TURA, April 30: In the wake of the alleged assault on a faculty member, Dr Alok Singh, in NEHU Shillong, the long standing concerns regarding the environment and prevailing conditions within the NEHU Shillong campus and demand for an upgrade of NEHU Tura Campus into a full-fledged University have resurfaced with two organisations — Niksamo Garo Community Organisation (NGCO) and A’chik Organization for Social Welfare (AOSW) — stepping up the demands.
The NGCO has also submitted a letter to Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, asking for prompt upgrade of the university’s Tura campus into a full-fledged University, highlighting the issues faced by the students here with limited scope and the recurring challenges they face in NEHU Shillong, which, it said, has become “a hub of instability, disproportionately affecting Garo students and others who struggle to pursue education in such a volatile environment.”
“Expanding Tura NEHU Campus into a full-fledged campus with diverse academic programmes will not only address regional educational disparities but also provide a safer, more inclusive space for learning,” it said.
Further, the organisation has called for immediate government intervention to fast-track infrastructure development, faculty recruitment, and course diversification in Tura and for transparent dialogue between stakeholders to address systemic issues plaguing NEHU Shillong.
The AOSW, on the other hand, echoed the anxieties voiced by numerous students, particularly those hailing from the Garo community and other parts of the region, who have reportedly been facing considerable difficulties due to the “pervasive and disruptive” nature of campus politics in Shillong. “Such persistent disturbances not only impede the academic progress of students but also create an atmosphere of instability and uncertainty, which is detrimental to their overall educational experience and well-being”, the AOSW said. Also the current limited availability of programmes at the Tura campus hinders the educational opportunities available to students in the Garo Hills, forcing many to seek higher education in Shillong, where they are reportedly subjected to the aforementioned challenges, it added.
