IMPHAL, July 5: Hundreds of students, teachers, and education advocates took to the streets across Manipur’s Imphal valley on Saturday to mark the 18th Disturbance-Free Education Zone Demand Day. Organized under the banner of 16 student and civil society groups and led by the Democratic Students’ Alliance of Manipur (DESAM), the rally called for urgent reforms to safeguard educational spaces from political and social disruptions.

This year’s observance, held under the theme “Make Education a Disturbance Free Zone,” saw simultaneous rallies in Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal, Kakching, and Bishnupur districts. Participants marched peacefully, raising slogans and holding placards demanding education reforms and protection of learning environments.

In Imphal, the rally began at THAU Ground near the Manipur Legislative Assembly and culminated at Imphal College. In Thoubal and Kakching, the procession moved from BASU Ground to Thoubal College, while in Bishnupur district, marchers went from DSA Ground to ECHO Thiyam Leikai community hall.

Addressing the gathering, DESAM president Mayengbam Somorjit laid out key demands, including the enactment of a law to ensure a minimum of 220 academic days annually across all educational institutions in the state. He also called for senior education directors to be selected from within the teaching community to ensure better leadership and understanding of ground realities.

Crucially, DESAM and its allies urged the government to ensure transparency in the education sector, free from corruption, nepotism, and favouritism. They also appealed to armed groups and insurgents to stop placing unaffordable demands — in cash or kind — on educational institutions, which often disrupt learning and endanger staff and students.