SHILLONG, MAY 22: “I hope everything will be normal”—this was the cautious optimism expressed by Sunil Kumar Barnwal, Additional Secretary in the Department of Higher Education, as he concluded a day-long visit to the North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) on Thursday, amid mounting calls for the removal of Vice Chancellor Prof PS Shukla.
Barnwal, who was accompanied by Subrat Kumar Pradhan, Director in the same department, met with various stakeholders, including faculty, students, and non-teaching staff. While the officials refrained from sharing the outcomes of their interactions, Barnwal described the meetings as positive. “I had a good meeting with the faculty – all the Deans, Heads of Departments. It was a good experience and I hope everything will be normal and we will work better,” he said.
The visit came against the backdrop of prolonged unrest on campus, with stakeholders renewing their demand for Prof Shukla’s immediate ouster.
NEHU Teachers’ Association (NEHUTA) president Prof Lakhon Kma termed the meeting “fruitful” and reaffirmed the association’s firm stance. “The team has come here to assess the situation of how we are doing with or without the regular VC, and certainly now without the regular VC. We have highlighted all the problems before the team,” he said. “We have made it clear that his (Prof Shukla’s) coming back here should not be an option at all.”
Prof Kma added that the ministry team appeared inclined toward finding a resolution, though a final decision is yet to be announced. “They also know that it has become untenable for him to even think of returning to the campus. Therefore, we are positive after meeting them as it seems they are willing to find a solution so that NEHU comes back to normalcy.”
On the status of the ministry-led inquiry into NEHU’s administrative functioning, Prof Kma said, “We enquired and they said they have finished the inquiry and are still studying it. Apparently, they have made up their mind but what it is exactly, they are not sharing with us. But we can read between the lines even though they have not categorically stated.”
The meeting was facilitated by Pro Vice Chancellor Prof S M Sungoh in the absence of Prof Shukla.
NEHU Students’ Union vice president Ricky Deiburom Rabon also expressed cautious optimism following the meeting. “The meeting was wonderful and we appreciate the ministry team who have come to the university to hear and listen to our grievances. All this time we were waiting for a good resolution. Yes, we are hoping that we will get a resolution that will be acceptable to all stakeholders of this university,” he said.
“Our demand remains unchanged—under no circumstances will we accept Prof Shukla in our university. Even the local people of Meghalaya have declared him persona non grata. Therefore, we will not accept him, no matter what,” he added.
As the university community looks toward the Ministry of Education for a definitive response, stakeholders remain united in their call for a leadership change to restore normalcy on campus.
