CORRESPONDENT
SHILLONG: The Hynniewtrep Youths' Council (HYC) on Thursday threatened to intensify its agitation over the appointment of North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) In-charge Vice-Chancellor Professor Saroj Kanta Barik, demanding that he resign on moral grounds and alleging that the university's senior-most eligible professor was overlooked in violation of the institution's statutory provisions.
The organisation staged a silent protest outside the office of the In-charge Vice-Chancellor and submitted a memorandum seeking his resignation. It also requested that the competent authority entrust the charge of the Vice-Chancellor to the senior-most professor in accordance with the NEHU Statutes.
HYC leaders said Professor Barik was not present during the protest as he had travelled to Kolkata and that they had sought an appointment with him on Monday. Warning of an escalation of its protest, the organisation stated, "Failing which, we will be compelled to take other courses of action to ensure that our demands are fulfilled in the interests of our community and the university as a whole."
Speaking to reporters, HYC Education Secretary Enlang Sawian alleged, "The appointment is illegitimate. There has been a violation of the statutory provisions of the NEHU Act and Regulations. For this reason, the council has come here to protest, and if the matter is not addressed or our demand is not met, the council will be compelled to take action and compel the current VC to step down from the post."
Referring to the memorandum submitted to the university, Sawian said, "Based on this issue, we have submitted a formal representation to the office of the In-charge Vice-Chancellor of NEHU. However, since the VC has gone to Kolkata, we have sought an appointment on Monday. Our demand is very clear: the current VC occupying the post should resign. Our demand is not against anybody; it is legitimate."
In its memorandum, the HYC said it was concerned over Professor Barik's acceptance of the office of In-charge Vice-Chancellor, arguing that, as a senior professor who has served NEHU for many years, he was well acquainted with the provisions of the North-Eastern Hill University Act, Statutes, Ordinances and Regulations. It maintained that the office of the Vice-Chancellor is the highest statutory office in the university and that appointments must be made and accepted in strict accordance with the applicable Statutes.
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