Imphal, Feb. 10: The students of six government higher secondary schools today staged a sit-in at the gate of Ibotonsana Girls’ Higher Secondary School at Uripok in Imphal West from 10.30am to 3pm, demanding the revocation of a government order suspending five principals and two other teachers of the schools.

The Imphal-Uripok road was partially blocked by the sit-in.

The Okram Ibobi Singh government suspended five principals on January 25 on charges of preventing the students from participating in the Republic Day celebrations.

The police arrested the five principals, Y. Nongallei of C.C. Higher Secondary School, Ch. Padmabati Devi of T.G. Higher Secondary School, Y. Ibetombi Devi of Ibotonsana Girls’ Higher Secondary School, S. Khomdonbi Devi of Johnstone Higher Secondary School and L. Rashi Devi of Ram Lal Pal Higher Secondary School, all in Imphal East and Imphal West, on January 27.

The court of the Imphal chief judicial magistrate, M. Padmashore Singh, released them on bail.

The court also granted bail to two other teachers, Ch. Devendra and Th. Tomba Singh of the Ram Lal Pal Higher Secondary School, who were arrested on January 29 on the same charges.

“Today’s sit-in is the first phase of our agitation. If no positive response comes from the government, we will intensify the agitation,” Ningthoujam Surchand, general secretary of the All Manipur Joint Govt Higher Secondary Students’ Union, which had organised the sit-in, said.

The students demanded that the charges against the teachers should be dropped and the suspension orders revoked.