Displaced Kuki-Zo medical students on Tuesday staged a protest against Manipur University for not allowing them to write their MBBS Phase-1 examinations at Churachandpur Medical College (CMC) despite the National Medical Commission (NMC) having no objection to displaced students appearing in university exams from their parent college or from a different institution.

The Phase I exams started on Tuesday. While 27 Kuki-Zo MBBS students studying in three medical colleges in Meitei-majority Imphal had to shift to Kuki-majority Churachandpur for safety reasons after the conflict between the Meiteis and the Kuki-Zos erupted on May 3, another 92 Phase I MBBS students, mostly Meiteis, from Churachandpur Medical College moved to Imphal.

While the students from CMC who had moved to Imphal medical colleges were allowed to write their exams on Tuesday, Kuki-Zo students were not permitted to take their exams from CMC by Manipur University.

The Kuki-Zo students stated in a two-page memorandum they submitted to governor Anusuiya Uikey through the Churachandpur deputy commissioner after the protest rally that two displaced BDS students were also not allowed to write their exams from November 14.

The memorandum, submitted on behalf of the 27 MBBS and two BDS students, stated: “This arbitrary action of Manipur University has greatly disappointed us. We would therefore like to know on what ground our six fellow students from CMC are allowed to write their exam and we were denied the same when all of us have been having the same classes and same training under one roof? Why MU is not allowing us to write the university exam even after getting NoC from NMC?”

The NMC had issued the NoC on November 13, adding the university “may take a decision after due consultation with colleges and state authorities”.

The displaced Kuki-Zo tribal students claimed they filled up their exam forms and admit cards and deposited their exam fees through the deputy commissioner.

“We the 29 (2 BDS+27 MBBS) displaced students were thus preparing to write the university examination scheduled on 14/11/2023 (BDS) and 21/11/2023 (MBBS) respectively. Unfortunately in the last minute of 13/11/2023 we were debarred from taking the BDS exam and again on 18/11/2023 we were informed that admit cards and exam materials were sent only for six (6) MBBS Churachandpur Medical College students; and yet the displaced students were excluded,” the memorandum said.

The six MBBS students were from the first batch of CMC, which became operational last year. All four medical colleges of the state are affiliated to Manipur University, which also conducts their exams.

The 29 displaced students feel the action of the university “amounted to discrimination and taking away” their right to education.

“We were also already hurt when our fellow displaced students from CMC were allowed to continue their studies at JNMIS centre uninterrupted but no such arrangements were made for displaced tribal students. Despite this... we somehow joined our fellow CMC students in their classes at CMC with the hope of writing the university exam together with them, which was also verbally assured by the chief secretary and deputy commissioner of Churachandpur,” the memorandum said.

The 29 students, who were joined by other displaced students and well-wishers, including some parents, stated in the memorandum that they were “intentionally sidelined and discriminated” and expressed their lack of faith in the varsity while urging the governor to “expedite the process for migration of minority Kuki-Zo medical students to other suitable medical and dental colleges outside the state of Manipur which was also the recommendation of the Honourable Supreme Court (on July 11)”.

Neither the chief secretary, government spokesperson, deputy commissioner nor the university vice-chancellor could be contacted for their reaction. An official told The Telegraph that the displaced students could not write their exams at CMC because of “some issues” with the varsity and they were “trying to help” those affected.

Sources familiar with the situation said when the NMC was first approached by the state government and the varsity for the displaced CMC students from the valley, it should have also passed some advisory or directive for the displaced Kuki-Zo students.

“The state authorities had sorted out the problems of the displaced CMC students in June itself. They should have also made some arrangements for the displaced Kuki-Zo students. We feel the only way out is migration to other states. We have learnt the university has raised issues related to attendance and internal assessment before the NMC,” one of the students said.