Senkatoshi
Go back! Shame on you! … It’s not your dustbin! These were some of the agitating buzz-words that greeted the former Vice Chancellor of Nagaland University, G.D.Sharma when he first landed in Kohima. A series of agitation followed thereafter. The Vice Chancellors post has thus inaugurated an era of agitation in the highest learning institution of the state. After four years of constant demand for the removal of G.D.Sharma, the demander’s plans finally came to fruition when the president A.P.J.Abdul Kalam accepted his resignation.
“G.D.Sharma resigns for the…times”, “VC G.D.Sharma resigns under duress”, etc. That’s how the different local dailies carved out their headlines. No matter what the nature of his resignation, the hot-seated VC Chair was questioned by many intellectual organizations of the state claiming that G.D.Sharma is a square peg in the VC’s hole. Again he is alleged to have financial misappropriation and other misadministration in the university.
But through all the constant rash balls from his opponent’s side, the die-hard Prof.Sharma batted for nearly 5 years term, and ran out while on the verge of the completion of his 5 years term. Hurrah! Won the game. Its over however, behind every success, there is a story to tell. It is my dispassionate attempt to bring to light a few things that always strikes in mind.
We all know the uncertain situation in Nagaland University. And we all know how many times the university has been disrupted. When there’s disruption, there’s cessation of classes; when there’s cessation of classes, academic year delays; and when academic year delays, there’s economic losses because the students have to pay extra rent, tuition fees, fares, and whatever.
Ridiculous and meticulous too. But this is the real situation wherefrom the students cannot extricate themselves. Sometime in March this year, a friend of mine who is doing his two years P.G. programme in NU, regretfully express his views on the academic recession which might lead to the extensions of academic season beyond two years. He also obliquely mentioned about his financial problems to go further. Exactly true! I do agree with him when other universities are able to finish their various P.G.Programmes within stipulated time, NU hardly finishes by extending 4 to 5 months.
There are so many pertinent questions and issues other than Vice Chancellor’s chair. But today there’s no one to break the university’s ice to hasten its pace to declare results. BA part II & I result’s just out after a long delay. Now, Mass Communication & Journalism result-examination appeared in Dec.2005-is another thing. There’s no student organization to seek clarification for the alleged wrong setting of questions-out of syllabus in- BA.I (new course) in one general paper, 2006.
NU has been experiencing the worst episode in its history for the last decades over the VC chair-from Prof.Yanger to G.D.Sharma. Then, who is next?
Prof.K.Kannan has already got the green signals from higher authority to blaze a new trial in the agitated-torn Nagaland University. Certainly, his candidature was Okayed without demur unlike the former VC whose candidacy was a moot point among the intellectuals.
The blend legacy left behind by the former VC may elicit ample criticism. The alleged financial misappropriation and mal administration have invited wraths from different quarters and finally it precipitated to his resignation. But his abandonment of VC chair isn’t enough if he is regarded as the real architect of germinating all the vices in the varsity. It is very good to convict him ever in the court of laws unfolding the ins and outs of his misdeeds. Let him not to get away, befitting justice would be delivered whosoever is. Otherwise, the whole saga could leave only an indelible mark of suspicion on the minds of the people about the activities of the varsity. So, it is better to remember the wastage of time, energy, money, knowledge and infrastructures while fighting for justice.
However, G.D.Sharma has plus points too. He has to be credited with the introduction of the first ever center for Mass Communication & Journalism studies in NU in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Mass communication New Delhi, the setting up of UGC-NET center in Kohima and the success over the first Nagaland University’s convocation, etc. Yet, it is a concerted effort that achieved all those tasks but Sharma’s role in this regard should not be forgotten. A promising start is the prerequisite thing for the university instead of monkeying around with the educational career of thousands of students. Time has come to get ready for the oncoming fierce competition from different quarters.
