Meghalaya Indigenous Tribal Constitutional Right Movement seeks boycott of VC in Meghalaya
SHILLONG, Dec 1: The Meghalaya Indigenous Tribal Constitutional Right Movement (MITCRM) has sought President Droupadi Murmu’s intervention to end the prevailing crisis in NEHU.
MITCRM which comprises the Synjuk Ki Nongsynshar Shnong Ka Bri U Hynniewtrep, KWADA, North East Students’ Organisation, KSU, FKJGP, Seng Longkmie, and leaders from the Garo Hills, had passed a resolution on November 14 on the crisis in the university.
In a letter to President Murmu who is also the Visitor to the university, the umbrella body said they have declared Vice Chancellor Prabha Shankar Shukla a persona non grata due to his adamant and inhumane approach toward the agitating students.
MITCRM general secretary RL Blah said the organisation also calls for a total boycott of the VC in Meghalaya.
“He (Prof Shukla) neither understands nor makes an effort to understand the tribal ethics, the way of life, the customs and cultures of Meghalaya and the Northeast. Contrarily, he tried to suppress and downplay them all. Therefore he is devoid of the ethics that an academician should carry,” Blah said in the letter to the President.
Blah further said that the VC’s behaviour often goes against the interest of the indigenous tribes and reflects the unpleasant agenda that he has at the back of his mind which is detrimental to the institution and the society if kept unchecked.
“Therefore MITCRM having deliberated thoroughly on all aspects of the Vice Chancellor’s behaviour calls for his immediate removal. We seek your valuable intervention in this regard before things turn ugly.
He hoped that the report of the two-member committee constituted by the Ministry of Education to probe into allegations against the VC will subsequently lead to his removal.
“We would like to apologise for our delay in submitting this resolution, as we have a large spectrum of organisations which are from the four corners of the entire state. Hence, getting their signatures and opinions consume time,” Blah added.
Deny central security to VC: HITO to HM Shah
Meanwhile, the Hynniewtrep Integrated Territorial Organization (HITO) has urged Union Home Minister, Amit Shah not to accept the request of Prof Shukla for deployment of central security forces on the NEHU campus.
“It has come to our attention that the Vice Chancellor has sought assistance from the Home Ministry to provide him with security personnel from the central armed forces. He claims that the security measures currently in place, provided by the Meghalaya government, are insufficient for someone of his stature. We wish to express our deep concerns over this request, which we believe lacks a valid foundation,” HITO president, Donboklang Dkhar stated in a letter address to Shah on Sunday.
He stated that the central armed forces are entrusted with the vital role of safeguarding the nation’s integrity and should not be diverted for the exclusive use of one individual.
According to him, they fear that if Prof Shukla is granted access to such significant manpower, he may misuse it to exert undue influence over students and faculty members, potentially using these forces to serve his personal agendas.
Dkhar said that the Vice Chancellor has repeatedly demonstrated a tendency toward arrogance and has misused his authoritative position on multiple occasions.
“Moreover, it is alarming to note that Prof Shukla has shown a blatant disregard for the rich traditions and customs of the Hynniewtrep people. Shockingly he has openly defied a directive issued by the Mawlai Town Dorbar, a body comprising of 17 Dorbar Shnong, which has explicitly banned his entry into the university campus,” Dkhar said.
“While this directive may seem trivial to him, for the Hynniewtrep community, such decisions made by the Dorbar or Village Council carry immense significance; they are considered sacred and profoundly respected,” he said.
The HITO president stated that the Vice Chancellor forgot that it was the Mawlai Town Dorbar which facilitated and provided allotment of land for the establishment of this central university.
“However, the VC’s actions in this regard represent a grave insult and an open challenge to our community and our way of life,” Dkhar said.