Nagaland govt employees to begin 3-day pen down strike from Oct 14

Kohima, Oct 13 (PTI) The Joint Coordination Committee (JCC), comprising five major associations of Nagaland government employees, on Monday said they will begin a three-day pen-down strike from October 14, demanding that induction of non-state civil service officers into the IAS cadre should not be allowed.

The JCC said that employees will attend the office but abstain from work for the duration of the protest.

It claimed that the Select List for induction into the IAS cadre on September 25, included a candidate who did not qualify through the Nagaland Public Service Commission (NPSC) route and demanded that the name of the officer concerned be removed from it to protect merit-based recruitment.

Confederation of All Nagaland State Services Employees Association (CANSSEA) President Zubemo Lotha Tsanglao told a press conference on Monday that the issue dates back to 2016-17 when State Civil Service officers petitioned the government against inducting non-NCS officers into the IAS cadre.

The CANSSEA is one of the constituents of the JCC.

“In March 2025, the government issued a vacancy circular giving 15 days for applications. Eleven applicants submitted, but on the 16th day, the government recalled the circular,” he said, adding that this reversal triggered widespread resentment.

He alleged that the circular was withdrawn to allow a non-Nagaland Civil Service officer to apply.

Employee associations have demanded that the government adhere to its earlier Office Memorandums of 2001 and 2016, which mandated recruitment strictly through NPSC or open advertisement.

Despite multiple protests, including black badge and poster campaigns, the government allegedly did not initiate any dialogue with the associations, he alleged.

“We have decided to go for a democratic protest from October 14 to 16. All government employees across districts and headquarters will attend office, but put down their pens. We will stand for meritocracy to protect the future of our youth,” Tsanglao asserted.

The Federation of Nagaland State Engineering Service Association (FONSESA), another member of the JCC, said the agitation is in the “larger interest of the Nagas”.

“When the government has already introduced the Nagaland Staff Selection Board (NSSB) to promote meritocracy and curb backdoor appointments, allowing non-NCS officers to be inducted into the IAS is a contradiction and an irony,” FONSESA President Fineson Pojar said.

He added that the move “demoralizes officers who earned their place through NPSC examinations” and sends a wrong message to youth who believe in fair competition.

The Nagaland In-Service Doctors Association (NIDA) claimed that all state government employees have joined hands under a common cause.

NIDA President Dr Thomas Keppen said, “We appeal to the conscience of every right-thinking citizen to support this movement for justice and fairness.” He urged the government to reconsider its decision and take the right course of action.

The JCC has warned that if the government fails to act within the three-day strike period, further phases of agitation will follow. PTI NBS NBS NN