Nagaland RMSA-2016 teachers' protest enters sixth day

Kohima, Sep 15 (PTI) The protest by Nagaland RMSA-2016 batch teachers demanding regularisation of their service entered the sixth day on Monday.

The teachers protesting outside the state Civil secretariat here are demanding scale pay, regularisation of service and mainstreaming of job into the state cadre as ordered by the High Court in 2022, which was also upheld by the Supreme Court in May this year with the dismissal of the Special Leave Petition filed by the state government.

However, the School Education department on Thursday during a meeting with the Association leaders, reiterated and reassured the teachers that it would follow the court's verdict on the 'Review Petition' filed on August 14, while requesting the teachers to go back to duty.

The teachers rejected the appeal and have been continuing with their agitation with recess on Saturday and Sunday. Resuming the agitation, protesters during the day raised slogans including, "Obey the court, respect the law", "Review petition, rest in peace", "We want justice".

Meanwhile, the department on Saturday issued a 'No Work, No Pay' order against the protestors. The association termed it "harsh and vindictive." Reacting to the department's transfer order against six officials of NRMSATA-2016 batch issued during the day, Imlitemjen Imchen, president of the association, called the move "a personal attack by the government at a sensitive time".

"We object to this particular transfer order and demand that it be revoked immediately," Imchen said, adding that a letter signed by all 367 association members had been submitted to the State Mission Director.

Asked about any communication from the government following the meeting held last Thursday, Imchen said no further invitation or dialogue had been initiated by the government so far.

Renbemo L Patton, spokesperson for NRMSATA, said the proposed hunger strike originally scheduled for Monday or Tuesday has been put on hold out of respect for the Naga Students Federation (NSF), which is attempting to mediate between the government and the teachers.

The NSF has scheduled a meeting with the Advisor of School Education on Tuesday to find a solution, he said.

"Our demand is simple and clear - scale pay, regularisation, and mainstreaming as state cadre. Whatever our counterparts (RMSA 2010-13 batch) are getting, that is what we are demanding – not more, not less," Patton asserted. PTI NBS NBS RG