The second round of meeting between the state government and All Nagaland Ad hoc Teachers Group-2015 (ANATG) ended on an inconclusive note. Resulting in a deadlock yet again, the 1,166 Ad hoc teachers have now decided to continue with their indefinite hunger strike.
The meeting was headed by advisor of school education K T Sukhalu with commissioner and secretary of school education and SCERT Kevileno Angami, principal director of school education Thavaseelan K and department officials also present while 31 members of the ANATG core committee and central team represented the 1166 Ad hoc teachers.
The meeting comes after the Ad hoc teachers submitted a representation to the chief minister on 3 October seeking for his intervention and also rejecting the proposal of forming a High Powered Committee. The representation was submitted through the Officer on Special duty (OSD) of the Chief Minister as the chief minister is stated to still be in New Delhi.
Former ANATG spokesperson, Bendang Ozukum, said the ANATG during the meeting had put across to the government that they needed a solution to their issue within a stipulated time frame. “We wanted to have that in a very concrete manner that the government gives us promises that at least this is happening within a specific time bound but nothing of that assurance could be given today, so we had to come back with a deadlock,” he added.
Ozukum stated that the ANATG had three points – firstly, that the regularisation be counted from the day of signing the agreement which would be today; secondly, that the seniority of teachers be dated back to their date of appointment; and lastly, that the solution to their issue come within a stipulated time frame –all three of which were rejected by the government.
Ozukum further said the 1,166 teachers would intensify their ongoing indefinite hunger strike. Since seven members had to pull out from the agitation, the group would be reinforcing, he added.
“We are out here on the streets and it’s raining pretty heavily and all our mattresses are wet. We are going through a lot of hardships but we cannot just say goodbye halfway through, so we will have to intensify the ongoing hunger strike,” Ozukum said.
