Shillong, March 27: The Holi Festival celebration at North Eastern Hills University (NEHU) on March 25, which turned chaotic, has revealed another side of the story, with claims and counterclaims arising from different sides.
In the latest claims, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) alleges that the NEHUSU vice president, along with two other students, ‘assaulted the students with hammers, resulting in injuries to a few.’
In a press release on Wednesday, the ABVP State Office Secretary, Ishan Tham, informed that the World Organisation of Student and Youth (WOSY) had organized the Holi celebration beside the NEHU lake for NEHU students, including some international students from Russia, Bhutan, and Bangladesh. Tham further stated that the program was organized after obtaining all necessary permissions from the NEHU authorities.
“Unfortunately, the peaceful celebration was disrupted by a mob attack led by Easterson Sohtun, Aditya Sourav, and Gurudutt Tripathi, who assaulted the students with hammers, resulting in injuries to a few. Left Party-affiliated students are manipulating the innocent sentiments of university students for their own political advantage, thereby polluting the campus environment with propaganda,” said the press release by the ABVP leader.
Tham, condemning the incident, stated that it ‘is a blatant violation of the fundamental rights to freedom of expression and assembly.’
The ABVP leader further alleged that “there have been similar incidents before in which Easterson Sohtun had attempted to assault WOSY members.”
On Wednesday, the ABVP leaders demanded that the NEHU authorities take immediate and stringent action against those responsible for this reprehensible act.
“Such individuals must be held accountable for their actions to ensure that justice is served and to prevent any future recurrence of such incidents,” added the press release.
In another claim, the NEHUSU has also claimed that its vice-president, Easterson Sohtun has sustained injuries in the clash with members of right-wing Hindu groups, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) during the Holi celebration on March 25.
However, the police have confirmed that there was an argument between groups of students, leading to a scuffle during the Holi celebration on the university campus in which two people have sustained minor injuries. No arrests have been made so far, but two separate FIRs have been lodged in the case.
