The Human Rights Law Network (HRLN) has raised a very serious issue by stating that Scheduled Tribe (ST) faculty members of Himalayan University (HU) are facing discrimination. In a letter to the university’s Vice-Chancellor (VC), HRLN stated that it has received numerous complaints of discrimination, such as pay disparities and salary deductions for faculty members belonging to the ST category. It is alleged that non-APST staff are given better pay, while APST employees are treated differently. This may have just opened a Pandora’s box. In the past, many other private universities operating in the state have been alleged to ill-treat the APST employees working under them.
Despite a few individuals raising concerns over such ill-treatment, no pressure groups or NGOs have taken up the matter seriously. Therefore, HRLN deserves appreciation for addressing it with the utmost seriousness. The state government should not take it lightly. These private institutions, many of whose owners are from outside the state, are earning huge sums of money from the state. They have to respect the local sentiments. These private institutions cannot treat Arunachal simply as a place to earn money while disrespecting the local people.
Taking cues from the concerns raised by HRLN, the state government should constitute a committee and thoroughly investigate the matter. There should not be any discrimination among employees, and everyone should be treated equally based on their qualifications.