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Our Correspondent
Kohima, Oct. 11 (EMN): The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) and Eastern Naga Students’ Federation (ENSF) have asserted that they will enforce the state-wide restriction on movement of ‘NL 10 and NL 11 government registered vehicles’ from Monday (October 12), 6 am onwards.
Exemptions have been made for vehicles on duty for medical services, administration and police, fire and emergency services.
Addressing a press conference in Kohima on Sunday, Ninoto Awomi, the president of NSF, informed that, in case of any seizures made by the volunteers, they have directed all the federating units to seize the car keys immediately and release the vehicles only after their demand to mainstream SSA and RMSA teachers of 2010 and 2013 batches is fulfilled.
“This agitation is going to be the first phase of agitation and until further notice from the two federations, it is going to be indefinite,” he informed.
He also stated that they have received a letter from the state government but “both NSF and ENSF officials were not satisfied with the response from the government”.
They asserted that as long as the government do not give any time-bound assurance, "just saying they will resolve the issue at the earliest, we felt the government will drag the issue indefinitely."
According to Awomi, they were left with no choice but to ‘reiterate the proposed agitation’.
The two federations had decided to call for an agitation following the expiry of the 30-day ultimatum that was served to the state government on September 2, to fulfil the agreement signed on July 12, 2018, between School Education department and Nagaland Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Teachers’ Association (NSSATA).
Awomi stated that they have directed all the federating units and subordinate bodies of the two federations to ensure that the bandh is implemented strictly and effectively.
ENSF president Seplili L Sangtam stated that “our agitation is democratic and we have issued clear directive to all our federating units and supporting units to agitate democratically. And we have strongly directed to maintain all the Covid protocols, the SOP issued by the authority concerned”.
According to him, they had served two representational letters but lack of response from the government had compelled them to serve the ultimatum.
"After ultimatum also, 10 more days were given to the government to fulfil the agreement," he added.
Sangtam shared that they had received an appeal letter from the government to call off the agitation. But after studying the content of the letter, he said that they ‘were not satisfied' with it; hence, the agitation will begin from Monday.
APO letter to NSF, ENSF
A letter from the Angami Public Organisation requesting the NSF and ENSF to call off the agitation had surfaced on social media recently.
According to Awomi, they have received the letter from the APO and in response, will ‘write a letter to them to reconsider and review the letter that was sent’.
Asserting that they will go ahead with the agitation, the NSF president requested the APO to extend support as the ‘issue is genuine’.
"And fortunately, we have the support of all the federating units and tribal units. Angami Students Union has also extended their solidarity to us. We are appealing to APO to review and then to understand our position and extend solidarity to us," he added.