Students rally against extortion demand

Students of a school today took out a rally in an interior area of Manipur's Imphal west district to protest against the extortion demand of a militant outfit from the school authorities.
Students of Little Master English Higher Secondary School marched through the roads of Shamurou area asking the militants to stop demanding extortion money from the school.
Placards carried by the students read: 'Stop harassing educational institutions,' 'We want free academic atmosphere', 'Stop monetary demand from the school', 'Make education free zone', etc.
School governing body secretary N Thoiba told reporters that a militant outfit (name withheld) has demanded Rs 50 lakh, failing which authorities may face dire consequences.

"How can the school authorities pay such a huge amount of money?" he said, adding that school was set up some years ago to serve the students in interior area and it is not a profit making institute.
Official sources said they were aware of the extortion demand from different educational institutions but it was not possible to provide security to all the educational institutions in the state.
They appealed to different militant outfits to stop extortion demand and instead make educational institutions bring a change for a better society in the state.
Principal of the Little Master English Higher Secondary School H Premkumar also appealed to the militant outfit to withdraw monetary demand from the educational institute and asked the outfit for help in producing good students.