Meghalaya tribal teachers' group backs Pro VC in NEHU leadership crisis

The Meghalaya Tribal Teachers' Association (MeTTA) has thrown its full support behind Pro Vice-Chancellor Sherwin Sungoh in an escalating administrative dispute at North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), declaring that she is "legitimately running the university as Vice-Chancellor-in-charge."

The controversy centres on competing Academic Council meetings scheduled for May 21 and May 23, which have divided the university community and exposed deep tensions in the institution's leadership.

Vice Chancellor PS Shukla's office declared on Tuesday that only the May 23 meeting has legal standing, while branding the May 21 session called by Sungoh as "unauthorised and without legal sanctity."

The dispute revolves around conflicting interpretations of NEHU statutes and the legitimacy of Shukla's current working arrangements. The NEHU Teachers' Association (NEHUTA) supports Sungoh's authority to convene the May 21 meeting, citing provisions under NEHU Statute 2(A)(5)(i).

Shukla, meanwhile, has been operating from a camp office at the NEHU Guest House, with his office claiming he remains "the lawful head of the university under the NEHU Act and Statutes."

"Prof P Shukla has been working from the NEHU Guest House, which is an official university property, operating as a camp office," Shukla's office stated. "The assertions that he is 'on unauthorised leave' are misleading and unfounded."

The Vice Chancellor's office also countered that NEHUTA itself has prevented Shukla from entering the main campus. "NEHUTA itself regularly refers to Prof PS Shukla as a 'persona non grata' on the NEHU main campus, publicly preventing his physical entry into his designated office in Shillong," Shukla's statement noted, calling this "an unprecedented and unlawful act."

MeTTA President Professor Desmond L. Kharmawphlang issued a strongly worded statement accusing Shukla of trying to "disrupt the smooth statutory functioning of the Academic Council" and displaying an "anti-tribal and anti-woman chauvinistic mindset" in his opposition to Sungoh.

"In trying to maliciously stall the holding of the Academic Council, Professor P.S. Shukla is revealing his true colours of plotting and conniving to work against the interest of students, especially the tribal student stakeholders of Meghalaya and other sister Northeastern states," the MeTTA statement asserted.

The tribal teachers' group directly questioned Shukla's motivations: "Why did he not raise similar objections when Prof. N. Saha conducted the Academic Council earlier? Is it because Prof. S.M. Sungoh is a local tribal and an honourable lady?"

Legal experts have warned that decisions made in an improperly constituted Academic Council meeting could be invalidated, potentially affecting examinations, admissions, curriculum approvals, and policy decisions.

Shukla's office characterised the situation as "a politically motivated power struggle" that threatens the university's governance structure and academic integrity.

MeTTA, meanwhile, has questioned Shukla's objections, asking: "Why did he not raise similar objections when Prof N Saha conducted the Academic Council earlier? Is it because Prof SM Sungoh is a local tribal and an honourable lady?"