Editor,
The North-Eastern Hill University Teachers’ Association (NEHUTA) was created as per NEHU’s Statutory provision under Statute 44(1). Its Constitution is approved by the Executive Council and is to be followed strictly. Since 2009-10, NEHUTA has developed an internal web communicating system as a Google group ([email protected] where the email-ids of members have been grouped). This is NEHUTA’s official communicating system for various purposes such as notification regarding a general body meeting and its minutes, information about list of voters for election, election schedule, list of candidates etc. Following the same principle, the minutes of the general body meeting held on 7-11-2013, in which election committee was constituted, was circulated on 11-11-2013 to the members by the General Secretary of NEHUTA. Further, the election committee followed the same principle and sent their notifications in the Google group from 15h November, 2013. But the anomalies could be noted from the beginning itself when the election committee deliberately manipulated the list of voters and increased the list from 280 to 295. This was totally unfair, highly irregular and prejudiced. It goes against the basic principle of any election and against NEHUTA Constitution’s Regulation 2, clause-2(iv).
However, despite the various points of concerns raised by the members and candidates during the conduct of recent NEHUTA election 2013-14, the election committee in connivance with the incumbent NEHUTA Executive deliberately manipulated and violated the NEHUTA Constitution. Further, as the part of any election process the election committee forwarded the election schedule which invited nominations, followed by withdrawals, if any, and the polling (voting) if required. However, later the election committee followed the anomalous sequence of steps in the election process e.g. nominations-list of candidates- then a second nomination and updation of the list of candidates, then withdrawals (without disclosing the names of the persons)-again nominations (without disclosing the names of candidates)-withdrawals- final list of candidates-declaration of results. Surprisingly, after receiving the nominations for different posts on 27-11-2013, election committee illegally invited the nominations and circulated the list of candidates as the ‘updated list of candidates for NEHUTA election 2013-14’ which was highly irregular. I do not know the purpose of this updated list of candidates. Further, even after requests by various members and candidates to announce the names of the persons who have withdrawn on 2-12-2013, the election committee ignored the request and deliberately violated NEHUTA constitution’s Regulation-2, Clause 5(iv) which states that “The nomination papers shall be scrutinized by the Election Committee and the first list of candidates shall be announced by the Election Committee. After the expiry of withdrawal period, the Election Committee shall declare the final list of candidates. But in both the lists of candidates, the name of the proposer and seconder shall not be given”.
As per election schedule, the final list of candidates should have been announced by 4 pm on 2-12-2013. However, without any justified reasons and prior announcement, they deliberately did not follow the schedule. Thus, they made a mockery of the election process and contradicted themselves, creating confusion among members about which schedule to go by. Instead of announcing the final list of candidates on 2-12-2013 as per the election schedule announced, they asked for the nominations for two executive members without mentioning the date, time of the withdrawals etc. The Election committee should know that, it is compulsory on the part of any election committee to announce in advance the withdrawal while inviting nominations. Many members and candidates raised their objections on the anomalies of the election process followed by the election committee but neither the election committee nor the NEHUTA executives had courage to answer or discuss these concerns and kept quiet. The same NEHUTA which in the past had successfully fought against various irregularities/ statutory violations by the Vice-Chancellor/ Executive Council/ Selection committee etc., suddenly decided to follow unconstitutional practices themselves! With what quality will the incumbent/new President lead the JAC ? Is this because some individual member(s) have been working and misguiding the election committee/NEHUTA Executive from behind the scenes to use NEHUTA for their personal interests?
Yours etc.,
Prof. SB. Prasad,
NEHU, Shillong
