Meghalaya Governor appeals to NEHU studentsto call off hunger strike; students hospitalized

way2barak, November 9 : Meghalaya Governor and Chief Rector of the North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) Chandrashekhar H. Vijayashankar on Friday assured his commitment to resolve the current imbroglio at the university and urged the NEHU Students’ Union (NEHUSU) to withdraw their indefinite hunger strike, which has entered the fourth day.

Vijayashankar made the assurance after members of the North Eastern Hill University Teachers’ Association (NEHUTA) and Meghalaya Tribal Teachers’ Association (MeTTA-NEHU) met the Governor at the Raj Bhavan.

At least five students, including one female student, who were on indefinite hunger strike since Tuesday outside NEHU Vice Chancellor Prabha Shankar Shukla’s office, have been hospitalised. Two of the students who were discharged from Civil Hospital, Shillong on Friday have rejoined the hunger strike.

The NEHUSU resorted to indefinite hunger strike to mount pressure on Shukla to quit as Vice Chancellor and removal demanding removal of four varsity officials alleging that their appointments were not in order and further, they are “inefficient”.

The students have also locked the University gates and the academic session has come to a grinding halt. “We are firm with our demand that the Vice Chancellor should step down and the four officers of the University should be removed as they are inefficient. We will withdraw our hunger strike only after our demands are met,” NEHUSU President, Sandy Sohtun said, while reacting to Governor Vijayshankar clarion call to withdraw the hunger strike. During the meeting with NEHUTA and MeTTA-NEHU members, the Governor has expressed his deep concern about the ongoing hunger strike by NEHU students, which has already led to three students falling ill.