The students' union of the institute said that they had signed a memorandum of understanding (Mou) with the vice-chancellor of the varsity on October 24, 2011, which resolved that no further appointment would be made unless the reservation policy is settled.
On the basis of the Mou, the students' union demanded that the varsity authorities at Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh cancel the process for recruiting some non-teaching staff for the RCM scheduled on Sunday in Guwahati, Mahaishang Shimray, assistant information secretary of the union said in a statement issued on Friday.
When no positive response came from the varsity authorities, the students' union, in an emergency meeting, decided to call a 36-hour bandh on the two highways and the five hill districts of Senapati, Chandel, Ukhrul, Tamgenglong and Churachandpur.
It said the union will stick to the Mou and will not compromise under any circumstances on the matter and that any staff recruited by the varsity without fulfilling the reservation norms will not be accepted.
"The students are aggrieved with the indifference of the university authorities. Therefore, we will carry out the agitation in the most severe form," the statement said.
The union appealed to the concerned districts' students' organizations and individuals to extend full cooperation to the bandh for the larger interest of the tribal community of the state. The Manipur University Tribal Students' Union (Mutsu), while supporting the bandh, said if the recruitment process is not cancelled, Mutsu will resort to various kinds of democratic agitations. The Thadou Students' Association (TSA), Chandel district will also extend support to the bandh.