Meghalaya: KSU seeks political support to remove NEHU VC

Guwahati: The Khasi Students' Union (KSU) plans to gain support from the state’s political leaders to pressure the Centre to remove Vice Chancellor Prabha Shankar Shukla from the NEHU campus in Meghalaya.

KSU General Secretary Donald V. Thabah told The Shillong Times on Sunday that they will meet with Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, Cabinet ministers, the state’s three parliamentarians, and other political leaders concerned about the Centre’s stubborn attitude and its failure to address the demand for the VC’s removal.

Thabah made it clear that the KSU would prevent the VC from entering the NEHU campus, even if the Union Education Ministry opposed it.

He condemned the VC for attempting to return to NEHU, despite widespread opposition to his presence.

Thabah pointed out that the Mawlai Town Dorbar had already resolved to block the VC’s entry into the university.

He stressed that the VC’s refusal to meet with aggrieved students and address the non-teaching staff’s grievances led to an indefinite hunger strike last year.

Thabah called on the Centre to appoint a new Vice-Chancellor who is dedicated to restoring the university’s former glory.

Earlier, the NEHUSU and KSU NEHU Unit expressed concerns over the reluctance of senior professors at the university to take on the role of Acting Vice-Chancellor.

NEHUSU President Sandy Sohtun believes there is a hidden agenda behind the actions of Vice Chancellor PS Shukla and accuses him of violating recruitment norms.

The student bodies also urged the university’s teaching and non-teaching staff to ignore any directives, orders, meetings, decisions, or instructions issued by the VC or the Registrar.