The state’s lone central university, RGU, has come under scanner for issuing a regressive notice to students and teachers on Monday, warning them of action if they criticize RGU authorities on social media platforms like Twitter. RGU alleged that misinformation campaigns and unsubstantiated allegations were being made on social media against the university by some employees and a few students. This comes just days after research scholar Prem Taba was issued a show cause notice for allegedly spearheading the protest against the closure hostels of RGU. These attempts by the RGU authorities to try to muzzle dissenting voices are highly condemnable.
It seems that RGU is following a pattern which has emerged post 2014, wherein students and teachers who raise their voice against the authorities are punished. Today, it is alleged that central universities across India are imposing the right wing ideology of the ruling establishment. People associated with them are given prominent posts in the central universities. The RGU authorities should immediately withdraw both the notices, including the one issued against the research scholar. This attempt to curtail democratic rights in a highly sensitive tribal state like Arunachal has the potential to cause disharmony in the university campus. Most of the tribal population of the state are fiercely independent and highly opinionated. The RGU authorities are inviting trouble for themselves by trying to behave like dictators. This will surely backfire. Already people have taken to social media to strongly criticize the move of RGU.