Meghalaya: NEHU students refuse to call of stir despite Governor's appeal, assurances

Shillong, Nov 9 (IANS) Agitating students of North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), the northeast's oldest Central varsity in Shillong, on Saturday, refused to call off their hunger strike despite appeals by the Meghalaya Governor and its Chief Rector Chandrashekhar H. Vijayashankar.

The indefinite hunger strike, spearheaded by the North Eastern Hill University Students Union (NEHUSU), entered its fifth day on Saturday. The protesters are demanding the removal of Vice-Chancellor Prabha Shankar Shukla and four other top officials, including Registrar, Col Omkar Singh (Retd) and Deputy Registrar, Amit Gupta.

The Governor, while talking with the members of the North Eastern Hill University Teachers' Association and Meghalaya Tribal Teachers’ Association at the Raj Bhavan on Friday, assured that the demands of the students would be considered and appealed to them to withdraw their agitation.

The VC, on a number of occasions, urged the students to call off their agitation and hold talks so that normal academic activities can resume in the university.

In a letter to NEHUSU President Sandy Sohtun, he assured them of the formation of an inquiry committee to study the demand for the removal of the Registrar and Deputy Registrar.

Shukla, in his letter, also assured that he would call a meeting of the Executive Council by November 14 to form an enquiry committee and based on the findings of its report, appropriate actions would be taken.

He, in principle, agreed to the appointment of a Pro-Vice-Chancellor to facilitate the administration of the NEHU's Tura Campus.

The VC called an emergent meeting of the Executive Council on Friday to discuss the demands of the NEHUSU but the meeting could not be held due to disruptions.

On the other hand, NEHUSU General Secretary Toniho S. Kharsati told the media that they are not happy with the clarification of the VC about their demands.

He also said they would continue with their agitation until and unless their demands were accepted by the authorities.

As part of their agitation, the students burnt the effigies of the VC and shut all entrances to the university complex.

At least six students, including a girl, who have been on indefinite hunger strike since November 5, were hospitalised after their health deteriorated. Two of the students, after being discharged from the hospital on Friday, have rejoined the hunger strike.

The Khasi Students Union’s NEHU unit and the Meghalaya Tribal Teachers' Association are also supporting the protest.

The agitating students claimed that due to the incompetence of all top varsity officials, the NEHU’s rank has slipped 21 points to 101 in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) ranking. NEHUSU General Secretary Kharsati said the students demanded that all "incompetent" top officials along with those "illegally" appointed must be removed for the interest of the students and the varsity.

"Since the incumbent VC took charge of the University in 2021, no important academic development has taken place, and instead rankings of the important institution have been going down. Incompetent people were appointed in the top position," he said.

The Non-teaching Staff Association (NEHUNSA) also stopped their official work in protest against the "unprecedented delay” in the recruitment process for the posts that were notified last year.

Apart from all the northeast states, students from other states of the country, as well as seven countries, including the US, Russia and Bangladesh, are studying in the NEHU.