Shillong, Dec 1: Blamed for the current unrest in North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) by the vice-chancellor Prof Prabha Shankar Shukla, the NEHU Teachers’ Association (NEHUTA) has castigated the VC accusing him as “political appointee” without required academic credentials to hold the prestigious post.
“NEHUTA would like to strongly condemn his irresponsible statements with a mala fide intention to defame the NEHUTA, all other stakeholders of the NEHU and the entire state of Meghalaya,” said NEHUTA president Prof Lakhon Kma in a statement on Friday.
The NEHU VC had earlier blamed NEHUTA among others for “mismanagement” in his absence and sought security from Central government to resume office as VC on December 2. He had also accused NEHUTA led by Prof Kma of aiding NEHU Students’ Union (NEHUSU) in creating disruptions on campus since 25 October 2024.
“It has come to my attention that certain miscreants from various associations of the university, through the in-charge vice chancellor, are unlawfully managing campus operations, daily life, and issuing unauthorized orders and circulars,” the VC said.
Reacting to the VC’s allegation, the NEHUTA president said, “It is pertinent to state how Prof PS Shukla was appointed as the vice-chancellor by keeping aside much more qualified shortlisted candidates. He was a pure political appointee.”
“Indeed, in more than three years of his tenure as a VC, he has neither invested any resource to promote academics and research not brought any funds except paying lip service to research and academics in the university,” Prof Kma said.
The NEHUTA also took strong exception to Prof Shukla’s “unsubstantiated abrasive public statement” and his abrasive assertion that non-tribal teachers are threatened during the agitation.
“Such a statement is intended to create rift in the university between tribal and non-tribal teachers with a communal intent which again shows how Prof Shukla is psychologically completely deranged,” NEHUTA said.
Accusing the VC of totally oblivious of NEHU, Meghalaya and North-Eastern region’s socio-cultural ethos and ecosystems, the NEHUTA said, “It is because of his adamant and arrogant non response that the situation escalated to this level.
The falling rank of NEHU in National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) is due to the gross mismanagement of NEHU’s affair at every level by Prof Shukla, the NEHUTA alleged.
NEHUTA also objected to Prof Shukla’s joining the university on December 2 pending the investigation ordered by Education Ministry based on allegations levelled against the VC.
“It shows that Prof Shukla ridiculed the ministry and perhaps, thinks that he is above it,” he said.
