Teaching and non-teaching staff, students, and research scholars at Nagaland University Kohima Campus, Meriema protest against the alleged threat to Pro-Vice Chancellor on October 18. (Photo: By Special Arrangement)
Morung Express News
Kohima/Dimapur/Lumami| October 18
Over 700 people, including faculty, teaching and non-teaching staff, students, and research scholars at Nagaland University (NU), Kohima Campus, Meriema, staged a protest against what they termed as the recent harassment meted out to the Pro-Vice Chancellor (VC) of the Kohima Campus on October 16.
The PRO VC’s official vehicle was stopped and he was allegedly threatened by a group of people from Meriema village Monday morning on his way to the office.
They restrained him from passing through their land and cautioned him about "dire consequences. This compelled the Pro-Vice Chancellor to return home, maintained a joint statement issued by the Nagaland University Teaching Association (NUTA), Nagaland University Non-Teaching Staff Association (NUNTSA), Nagaland University Research Scholars Forum (NURSF), and Nagaland University Students Union (NUSU) of Kohima Campus, Meriema, on October 17.
An NUTA member also informed that a 'one-day' protest was called by the association along with NUNTSA, NURSF, and NUSU of Kohima Campus to "register our resentment against the October 16 incident."
"We are not free to go to our own campus," stated a faculty member who joined the protest at the Kohima Campus on Wednesday.
At the moment, we do not have a plan to go further, but we will see how the authorities take up the matter and how the fact-finding committee will conclude after bringing out a report, the member said.
It was learnt that the members of NUTA at NU’s Lumami Campus also staged a silent protest on October 18 at Rajiv Gandhi Park, Lumami, in solidarity with their Meriema counterparts.
During the protest, the members condemned the October 16 incident and demanded an impartial and proper investigation by an independent body.
They also opined that NU should file an independent FIR on the issue and noted that the matter should be resolved as early as possible to ensure the safety of the administrator.
The Central Executive Committee, NUTA, also condemned the incident.
Meanwhile, in an appeal for the resumption of campus activities, the NU Registrar informed that the University has taken serious note of the incident and filed a First Information Report (FIR), endorsed to the Nagaland Chief Secretary as well as the Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police, Kohima, at North Police Station.
The University authority has also deputed a three-Member Committee for "fact-finding relating to development works involving some contractors," it said.
The NU VC has also denounced the incident and, while expressing solidarity with the campus, has appealed to all stakeholders to resume campus activities, it added.
Meanwhile, the Additional SP Kohima and PRO Kohima Police, Relo T Aye, confirmed that an FIR was lodged at North PS and the case was registered after an inquiry yesterday.
Although no specific number of persons was mentioned in the complaint, the FIR stated that it was a group of persons from Meriema Village.
No arrests in this regard have been made so far, the PRO added
Meriema VC on NU issue
Meanwhile, the Meriema Village Council (MCC) informed that it never "encourages any citizen or group to hamper any development activities or roadblock at the NU Kohima Campus."
Therefore, with the initiative of the Additional Deputy Commissioner Chiephobozou, the MCC has requested the aggrieved contractors not to hamper the activities of the NU Kohima Campus and resolve the issue within a week's time, it said.
The aggrieved party had accepted, informed the MCC in a letter to the ADC.
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