2 including NEHUSU VP injured in a clash over holi celebration at NEHU, ABVP demands inquiry into incident 

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaMarch 25, 2024

Two persons including the vice president of the North Eastern Hill University Students Union (NEHUSU) were injured in a clash during a holi celebration in the university campus on Monday.

“Two persons received injuries and have given two FIRs. They have been taken for medical to civil hospital,” East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Rituraj Ravi informed.

When contacted, NEHUSU finance secretary Mandor Diengdoh said the vice president of the union Easterson Sohtun had sustained injury during the incident.  

“The vice president objected to the holding of the programme by allowing people from outside to provoke the students of the university but he was assaulted by them,” he said.

Asked, Diengdoh said, “It is a programme to celebrate Holi. There is no harm if it is being celebrated by NEHU students but now people from outside are coming and provoking the students with their ideology.”

He said NEHUSU has filed an FIR against members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).

Meanwhile, the ABVP, Shillong Unit has strongly condemned the NEHUSU vice president for allegedly making false allegations against the organization.

In a statement, ABVP state joint secretary Bomsing Khongtir said, “It is to be mentioned that on 25th March 2024, World Organisation of Students and Youth (WOSY), had organised a get-together programme to celebrate Holi Festival inside the NEHU campus. The members of ABVP were also invited to attend the aforementioned Holi Celebration. The WOSY had organised the event to have a cultural exchange among the students and international students of NEHU to be felicitated during the programme.”

“The event was going very smoothly until NEHUSU VP Easterson Sohtun of NEHUSU intentionally tried to disturb the peace and tranquillity of the programme by intentionally hitting some common students of the University which was pre-plan by him and his friends,” he said.

He said the ABVP, Shillong unit demands the proper investigation into the matter and also assures to cooperate fully with the Police Department during the course of enquiry.

“Such types of hooligan activities are not accepted in the university. ABVP, Shillong unit demands for proper and impartial investigation into the matter,” he said.