Shillong: Students at North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) in Meghalaya are on their 16th day of an indefinite hunger strike, pledging to persist with their protest. This comes as a two-member inquiry committee from the Union Education Ministry is set to visit in the next few days.
The students are demanding the removal of Vice Chancellor Prabha Shankar Shukla, whom they deem “incompetent,” alongside the dismissal of top officials, including Registrar Col Omkar Singh (Retd) and Deputy Registrar Amit Gupta, whom they believe were “illegally” appointed.
Leaders of the North Eastern Hill University Students Union (NEHUSU), which has led the protests since November 5, conducted meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday to reinforce their stance. This follows a request from Meghalaya Chief Secretary Donald P. Wahlang for students to pause their protest while the inquiry is carried out.
The Ministry of Education established the inquiry committee, headed by former University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Prof D. P. Singh and including former Assam University Vice Chancellor Prof Dilip Chandra Nath. The committee has been tasked with investigating the students’ allegations and providing recommendations within 15 days.
Meghalaya Education Minister Rakkam Sangma, expressing concern over the students’ deteriorating health and the impact of the strike on their academic pursuits, urged them to end their hunger strike. He stated that the situation could possibly disrupt their education.
Several dignitaries and politicians have visited the NEHU campus to engage with the protesting students, including Meghalaya Governor and NEHU’s Chief Rector Chandrashekhar H. Vijayashankar, as well as Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, who have both encouraged the protesters to cease their actions.
The NEHU students have also reached out to President Droupadi Murmu, asking for her intervention in addressing the ongoing issues at the university.
Despite the Vice Chancellor’s calls for dialogue before taking leave last week, NEHUSU General Secretary Toniho S. Kharsati expressed dissatisfaction with his responses and reiterated that the hunger strike will continue until their demands are met.
Kharsati criticized the leadership under the current VC since 2021, citing a significant drop in NEHU’s ranking by 21 points to 101 in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF). He insists that progress in academic affairs has stalled and accused the administration of appointing incompetent officials.
The protest has garnered backing from the North East Students’ Organisation (NESO), which represents eight student groups across seven northeastern states, and the Khasi Students Union’s NEHU unit, as well as the Meghalaya Tribal Teachers’ Association.