Prof Lakhon Kma and Prof Prasenjit Biswas are the real masterminds behind the current problems at NEHU: Prabha Shankar Shukla
Shillong, Nov 28: North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) Vice Chancellor Prabha Shankar Shukla has requested the Centre to provide adequate security support in light of the prevailing conditions on the NEHU campus. He said security provided by the state government is insufficient.
He said adequate security will not only ensure his safety but it will also contribute to the overall security of the NEHU campus and its employees.
Prof Shukla on Wednesday submitted a point-to-point response to four queries, raised by the ministry, to the Principal Secretary of Higher Education, Government of India.
He informed the Ministry of Education that he will resume his duties from December 2 after his earned leave ends on Friday.
Recently, NEHUSU, NEHUTA and NEHUNSA had resolved to make him a persona non grata regardless of the findings of the two-member committee formed by the Ministry of Education.
Meanwhile, Prof Shukla said it has come to his attention that certain miscreants from various associations of the university, through VC in-charge Prof Nirmalendu Saha, are unlawfully managing campus operations, daily life, and issuing unauthorised orders and circulars.
He alleged that NEHUSU, supported by NEHUTA, which is headed by Prof Lakhon Kma, created disruptions on the campus since October 25 just before the start of the 113th meeting of the Academic Council.
“After that, they forcefully entered the office of Registrar and Deputy Registrar, thrashed them out and locked their respective offices. They also entered forcefully into the office of the VC, threatening me with the demand for immediate termination of the Registrar and Deputy Registrar,” Prof Shukla wrote.
He said none of the groups gave him any representation/complaint in writing explaining the reasons why they want the two officers to be removed.
“Nevertheless, I tried to explain the official procedures to them and assured them that I would initiate appropriate action to resolve the matter and deflate the situation. As per their demand, I have also nominated a Pro-VC, one for each NEHU campus, and sought the approval of EC as per the provisions in the NEHU Act 1973,” he said.
He said despite his best efforts to meet and discuss and come to a solution, NEHUSU and NEHUTA escalated the agitation, staged a “dharna” in the form of a hunger strike in front of the VC’s office, and blocked all entrance gates of the university.
Stating that they had not given any written notice about the hunger strike, Prof Shukla said he had sought the help of senior officials of the police and civil administration to ensure the safety of NEHU campus.
“Despite that, the two associations assaulted me and threatened me by attacking my official residence,” he said, adding that the situation on the campus disrupted the functioning of NEHU.
“University employees are stopped from performing their duties, and they feel unsafe on campus. The atmosphere of fear and disruption is severely affecting the institution’s operations,” he wrote.
He alleged that Prof Kma and Prof Prasenjit Biswas are the real masterminds behind the current problems at NEHU. Further, he alleged that the KSU threatened faculty members, warning them that they would face consequences if they supported him. He said this frightened the teachers and pushed them to join the protests.
Prof Shukla said his official residence at NEHU was vandalized by unidentified miscreants in the wee hours.
He said officials of the district administration and a team of the police, led by SP (City) Dara Aswaghosh, took stock of the situation to prevent any further law and order problems.
“My official vehicle, the window panes of the kitchen, and utensils inside the kitchen were damaged. The CCTV cameras and the electric poles were also damaged in the attack. The acting registrar, Ms B Rynjah, filed an FIR with the Mawlai police station, Shillong, in this connection,” Prof Shukla said.
He further alleged that Prof N Saha, the VC in-charge, formed an internal committee to investigate the allegations and compile a report for the Ministry of Education.
“However, the committee chairman is Prof L Kma, who is considered the primary architect of the entire issue. Additionally, most of the committee members were individuals involved in the disruption. This gives a clear idea about the objectivity and credibility of the investigation,” he said.
He further stated that on the same day, the locks of the offices of both registrars and his own office were forcibly broken, and all confidential files were accessed without authorisation.
“It is important to note that the Registrar (Col Omkar Singh) was on leave at the time, which made the breach even more concerning. Since then, I have learned that the committee chairman has accessed all official documents, personal files, and other confidential records of teachers and staff,” Prof Shukla alleged.
He said when questioned by some individuals, Prof Kma claimed they were “sanitising” the files.
“I strongly believe that significant manipulations have been made to these files on a large scale,” Prof Shukla further said.