‘Students pushed into this crisis because of their tolerance’
Shillong, Nov 26: Against convention seeking advice from state authorities in appointment of heads in central institutions, the state government has floated the idea of “consultation” with state government especially in the wake of the deep ongoing crisis in North Eastern Hill University (NEHU).
It’s nearly three weeks now that classes were stalled, a rare happening for any central university in the country. The protesters – students and teachers – have been adamant on not seeing the VC Prof PS Shukla, who went on leave following mounting protests against him, on the NEHU campus again!
Asserting the need for Central authorities to consult the state government on appointment of the VC, cabinet minister and MDA government spokesperson Ampareen Lyngdoh on Tuesday said, “It is very unfortunate…Maybe it is important for the Central government to always have a close consultation with the state government on matters of appointments especially the VC.”
“If you consult and take state government’s suggestion, then you avoid a friction of this nature and you are able to have the correct academic ambience in the entire university,” she said.
However, the minister expressed the hope that the two-member committee constituted by the Ministry of Education will come up with strong recommendations to address the concerns and issues raised by the student fraternity.
“I am sure that students have been tolerating this imbalance for a very long time and I’m sure that the students have been pushed into this crisis because of their tolerance of so many weeks, months, years maybe,” she said.
Making an appeal to the central enquiry team, entrusted to probe into the allegations of mismanagement in NEHU, to report about the need to include the state in matters of selection of VC, she said, “They (VCs) should be suitable to come to a place like Meghalaya, which is very different and unique from other states.”
“It is important for Government of India to take this message that the people of Meghalaya are unique in many ways, particularly the student community,” she said.
Asked, the minister said it would be in the fitness of things to allow the local communities, particularly who are qualified to “assume positions” that are best suited for the people of the state.
She also emphasised that central institution such as NEHU is supposed to benefit the state, indicating that the current happenings – due to the VC – seem otherwise.
