Shillong, Nov 14: A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed before the Meghalaya High Court by an advocate, requesting suo moto judicial intervention to resolve the current crisis in the North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU).
"...Request the Court to take suo motu cognizance of the same and pass appropriate orders to restore normalcy and for smooth running of the institution," P Yobin, an advocate of the High Court, appealed in the PIL.
The division bench of the High Court headed by Chief Justice IP Mukerji and Justice B Bhattacharjee, observed that the State Government has made recommendations to the Central Government to resolve the acute problems the NEHU has been facing.
Students and teachers of the North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) on Wednesday stated that Vice Chancellor Prabha Shankar Shukla would not be allowed to enter the university premises.
Talking to this correspondent, NEHU Teachers' Association president Lakhon Kma said: "We have raised several issues with the VC during the last three years, but he never bothered to ad- dress our concerns."
He said that it is up to the Central Government to take a decision on the removal of the incumbent VC. Shukla has been out of the varsity campus for the last few days and his whereabouts are not immediately known.
"I feel the students will not budge from the agitation and we, as teachers, will give our wholehearted support to them. Students are suffering due to the ongoing hunger strike and the academic session has been affected," Kma added. Stating that Shukla "misused his office, abused his power and was the greatest violator of NEHU rules and statutes", Kma said that scores of letters on "violation of rules" were sent to the VC, but he did not take any corrective measures. "Shukla used the NEHU as a milch cow," he alleged.
The general secretary of the NEHU unit of the Khasi Students' Union, Kevin Wanrap, who is on the indefinite hunger strike along with other students, echoed Kma's sentiments.
"We held several discussions with the VC over the last few years, but he did not take any steps to resolve our grievances. We demand his ouster now as we are in no mood to hold discussions with him. We will continue our protest till the VC is removed," he added.
Meanwhile, 12 students have been hospitalised in the aftermath of the hunger strike that began on November 5. Except two, all others have been discharged from the hospital till date.
Wanrap said many of these students, including himself, rejoined the hunger strike after being released from the hospital. "We will not budge from our protest till the VC is removed," the general secretary of the student body maintained.
By-
Correspondent, Staff Reporter
