds.

Some of these students have been unable to find jobs. “Completing a PhD is the bare minimum to land a teaching job in colleges. On paper, UGC states that NET-JRF is the minimum qualification but out in the real world, PhD and paper publications matter heavily,” claimed Thailoi*, a PhD scholar of botanical sciences currently in Delhi. His family has temporarily moved to a friend’s house in Kanggui from Churachandpur.

Newslaundry reached out to the Manipur University for comment. This report will be updated if a response is received.

*Names of some students have been changed.