The All Nagaland Adhoc Teachers’ Group (ANATG), 2015 batch, on February 16 marked the 10th day of its ongoing sit-in protest in Kohima outside the Directorate of School Education and the 13th day since out-stationed members began camping in the state capital, reiterating its demand for a definite timeline for service regularization under the 2022 HPC agreement.
Addressing media persons, Core Committee member, Bendangtemsu Ozukum said the protest, which began on February 4, has seen multiple rounds of communication with the government. Following a general meeting of members on Friday, the ANATG resolved to demand a fixed date for regularization.
He informed that the Core Committee subsequently submitted a representation to the Commissioner & Secretary through the Principal Director of School Education. In response, the government acknowledged ANATG’s contributions and proposed the inclusion of 10 ANATG members to assist in screening and arranging relevant documents. However, on the key demand for a definite regularization date, the government stated that as the process was already underway, it could not specify a timeline.
“The reply was received around 6:30 p.m. on Friday, and only this morning we could convene a general meeting to deliberate on the way forward,” Ozukum said. He added that members held extensive discussions considering the stages involved in screening, rectification and issuance of regularization orders.
Despite this, Ozukum maintained that the prolonged delay constituted a failure to honour the 2022 HPC agreement. “Our members feel the wait since December 2023 has been more than sufficient. Many have stated they will not concede to negotiations and will not return until regularization orders are issued,” he said.
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Ozukum informed that it would continue its peaceful and democratic protest indefinitely and may intensify the agitation unless a definite and justified timeframe is assured “in letter and spirit.”
Ozukum further disclosed that a high-level meeting at the Chief Minister’s level was scheduled for Monday afternoon. “We are hopeful and praying that something positive will emerge,” he said, adding that all ANATG members remain assembled at the Directorate of School Education.
Recalling past agitations, he noted that in 2022, prior to signing of the HPC agreement, ANATG had suspended rather than called off a hunger strike. “This time too, after receiving no response from the government, we undertook a 48-hour hunger strike recently. We are deliberating on further intensification through hunger strike,” he stated.
The ANATG 2015 batch has been protesting for implementation of the HPC agreement and immediate service regularization of its members appointed between 1994 and 2012, whose recruitment process including written tests, interviews and document verification was completed in 2017.
