Meghalaya: NEHU crisis deepens as staff, student bodies boycott executive council meeting

Three major associations at North-Eastern Hill University have called for a boycott of the Executive Council meeting scheduled for May 30 in New Delhi, escalating the ongoing administrative crisis at the prestigious institution.

The North-Eastern Hill University Teachers' Association (NEHUTA), North-Eastern Hill University Non-Teaching Staff Association (NEHUNSA), and North-Eastern Hill University Students' Union (NEHUSU) issued a joint appeal urging executive council members to stay away from the meeting, which they claim is "illegitimate."

The controversy centres around Vice Chancellor Prof Shukla, who has been absent from the university's Shillong headquarters for over 193 days. He went on earned leave from November 15 last year following advice from the Director of the Union Ministry of Higher Education, extended it until March 2, and has not physically returned to campus since.

"This amounts to continuous absence from duty in the Headquarters at NEHU, Shillong, for more than 193 days or more than 6 months at a stretch," the three associations stated in their letter to executive council members.

The situation has been further complicated by what the associations describe as Prof Shukla's public statements that "undermine the discussions and agreements that the stakeholders of NEHU had with the members of the visiting team of the union ministry of education on May 22 in NEHU, Shillong which could have resulted in normalising the situation in NEHU."

Adding to the tensions, the associations claim Prof. Shukla has "attempted to disrespect more than 135 members of the Academic Council who attended the meeting held on May 21 which was chaired by Prof SM Sungoh (Acting Vice Chancellor) as per NEHU statute."

The three bodies have raised serious questions about the legitimacy of the Delhi meeting, arguing that since Prof. Shukla remains on leave and absent from duties, "the EC meeting convened in Delhi by him is, therefore, illegitimate."

Notably, the Ministry of Education has not made public the Inquiry Committee Report on Prof. Shukla's conduct, adding another layer of uncertainty to the ongoing crisis.

The associations have issued a stern warning to executive council members, stating: "Any member who chooses to proceed against this appeal and disregards the position taken by the Associations/Unions will be regarded as acting in opposition to the interests of the students, teachers, non-teaching staff and their Associations/Unions and the University as a whole."

The joint appeal was signed by Prof. Lakhon Kma (President, NEHUTA), Dr Wandondor R Synrem (President, NEHUNSA), Sandy Sohtun (President, NEHUSU), and Dr Marbhador M Khymdeit (General Secretary, NEHUTA).