Nehu vice-chancellor Mrinal Miri. Picture by Bidhayak Das

Mrinal Miri

“A university stands for humanism, for tolerance, for reason, for the adventure of ideas and for the search of truth. It stands for the onward march of the human race, towards ever higher objectives. If the universities discharge these duties adequately then it is well with the nation and with the people....” Jawaharlal Nehru.

These words have inspired many academicians and administrators and perhaps even influenced North Eastern Hill University vice-chancellor Prof. Mrinal Miri who has banished the myth that university is only academics.

Miri has experimented with innovative ideas to give the university the much-needed facelift. The roadblocks and pressures of university politics notwithstanding, Miri has succeeded in making Nehu the most sought-after education centre in the country. It has been a tough uphill climb but as Miri so aptly puts it, “a bumpy ride makes you more determined to achieve the best.”

This remarkable ride started from St Stephen’s College, Delhi, where Miri worked as a lecturer before joining Nehu in 1974 as reader in philosophy. However, what perhaps turned out to be a blessing for him was a deputation for six years (1993-99) as director of the Indian Institute of Advanced Study in Shimla.

Bidhayak Das recently spoke to the vice-chancellor on his future plans and some very daring and ambitious experiments that have been undertaken in the university.

Excerpts from the interview:

Q. You seem to be inclined towards starting a new culture in the university....

A. Absolutely. We want to stress on cultural unity and we are planning to initiate a process where people from different cultural backgrounds can come and showcase their talents. We are planning to start a convention centre where a culture mix can take place. The idea is to make the university a happening place where one and all feel the richness of a common culture.

Q. How do you intend to start this mix?

A. It will be a centre where various cultural activities and exchange of ideas can take place. For instance, we could organise theatres which would depict age-old and unique traditional practices and ways of life of the people of the region. It will require tremendous commitment to incorporate traditional practices, keeping in mind the disciplinary boundaries. We have also plans to start a centre for creative and cultural studies. The Sangeet Natak Akademi as well as the Sahitya Akademi are taking a lot of interest.

Q. Have you made a blueprint?

A. It is in the process. We have all come to the conclusion that we must not get caught in the web of understanding life. We want to be focussed and not lose out on reality. Therefore, whatever attempts we make have to be rooted in the real lives of people.

As we represent different disciplines we have to be wary of disciplinary boundaries. At the same time, we must also ensure that we do not have a fragmented view of things.

Q. Will it be a part of the university’s extra-curricular activities?

A. To start off with, yes.

Q. Why is there so much stress on culture and tradition?

A. It is very important, for without it you cannot grow properly. You can never reach for bigger goals if you do not realise your own local conditions.

Q. Do you have plans for inter-disciplinary programmes?

A. We are gradually working towards that possibility. But as I had said before, the opening-up process has to be done carefully. You have to be careful that you don’t tread on others’ boundaries, which can result in intellectual conflict. We know we have to generate intellectual energy as we have to come out from peripheral existence to the mainstream.

Q. What are the major programmes/projects of social significance that the Nehu has undertaken?

A. Among the several major projects now under way at Nehu, the ones I consider to be of great significance for the Northeast are the project on bio-diversity and medicinal plants (jointly with the NEC), the project on baseline environmental survey of Domiasiat and adjacent areas (funded by the department of science and technology and the Centre), the project on a comprehensive history of Northeast India undertaken by the department of history. The development of our Tura campus and the establishment of a campus at Jowai are also two of our major concerns.

Q. Is it true that Nehu has plans to privatise a few of its units, which have not been functioning well?

A. We have already privatised (to a very large extent) our security arrangements and our Guest House management. We are exploring the possibility of privatising the maintenance of our campus gardens and grounds.

Q. What are the problems that you encounter while trying out these ideas, which are in a way slightly unconventional?

A. They are not problems, but maybe lack of mobility at the faculty level. Only 10 per cent of the really core intellectuals strike roots at the local level. We have to come out of individual academic ambitions for proper research-based studies.

Q. What makes you different from the others?

A. Me? (laughs). Nothing. I think the way all others do. In fact, the faculty in the university has been instrumental in giving shape to the ideas which have found my consent. I feel every discipline has to understand the others. This is the only way we can make rapid strides in developing ourselves. We have already made a very good beginning and my predecessors have done tremendous work to realise the dreams of many people of this region.

Q. The university has been surrounded by some controversies. What are the reasons?

A. Well, you cannot avoid controversies. In a university, which is dependent on forces other than itself, there is bound to be politics. It has to run on power and money. But in spite of the controversies we have managed to forge ahead.

Q. Why has it taken so long for the permanent campus at Mawlai to come up?

A. To begin with, it took us very long to get the land which was given to us by the government of Meghalaya. Almost six years after the land (1,200 acres) was acquired, that is in 1978, we could start working on the plan for the campus. For one reason or the other, the campus took a long time to become what it is today. During the past three years, things have moved very fast. The Centre has sanctioned Rs 25 crore from the non-lapsable pool of funds and in the next seven months all the faculties will be able to move to the Mawlai campus. We have some of the most beautiful buildings and soon we will have a university township, comprising a vibrant, fairly diverse university community.