Shillong — Tensions escalated at North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) as students, now on the ninth day of protest, rebuffed recent administrative appointments and reinforced their demand for Vice-Chancellor Prabha Shankar Shukla’s resignation.
The North Eastern Hill University Students’ Union (NEHUSU), leading the protests, described the appointments of Prof. Sherwin May Sungoh and Prof. Fameline K. Marak as Pro Vice-Chancellors for the Shillong and Tura campuses as “misguided” and inadequate in addressing students’ core grievances.
In a statement issued last night, NEHUSU expressed strong disapproval of what they viewed as ineffective measures, dismissing the appointments as “like pouring cold water in this heat we are experiencing.” According to the union, these actions have only intensified student resolve, leading to an indefinite hunger strike that has further immobilized the university since November 6.
“We cannot acknowledge decisions made by a vice-chancellor who is neither present nor responsive to the demands of the university community,” NEHUSU stated, accusing Shukla of attempting to “remotely control” the institution while avoiding direct confrontation with the student body. The union maintains that any new administrative moves are illegitimate without Shukla’s resignation, which remains their “sole and non-negotiable demand.”
Adding weight to the protests, both the Khasi Students Union and the North-Eastern Hill University Teachers’ Association (NEHUTA) have voiced support for NEHUSU’s stance, creating a unified opposition against Shukla’s administration. NEHUTA president Prof. Lakhon Kma highlighted procedural irregularities, pointing out that the appointment notification was issued by the Assistant Registrar (Planning) rather than the customary authority, the Joint Registrar (Establishment). “The notification itself is wrong,” Kma said, adding further doubt to the administration’s credibility.
The Chief Minister had earlier assured a “favourable response” to the students’ concerns, yet the protesters remain adamant that the appointments alone fail to address deeper issues within university governance. For now, NEHU’s operations remain effectively paralyzed as students, faculty, and affiliated groups continue to rally for substantial administrative change.
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