By Muslim Mirror Special Correspondent
The University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM), a widely respected institution in North-East region, has come under the scanner of the Supreme Court’s Central Empowered Committee (CEC). The committee has recommended a penalty of ₹150.35 crore against the university, alleging it encroached upon 25 hectares of forest land without central approval.
On paper, the move appears to be a straightforward case of enforcing environmental compliance. But the circumstances surrounding the recommendation — and the political players involved — raise troubling questions about whether this is genuinely about forest protection or a calculated act of political targeting.
Himanta Biswa Sarma’s Hostility Toward USTM
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has long positioned himself as a fierce critic of USTM. Despite the university being located in Meghalaya, he has repeatedly attacked it, going as far as declaring that graduates of the institution would not be eligible for employment in Assam. He has also publicly stated his desire to see the university shut down.
For nearly two years, Sarma has singled out USTM and its founder Mahbubul Hoque for criticism. His rhetoric often goes beyond policy disagreements, carrying undertones of hostility toward the institution’s Muslim ownership. That the CEC is chaired by Chandra Prakash Goyal — known to be close to Sarma — only fuels suspicions that this penalty recommendation is less about environmental violations and more about political vendetta.
A Familiar Playbook
The case reflects a pattern increasingly visible in India’s political scenario. A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) is filed in the Supreme Court, often around land or forest violations. The Court constitutes a committee, which then issues harsh penalties, sometimes disproportionately affecting minority-run or opposition-linked institutions.
In USTM’s case, the CEC not only recommended the massive fine but also directed that the land occupied by the university be restored to “normal forest” within a year. Funds collected from the penalty would be used to remove what the committee called “illegal structures.” Such drastic measures go well beyond routine compliance, raising fears that the very existence of USTM is under threat.
This story was originally published in muslimmirror.com. Read the full story here.