The Global Manipur Federation (GMF) has expressed solidarity with Manipur Lok Sabha MP Angomcha Bimol Akoijam amid the controversy over his dismissal as a professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), raising concerns over alleged procedural irregularities in the decision.
In a statement, the federation said the developments risked undermining Akoijam’s work and discouraging the growing public aspiration for change in Manipur.
The GMF expressed concern that political exchanges surrounding the MP could divert public attention from Manipur’s continuing violence and humanitarian crisis. It called for a more rational political discourse, stressing that the state’s pressing challenges should remain central to public and media attention.
The federation urged the JNU administration and its governing bodies to ensure strict adherence to statutory provisions, institutional rules and due process in resolving the matter.
It specifically flagged concerns over the alleged violation of Section 16 of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, which provides for confidentiality regarding the identities of the complainant and respondent, as well as complaints, inquiries and related proceedings.
The GMF also cited the Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers’ Association’s criticism of the university administration, which has alleged that prescribed legal and institutional procedures were bypassed in the case.
According to the teachers’ association, Statute 30 of the JNU Act vests the authority to dismiss faculty members in the university’s Executive Council, rather than permitting the vice-chancellor to act unilaterally.
The federation said the controversy could have wider implications by shifting attention away from Manipur’s ongoing violence, humanitarian concerns and protests across the country.
It reiterated that the state’s continuing crisis should not be overshadowed by political exchanges surrounding the MP and called for sustained public engagement with Manipur’s broader challenges.