Nagaland ad hoc teachers hold peaceful protest demanding regularisation of service

Our Correspondent
Kohima, Sep. 26 (EMN): The members of All Nagaland Ad hoc Teachers’ Group (ANATG) 2015 batch braved the heavy downpour on Monday to protest the government’s failure to meet their demand for regularisation of services.

Hundreds of ad hoc teachers from across the state gathered at the Naga Solidarity Park, walked towards the Secretariat and staged a peaceful dharna outside the Secretariat Plaza in Kohima on Monday.

The ANATG-2015 comprising 1166 teachers, had in 2018, held organized a series of agitations including a hunger strike, demanding the state government to regularise their contract services. Back then, the government had settled the matter granting them a scale of pay (sixth Revision of Pay – ROP) with “no assurance” to meet their demand.

However, the teachers are of the opinion that granting a scale of pay was just an “appeasement policy” and now, they are not willing to settle for anything less than the regularisation of services. So, they resumed the protest after a gap of four years.

The ANATG-2015 submitted several representations to the government in 2020, 2021 and 2022 but there was “no response” from the government. Therefore, the members resorted to ultimatums- the first one being served on July 21, 2022 with a time frame of 30 days, which expired on Aug. 22.

Right after the expiry of the ultimatum period, the ANATG had planned to go for agitation but called off because of the visit of the Union Finance Minister to Nagaland, it was informed.

“As responsible teachers and responsible individuals, we did not want to give the picture to the union government that teachers are agitating when a union minister is in the state. For that reason, we delayed (the agitation),” ANATG-2015 spokesperson, Bendangtemsu Ozukum said while addressing the media at the Solidarity Park, Kohima.

The teachers, then, proposed the agitation on September 8, 2022 but the principal director of Education requested them to give a ‘grace period’ of 20 days, assuring that he would try to pursue the matter, to which they agreed. Yet, even after the expiry of 20 days (on Sep. 25), there has been no response from the government.

Ozukum said that he had spoken to the principal director of School Education, Thavaseelan K, over the phone but that didn’t amount to an ‘official’ intimation to the ANATG.

‘Starting from Monday, the members will go for agitation and will continue until and unless the government meets our demands,’ he said.

Why ANATG-2015?

On confusion around the nomenclature ANATG-2015, he clarified that members were eligible for ‘suitability test’ conducted by the department in 2015, which got delayed by two years.

“A lot of people think that we were recruited in the year 2015. But that is not the case. We have been appointed prior to 2012,” he added.

A suitability test was conducted in 2017 for after a gap of two years but the government is yet to declare the result. “What is the motive behind this?” he asked.

Protest began in 2018 as there was neither response nor initiative to regularise the service, he informed.

‘During the protest, the government cited a court case filed by ACAUT and PSAN against the class I and II gazetted post as a hindrance to regularising their service. The ANATG-2015 was not implemented in the case in any way. With that excuse, the government granted a scale of pay in 2018.

Prior to that, it was a fixed salary. The graduate teachers were receiving a meagre salary of INR 8260 and primary teachers were receiving INR 6600’, he informed. “That was the condition in which we were made to survive on our own as well as our family,” he added.

He acknowledged that they have been receiving a scale of pay post 2018, which has made their lives a little more comfortable, but they want their services to be regularised.

“The ANATG-2015 demand is genuine and very honest. Being ad hoc teachers does not mean there are fewer tasks to perform in the school. We perform as many tasks (and) as many jobs as the regular teachers perform. Maybe we might be even performing better than the regular teachers.

“How long can we go on without being regularised? How do we serve the government without any job security, without any benefits which the other regular employees are enjoying?” he said.

‘The govt. is regularising contracts in other departments such as PWD (Roads and Bridges) and Youth Resources and Sports. The government kept saying that they are unable to regularise because of the court case but they can regularise in other departments.

‘Our question is if at all there is this standing court case order, then does that court order only apply to the 1166 teachers?’ he asked.

Referring to the RMSA/ SSA teachers being absorbed into state cadre, he said the government could do so to unsanctioned post, but not the 1166 teachers who have been appointed against sanctioned post.

“There is a lot of disparity, anomalies in the working system of the government. In 2018 also, we have made it clear that we are not against any government officials but rather against the system that is in the process and has taken place in the state. We talk about corruption, but this is the base of corruption and we hardly have any support,” he added.

Ozukum also expressed dissatisfaction over the recently launched CM health schemes ‘which are only meant for regular employees’. He shared that more than 10 members have passed way over the years.

‘To their families, there is no benefit. They have served the government with everything at their disposal yet when they pass away, they receive nothing. Are we just to die without any aid?’ he asked, adding that there is no scope for medical reimbursement.

The members of ANATG-2015 were appointed on an ad hoc basis, which is part of the recruiting policy of the department to employ teachers. They are appointed first on an ad hoc basis and after three years, they are eligible to sit for the departmental suitability test, only after which they will get regularised.

When asked if they were given 7th ROP, Ozukum said they are “only settling for regularisation and nothing less”.

The ANATG-2015 also expressed dismay at the reaction of the government machinery (police force) that stood by the vicinity of Solidarity Park, Kohima on September 25 during their general meeting.

‘Despite prior intimation to officials concerned that it would be a peaceful protest, the police force has the audacity to stand by in the vicinity of the area the whole day,’ Ozukum said, adding that it is their democratic right to stage a peaceful protest.