North Eastern India

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My association with NE India began with my joining the faculty of the North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong, in 1974, as a lecturer in philosophy. NEHU was a central university established an year earlier, in 1973, and only admitted students for a masters degree. It also had affiliated colleges in Meghaya, Mizoram, and Nagaland, where undergraduate courses were taught.

Apart from teaching philosophy, I also took up the responsibilities of coordinator of the national service scheme (NSS), staff advisor of the students union, and staff advisor of the Falstaff club, which was the university theatre group.

As NSS coordinator, I was responsible for NSS activities in the university and in over 40 colleges in the states/UT of Meghala, Mizoram, and Nagaland. This gave me an opportunity to travel extensively in these states and to work and trek with the NSS student-volunteers. I describe some of these experiences here.

Shekhar Singh