Williamnagar, May 1, 2025: The United A·chik Socio Economic Justice Forum (UASEJF) on Wednesday reiterated its profound concern and escalating outrage over the recent violent assault on Dr. Alok Singh, Assistant Professor in the Hindi Department at North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong. This deplorable act of physical aggression within the confines of a higher learning institution is not only deeply disturbing, but also represents a grave threat to the academic integrity, safety, and well-being of faculty members and the overall educational environment.

The reports regarding the attack on Dr. Singh are particularly alarming. The alleged physical assault, the menacing threat posed by a pair of scissors held to his neck, and the act of forcibly confining him, within his office by members of the NEHU Students’ Union (NEHUSU), including its President, paint a shocking picture of lawlessness and a blatant disregard for the fundamental principles of respect and civility that should prevail within any academic institution, said Dimchang M. Sangma President of UASEJF, HQ Williamnagar.

The UASEJF unequivocally and in the strongest possible terms condemns this heinous act of violence and demands immediate, thorough, and impartial action to ensure that all individuals responsible for this criminal behavior are swiftly apprehended, brought before the bar of justice, and face the full consequences of their actions under the law.

The sanctity of NEHU as a center for intellectual pursuit and academic excellence must be upheld, and such acts of barbarity cannot be tolerated or allowed to foster a climate of fear and impunity on campus, stated Sangma.

This deeply troubling incident has once again brought into sharp focus the protracted and deeply concerning issues that continue to plague the NEHU Shillong campus. The UASEJF has long been aware of the detrimental impact of intense and often disruptive campus politics, coupled with alleged administrative shortcomings, which together contribute to a palpably unhealthy and unstable academic atmosphere. Garo students, along with students from various other communities across the region, frequently encounter feelings of discomfort, alienation, and significant academic disadvantage as a direct consequence of this volatile environment.

The UASEJF believes that the persistent instability in Shillong is actively hindering the pursuit of quality education and creating undue hardship for a significant portion of the student body.

In direct response to this alarming situation and in a determined effort to secure a more equitable and conducive learning environment for students from the Garo Hills and beyond, the United A-chik Socio Economic Justice Forum (UASEJF) is taking immediate and decisive action. The Forum will be submitting a formal and comprehensive memorandum to the Chief Minister, Education Minister and Home Minister of Meghalaya.

This memorandum will forcefully articulate the urgent need for the immediate and comprehensive upgrading of the NEHU Tura Campus into a fully-fledged, independent university of par excellence. The current state of the Tura campus, with its severely limited offering of academic courses and inadequate infrastructure, represents a significant barrier to accessing a broader and more inclusive quality education for the aspiring students of the Garo Hills region. This limitation effectively deprives them of opportunities readily available to their counterparts in other parts of the state, added UASEJF President.

The UASEJF firmly and unequivocally believes that the establishment of a fully functional and autonomous NEHU campus in Tura, equipped with significantly expanded academic departments, state-of-the-art infrastructure, and ample resources, will yield substantial benefits not only for the students hailing from the Garo community, but also for all students residing in the broader region. Such a development will provide much-needed access to diverse and high-quality educational programs closer to their homes, thereby eliminating the need for many to travel to the often-turbulent Shillong campus.

Furthermore, the creation of a robust NEHU Tura campus will strategically reduce the overwhelming dependence on the Shillong campus, which, as recent events tragically underscore, has increasingly become a breeding ground for unrest and disruption, rather than a consistent beacon of academic excellence.

Therefore, the United A-chik Socio Economic Justice Forum (UASEJF) urgently and unequivocally demands Immediate and Impartial Investigation into the brutal attack on Dr. Alok Singh must be launched without delay, and the findings must be made public.

The implementation of robust and effective safety and security measures for all faculty members, staff, and students on the NEHU Shillong campus is paramount to prevent any recurrence of such violence.

The Government of Meghalaya must prioritize and expedite the comprehensive upgradation of the NEHU Tura campus into a fully-fledged, independent University with a significantly expanded range of academic programs, improved infrastructure, and adequate resources.

The
comprehensive long-term policy aimed at the strategic decentralization of higher education access across the state of Meghalaya is crucial to ensure equitable opportunities for all communities and to mitigate the over concentration of students in a single, often volatile, campus.

The UASEJF earnestly appeals to the conscience and responsibility of the government to treat this matter with the utmost seriousness and to act decisively and without any further delay. The future of higher education and the promotion of communal harmony within the state of Meghalaya hinges on the swift and effective resolution of these critical issues, said Sangma.