NEHU students begin indefinite hunger strike, announce total shutdown of university

Shillong, Nov 5: Students of the North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) on Tuesday staged an indefinite hunger strike and announced a total lockdown of the university from November 6, as a mark of protest against vice chancellor’s failure to address their demands.

The decision was taken after a meeting with the vice chancellor Prof PS Shukla.

Prior to the meeting, a protest march from the central library to the administrative block was organized jointly by the North Eastern Hill University Students’ Union (NEHUSU) and the Khasi Students Unit (KSU-NEHU unit).

The students have been demanding the removal of the registrar, deputy registrars, appointment of pro vice chancellor for Tura campus, revising of hostel fees and providing clean water, Wifi, ambulance etc.

Speaking after the meeting, NEHU Student Union (NEHUSU) general secretary Toniho Kharsati said that though the VC had agreed to meet the students yet, he is not ready to discuss the demands of the students which have been placed before him since 2022.

“The VC is very adamant and he is not willing to take up decisive action on our demands which we have submitted through numerous memorandums. Hence from tomorrow 6 November, we will go for a hunger strike and a total lockdown in NEHU campus,” he said.

Kharsati announced that from 6 November 2024, there will be total lockdown in NEHU campus. He also urged the state Government to intervene and appoint a new vice chancellor in the university.

President of KSU NEHU Unit, Shibaitlang Rymbai said that the union will carry on with the indefinite hunger strike until and unless the Vice Chancellor (VC) steps down from his position.

“These issues are not only the issues of the students from the Khasi community but are the issues pertaining to all students’ communities in NEHU. Hence I urge everyone to join hands with KSU NEHU for the indefinite hunger strike” said Rymbai.

Meanwhile, the Meghalaya Tribal Teachers’ Association (MeTTA) of NEHU has extended its full support to the agitating students. Teachers also met the students, who are staging the hunger strike protest in front of the VC’s office.

MeTTA president Dr DRL Nonglait said “After the previous Vice Chancellor, Prof SK Srivastava left the university, we expected that things will improve but the joining of Prof PS Shukla has taken the university backward”.

Nonglait said that the teachers in the University had made many efforts to get a person from the state to be appointed as VC of NEHU but that did not happen.

“We could not do anything and we had to welcome Prof Shukla thinking that he will do something to improve the rank of this university and to do things for the welfare of students and the employees of this reputed university. But then with Prof Shukla sitting as VC of this university, this university has now gone down to its lowest depth and this is the consequences that we are facing now” said Nonglait.

Nonglait said that the current situation is that the students and the non-teaching staff have to agitate from time to time.

“Since yesterday, the non-teaching staff are on strike and today the students have taken their stand to do indefinite hunger strikes. As MeTTA when we come to know that students are now agitating and demanding for the removal Registrar and three Deputy Registrar, we have decided to extend every support to all their rightful demands of NEHUSU as well as to all corrective measures that the student body is demanding” he added.

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