SHILLONG, Oct 10 � The North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) students have vowed not to allow Prof AN Rai to assume the Vice Chancellor�s chair tomorrow.
Prof Rai is scheduled to officially take charge as the new VC of the university on Monday. However, students of the university are getting ready not to let that happen.
It�s understood that Prof Rai has arrived from Mizoram and is putting up at the NEHU campus to take charge from the outgoing VC, Pramod Tandon tomorrow at around 10 am.
The Meghalaya Tribal Students� Coordination Committee, in its meeting held on October 5, rejected the Centre�s appointment of Prof Rai as the new VC. They threatened Prof Rai not to set foot in the University for his �tainted image.�
The Committee set October 8 as the deadline for the Union Human Resource Department to change its mind and appoint a tribal to the post. The Coordination Committee consists of the Khasi Students� Union, Nehu, A�chik Post Graduate Students� Union and the Meghalaya Post Graduate Students� Union. Further, it also has the support of the Joint Action Committee comprising of Nehu Teachers� Association and Nehu Non-Teaching Staff Association.
Although, the State Government has informed about the dissent regarding Prof Rai�s appointment and the students� demand, a team from New Delhi is yet to arrive here to take stock of the situation as promised. Moreover, there is no word on revoking Prof Rai�s appointment.
In the meantime, the Khasi Students� Union has sought the intervention of President Pratibha Patil who is the Chancellor of the Central University to solve the impasse.
