"I took four years of coaching to clear NEET [National Eligibility cum Entrance Test]. Now, if I can't sit for my first-year MBBS exams, all that effort will be for nothing," Grace Nghaite (name changed), a first-year MBBS student at the Region Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Manipur's Imphal tells The Quint.
Grace is among the 27 Kuki-Zo medical students from RIMS who were not allowed to appear for their first-year final exams that began on Tuesday, 21 November.
"My parents have sacrificed a lot for me to be here. My mother is a homemaker who has not had any formal education and my father is a retired pharmacist who was able to study only up to high school. I really cannot afford losing a year."Grace Nghaite
After violence erupted in Manipur on 3 May, Grace – like the other Kuki-Zo students studying in the three Imphal-based medical colleges, namely RIMS, Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS), and the privately owned Shija Academy of Health Sciences (SAHS) – fled from the capital. There are at least 121 of them.
"Initially, I took shelter in a CRPF camp. My parents borrowed money from friends and relatives and booked us flight tickets from Imphal to Pune. I did not accompany them. Instead, I flew to Guwahati first, and then to Aizawl, and from Aizawl to Lamka [Churachandpur district] by road," Grace recounts.
However, even as the classes resumed in the medical colleges later that month [by 27 May], the Kuki-Zo students could not return. "It is too dangerous for us to return to Imphal, so we could not go back to our colleges," she adds.
Now, these displaced students allege that they were not able to write their first-year exams because they were not provided with admit cards or any other exam-related material despite the National Medical Association (NMC) allowing them to appear from a different college.
'Was Not Allowed To Fill Up Exam Form Citing Low Attendance'
Florence Nengenviah Baite, a 19-year-old first-year Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) student at RIMS Imphal, claims that the Manipur University denied them registration forms on the grounds of low attendance.
"One of the reasons the principal of my institute gave me was low attendance. These are flimsy excuses. How could they expect us to attend classes when our lives were in danger?" she asks.
Baite had, however, been attending classes at the newly opened Churachandpur Medical College (CMC) with other MBBS students.
"MBBS and BDS courses have a few subjects in common such as anatomy, physiology, and so on. So, I took classes at CMC. But what has really enraged us is that the government made alternative arrangements for those who fled CMC. But the same arrangements were not made for students from our community."Baite
Baite – and Grace – point out that while the Kuki-Zo first-year MBBS students studying in the three medical colleges in Meitei-majority Imphal had to shift to Kuki-dominated Churachandpur "for safety reasons," 92 first-year MBBS students – mostly from the Meitei community – from CMC moved to Imphal, leaving only six students behind in CMC.
As a temporary arrangement, displaced Kuki-Zo students started attending classes with the remaining students in CMC. Meanwhile, the displaced students from CMC began attending classes in JNIMS.
In June, Manipur government officials announced that offline classes for the first-year MBBS students of CMC will be conducted both in CMC and JNIMS in Imphal. However, no such arrangement was extended to the displaced students of the Kuki-Zo community from Imphal-based colleges.
Baite alleges that the authorities barred them from writing exams despite Dharun Kumar S, the Deputy Commissioner of Churachandpur, assuring them that they would be allowed to do so.
"When the Deputy Commissioner of Churachandpur and the chief secretary of Manipur came to visit us, they assured us and our parents that we will be able to appear for our exams, and we felt a bit relieved. On 13 November, however, the District Commissioner called the director of CMC and requested that the two displaced BDS students to come to college the next day to appear for the questions since he would get the question paper. I accordingly went to college the next day, but there was no question paper for us. We just left the examination hall without appearing for any test," she claims.
Dharun Kumar S, however, told The Quint, "When the displaced Kuki-Zo students approached me for help, I told them that I would raise the issue with the commissioner of health and the chief secretary of Manipur. The displaced BDS students were stopped from writing exams by Manipur University on the morning of the exam day because they identified some 'grey areas'."
"It's an issue between CMC and Manipur University. Medical colleges come under a particular university – and the exams and norms are decided by the NMC. As the Deputy Commissioner, I will not shy away from helping [the students] when they approach me, but when the university they are affiliated to has an issue with the conduct of exams, it has to be sorted between the college the students are studying in and the university. I informed CMC to be ready in case Manipur University sends the question papers to my office in email as has been promised to them by the university," he added.
He further added that he had helped the displaced students with the submission of their forms and exam fees.
Speaking to The Quint, N Lokendra, vice-chancellor of Manipur University, said it will be holding MBBS examinations for the displaced students once it receives "point-wise" clarification from the NMC on "some grey areas" that need to be addressed or else these could lead to "more problems."
"The dean of medical sciences has sought clarifications from the NMC on fulfillment of the norms that have been laid down by it in terms of attendance, assessments, etc, which are compulsory for every medical student. Violation of such guidelines shall create more problems. But all of them can write their exam in the supplementary which will be held soon," he added.
'Five Years of Struggle Will Be Worthless If I Can't Complete Internship'
John Tonsing (name changed), who finished his MBBS course last year from RIMS, fears that his five years of struggle will go down the drain if he is not able to finish his internship within the next year.
"I was just into four months of my internship when the violence broke out – and I fled Imphal. It has been almost seven months since it happened, and the situation is still the same. I have a year at the most to complete my internship. If I cannot do it, they won't award me the MBBS degree. All my five years of hard work will just go down the drain," he tells The Quint.
Tonsing is the oldest among seven siblings. His mother, who is a widow, works as a teacher in a private school. "I am the biggest hope for my family," he adds.
As per NMC rules, MBBS students have to compulsorily finish an internship within two years of completing their degree. They are not awarded their degrees if they fail to do so.
Grace, meanwhile, wants to migrate to another college where she can "study without disruption." "I don't want to lose out on a year. Losing out a year is a lot," she adds.
'Don't Have Hope in Manipur University'
On Tuesday, 21 November, as the displaced students were not able to write their exams, they took to the streets to stage their protest. They also submitted a memorandum to Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey, stating that they "have been intentionally sidelined and discriminated."
In their memorandum – a copy of which has been accessed by The Quint – they once again pushed their standing demand that they should be transferred to medical and dental colleges outside the state, adding, "We are sorry to say that we don't have much hope in the university of Manipur."
"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 [Manipur University] is not allowing us to write the university exam even after getting NoC [no objection certificate] from NMC?"Memorandum to Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey
The NMC had issued the NoC – a copy of which has been accessed by The Quint – on 13 November, adding that the university "may take a decision after due consultation with colleges and state authorities."
The displaced Kuki-Zo tribal students further claim they filled up their exam forms and admit cards as well as deposited their exam fees through the Deputy Commissioner of Churachandpur.
Apart from the vice-chancellor of Manipur University, the state's Health Minister Sapam Ranjan Singh pledged his support to the displaced medical students.
"We have requested the NMC as far as Churachandpur medical students are concerned and asked them for a dual campus. NMC has agreed to it," the minister said.
The minister further reassured the students that the issue will be looked into – and necessary assistance would be provided to them.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, 22 November, at his residence, Singh said, "The state government takes the welfare of all students very seriously. After the unfortunate incident of 3 May, the state government has been trying and making all efforts to make sure that the students get academic knowledge, and that everything is done for the welfare of the students."
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