Uncertainty looms large over the North Eastern Hill University Students’ Union (NEHUSU) elections even as two students of the university were attacked by a group of masked miscreants on Wednesday night.
The election commission of the university has not taken any decision on when the NEHUSU election should be held after the election scheduled to be held on October 3 was postponed at the eleventh hour following a “complaint” to the University’s grievance cell against the nominations of one of the candidates for the post of president.
One of the students injured in the attack is a member of the Hynñiewtrep Youth Council (HYC).
Another student of the Adult and Continuing Education department, who is a roommate of the HYC member, was also injured in the attack.
Around 10 men, who covered their faces with black clothes, entered the Kupli Boy’s Hostel in the university campus armed with rods and threatened the security guard not to interfere.
An FIR was filed with Mawlai police station on Thursday, and a delegation of the HYC also met SP (City) SA Rynjah and sought his intervention into the incident.
HYC Shillong City general secretary Enlang Sawian said that incident happened few hours after the HYC unit was formed in NEHU along with its office bearers.
Sawian said that the masked miscreants entered the room number 18 in the hotel, and they enquired about the identity of the HYC member.
“When our member responded, they started beating him mercilessly and threatened him with dire consequences if he does not leave the HYC,” Sawian alleged.
The HYC strongly condemned the incident and warned against such elements.
The SP (city) has assured to look into the matter seriously.
A meeting was also held between NEHU vice chancellor Prof SK Srivastava and members of the HYC as well as leaders of the NEHUSU on Thursday evening.
NEHUSU advisor Rangdajied Marweiñ while condemning the incident termed it a “very unfortunate” that anyone can enter inside the hostel premises and just attack innocent students.
“This is an act of terror to terrorise the students of this university. We demand immediate justice from the law agency so that justice will be served at the earliest,” the NEHUSU leader said.
No one has been arrested till filling of the report.
Police have also seized CCTV footages in connection with the incident.
Sources said that a complaint filed against the candidature of NEHUSU advisor Rangdajied Marweiñ on the ground that Rangdajied cannot be the candidate for the post of president because he has attained 25 years of age.
Rangdajied is currently pursuing LLM in the university.
But as per the J M Lyngdoh Committee recommendations as accepted by the Supreme Court stated that under graduate students between the ages of 17 and 22 may contest elections.
This age range may be appropriately relaxed in the case of professional colleges, where the course often ranges between 4 to 5 years.
When asked about the complaint against his candidature, Rangdajied refused to comment.
