NEHU VC says no dialogue with ‘unauthorised’ group

SHILLONG, June 8: Against the backdrop of a hunger strike by the members of the All NEHU Workers’ Union protesting the alleged indifference by the North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) authority, the Vice Chancellor of the varsity, Prof Prabha Shankar Shukla, on Wednesday, asserted that he will not have a dialogue with “unauthorised organisation” but is ever ready for a discussion with representatives of the union.
“Every day, my PRO is also discussing (the matter). I am also ever ready to discuss with my workers but not other unauthorised organisation,” said Shukla, who revealed that there are non-members of the union are involved in the stir.
The VC has claimed that the union is not involved in the protests.
On the demand for regularisation of the casual workers serving for over a decade, the VC said, “They are demanding the regularisation but it is not as per the law of GoI (Government of India) and the court has given its direction, and I cannot go beyond.”
The VC, who was out of station, however, said, “After coming back, I am ready to discuss (the matter), but with my workers and not others.”
It may be mentioned that All NEHU Workers’ Union members are on a hunger strike since Tuesday protesting against the university authority for not responding to the union’s slew of demands.
This strike has also caught the attention of Mawlai MLA, PT Sawkmie, who has asked Governor Satya Pal Malik, who is the chief rectory of the university, to intervene in the ongoing crisis within NEHU.
“The NEHU authorities have failed to respond to the demands, and hence, the agitating employees must be called for discussions,” Sawkmie said.
The agitating employees had been anticipating a call for dialogue by the authorities but they did not receive a reply to their charter of demands, which prompted them to go on hunger strike.