PROF. LAMA’S APPOINTMENT AS SIKKIM VARSITY VC AND THE RESULTANT CONTROVERSY

Sikkim, one of the fastest developing states of India, is in the process of establishing a new central university. This is a fruit of long and untiring hard-work of none other than two visionary personalities- Mr. Pawan Chamling and Professor Mahendra P. Lama. They have been the two shoulders of Sikkim guiding and directing the state towards the path of sustained human development. No other politicians or academicians in the region had/have the vision and capability to even think of such an institution let along establishing it in the state.

Having said that, it is important to clarify the larger public on the ongoing controversy with respect to the appointment of Prof. Lama as the first Vice Chancellor of Sikkim University and his alleged association with the ruling SDF. Questions with regard to the availability of the potential VC locally also need adequate debate. Debate with respect to Prof. Lama’s appointment as a first VC of the upcoming university in Sikkim, his political association, the necessity of the VC to be apolitical and such other doubts were first raised by Dr. S.D. Subba, if not others. Hence, we also need to ponder upon the credibility of Dr. Subba’s statements and his political aspirations.

First, Dr. Lama has been advising on the economic development of Sikkim since the Chief Minister-ship of Mr. Bhandari. Hence, he is associated with different ruling political parties of the state not as their ally but as an economic expert. He is a thorough and seasoned professional and has little interest on the ideology of a particular political party in Sikkim. Further, he was never desperate to occupy the VC’s seat in the upcoming Sikkim University. Long before his appointment as VC in the upcoming university of Sikkim, he was invited by a number of already established universities in Northeast India to serve as VC. He, however, declined to join them. He could not decline the offer to occupy the highest seat in the upcoming university in Sikkim due to a number of reasons. Firstly, he along with Mr. Chamling has spent many sleepless nights to bring a Central University in the region. Secondly, his inborn love for Darjeeling and Sikkim was another important factor in this regard. Darjeeling, as we all know, is in a reign of terror as of today. It is heading towards the opposite direction and soon will reach a Neolithic stage in the times to come. There is no scope for development; neither there are any interests among the local politicians to develop Darjeeling. The situation in Sikkim is very conducive. The peaceful situation and farsighted Chief Minister of the state provides enough rationale to develop Sikkim into a world class place with similar infrastructural facilities. And that is what Dr. Lama wants to do. He wants to build an institution of global quality; a university that will cater not only to Sikkim but to the larger mountain communities of Eastern Himalayas and beyond. The benchmark here is a university of the stature of Jawaharlal Nehru University and not NBU. Hence, his perspective is much larger; it is beyond the understanding of local critics.

Second, the debate with respect the son of the soil policy in the context of Sikkim University also needs deliberation. Sikkim University is a centrally funded university with limited stake of the state government. Accordingly, the top level positions, including the faculties, will be appointed by the government of India on the basis of merit. The consent of President and Prime Minister of India is necessary for the appointment of the VC in any university. Further, VC is largely an administrative post. A mere academician with PhD is not enough to qualify for the post. The potential VC besides being a scholar also needs to be a visionary and diplomat with strong knack of administrative skills. S/he should adequately know when, how and why to act on a particular situation. It is here Prof. Lama scores over other local academicians both from Sikkim and Darjeeling. The government of India has rightly identified Prof. Lama to lead and nurture the new central university in Sikkim. He has a global exposure and also is well aware of the local situation. We are talking here about an institution with international reputation. It’s not a government college, it’s a central university.

Third, question with regard to the necessassity of VC to apolitical have to be talked about. As far as I understand, the appointment of VC is largely political in nature. It has to be debated and agreed upon by the politicians in the union cabinet chaired by the PM. Subsequently, it has to be consented by the President of India. The state government can only recommend if there are any potential local candidate(s). Former President of India Mr. K.R. Narayanan served as a Vice Chancellor of JNU. There are examples where former ambassadors or senior union civil servants have been appointed as the VCs of the universities. Former Union Minister Prof. Y. K. Alag also served as the VC of JNU. This, however, does not mean all VCs are political men. What counts at the end of the day is merit and credibility. There are examples of outstanding scholars in the country who have been backed by the cabinet and appointed as VCs. Prof. Lama falls in the second category. Hence, the local critics should carefully understand the processes and situations under which a particular scholar is appointed as a VC.

Lastly, we need to ask ourselves few questions and seek the answers. Who is S.D. Subba?, what is his credibility as a responsible citizen of Sikkim?, What has he done for the development of Sikkim over the years.?, Is he qualified enough to comment on the appointment of VC in the upcoming central university of Sikkim? How authentic is he and his statements?, What is his intention and what are his political aspirations. I leave it to the public to do research for the answers to the above questions. I do not know much about Dr. Subba. What I only know about him is the fact that he is a medical graduate and he aspires to be the CM of Sikkim one day. I guess much of the answers to the questions raised are located somewhere between last two lines.

**Published by Sikkim Express, July 17, 2007**