Demonstrating resentment over the recent retention and regularization of teachers under SSA and failure on the part of the state government and education department in fulfilling its five point charter of demands submitted July 26 last, the Eastern Naga Students’ Federation (ENSF) Wednesday launched phase wise agitation in the four districts of Mon, Tuensang, Longleng and Kiphire.
The ENSF accused the department and government of failing to implement government notification No. EDS (A)-5/2002 which has been approved by the Cabinet vide OM NO CAB-2/2008 dated November 2008, in connection with the appointment and transfer and relaxation for a period of 10 years for the six tribes of Eastern Nagaland- Konyak, Sangtam, Chang, Yimchunger, Phom and Khiamniungan.
In Mon, the agitation, spearheaded by the Konyak Students’ Union (KSU), the apex students’ body of Mon district, commenced with student volunteers gathering at KSU office. They held a brief meeting and later marched to the offices of the Deputy Inspector of School (DIS) and District Education Officer (DEO), demonstrating a silent protest by holding banners and placards that read, “We want 5 points charter of demand”, “”No more deprivation and suppression”, “Bring back our vacancy and appoint Eastern Nagas”, “Where are our vacancies, are we not Nagas?” etc.
Meanwhile, KSU president Methna said that the agitation was launched to press for implementation of the five point charter of demand submitted by the Eastern Nagaland Students’ Federation (ENSF) to the director of Education Nagaland July 26 last.
He alleged that despite the government notification and approval of the cabinet on the issue, the education department failed to implement the same. KSU questioned as to why the government issued the notification, and the cabinet “wasted their time” making the approval if it was not to be implemented.
“They have fooled us enough. We cannot be fooled again and again. Our demand must be fulfilled,” Methna said.
So far the stir has been peaceful, however sources said if the government does not initiate steps to fulfill their demands, students will picket the offices of the DIS and DEO in all the four districts as the
second phase of their agitation on Thursday
Meanwhile, in Tuensang, ENSF volunteers staged “silent dharna” at the DEO, DIS and district mission authority (DMA/SSA) offices against the recent retention and regularization of both GTs and PTs under SSA Nagaland.
Around 700 students converged at the ground of Government Higher Secondary School Tuensang and read out the ENSF memorandum. They later marched to the office of the deputy commissioner (DC) Tuensang and put forward the five point charter of demand which was earlier submitted to the director school education Nagaland.
Student volunteers also displayed banners and placards reading, “Don’t mix politics with education”, “Justice delayed is justice denied”, “ we demand what is ours”, “Don’t dump garbage on eastern Nagaland” etc.
It may be mentioned here that the ENSF, in its letter to the education department, stated that it was pressed to review the process of the recent retention and regularization of teachers with authentic number of posts created and distributed within the schools of Nagaland. While appreciating the state government’s initiative in creating the teacher posts under SSA, the ENSF alleged that there were anomalies in the distribution and implementation process.
Following its objections on the issue, ENSF stated that no proper intimation or consultation had been routed to the ENSF besides a press statement by the cabinet that the whole process of retention and regularization of teachers would be kept in abeyance.
ENSF demanded strict implementation of government notification No. EDS/1-7/2008, dated Kohima 9 January 2009, stating that Clause- 1 (i) of the notification- “all the vacancies arising within the Eastern Nagaland Jurisdiction shall be filled up by the 6 (six) inhabitant tribes of the same. No post shall be transferred out of the districts along with the incumbent,” should be maintained both in letter and in spirit.
ENSF also pointed that in the past few years, around 1500-1600 P/Ts and G/Ts were transferred out along with posts from the four districts of Eastern Nagaland to other districts of the state, leading to acute shortage of teachers.
It maintained that shortage of teachers in the four districts should be filled from the newly created posts under SSA, and teachers not belonging to the Eastern Naga tribes recently retained and regularized against vacancies of Eastern Nagas and posted in the districts of Eastern Nagaland be revoked.
The federation demanded that newly created posts as per the notification NO.DSE/RS/2011: Dated Kohima 21March, 2011 and 15 June, 2011, vacancies under SSA be authentically advertised for fresh recruitment.
Meanwhile, a silent dharna organized by the Yimchungru Akheru Arhi-ako (YAA) was held peacefully at DIS office and ADC office Shamator on Wednesday with hundreds of students holding placards with messages like “do not deprive us”, “where are our vacancies”, “do not fool us”, “appoint eastern Naga people in our areas; No compromise until ENSF demand is fulfilled”.
The dharna was called as per directive of the Eastern Naga Students Federation.
However during the dharna, YAA said the DIS Shamator was out of station and that most of the time, the DIS was said to be quite irregular at work.
Affirms to continue demonstration
An appeal by the state government to the ENSF to withdraw the agitation against retention and regularization of GTs and PTs under SSA in Nagaland evoked no response with the students affirming to continue till the government acceded to its five-point charter of demands.
Accusing the government and school education department of a lackadaisical attitude over the issue, ENSF vice president Likhumse Stm and general secretary Changsang Soted, disclosed that state chief secretary Lalthara had emailed a letter on August 9 assuring that the government would discuss and expeditiously address the 5-point demands on August 12 after the cabinet returned from Delhi.
ENSF said it was not satisfied with the letter as no mention was made about fulfilling their demands and described as “an indirect threat” Lalthara’s plea for calling off the agitation so as “ to create a good climate for meaningful discussion” of ENSF demands.
In view of the above, ENSF affirmed it would continue with the second phase of the agitation on August 11 and 12 by picketing all DEOs/DISs/DMAs offices within eastern Nagaland jurisdiction.
Further, ENSF also reminded all its federating units to “mentally prepare” for the third phase which would commence from August 13.
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