“Backdoor appointment refers to any public appointment carried out without open advertisement,” the Combined Technical Association of Nagaland (CTAN) and Nagaland Net Qualified Forum (NNQF) reminded the basic term of backdoor appointment while addressing a press conference on April 19, in response to the Higher Education Minister Imna Along’s interview with the Global Window.
Retaliating to the recent remarks made by the Minister on the regularization order of the 147 Assistant Professors and Librarians, the two groups addressed several points based on the remarks of the Minister.
A key issue behind the movement, according to the CTAN and NNQF, was the mode of appointment. “Qualified or not qualified, the issue is the mode of appointment. However, in order to be eligible for the CESE one has to be NET/Phd qualified to even sit for the exam,” stated the two groups.
The groups expressed concern on how a special dispensation can be applied to employees who are recruited through legitimate appointment. “No one is above the law. Is the minister above the law? A special dispensation in the Higher Education now can encourage another special dispensation in the future in other departments as well,” stated the CTAN and NNQF.
In response to the Minister’s comment considering the protest as “unethical”, the two groups clarified that the second day of the protest outside the Directorate of Higher Education went beyond 4 pm because of the lack of response from the concerned authority. “However, it was amicably solved in the end. The protest was peaceful throughout which is clearly ethical,” they stated. On the Minister referring to the usage of proper platform and grievances, the two groups highlighted the numerous efforts taken over the years, where series of memorandums, appeals, press releases and visits to the concerned department official and minister took place prior to the protest. “The protest was the last resort. What is the proper platform then?” it questioned.
In the interview, the Minister had also mentioned that the Department have not taken any sanctioned posts, to which the two groups questioned, “If no sanctioned posts, then how was it regularised?” This, according to CTAN and NNQF, by passed certain protocol, violating the essence of recruitment through meritocracy and open advertisement.
On the shortage of teachers, the two groups asserted, “This shortage is not a crisis created by the aspirants. It is a direct result of the government’s failure to uphold its responsibilities. The aspirants are not responsible for the existing gaps In the education system. They are in fact the ones striving to fill them through proper recruitment (NPSC rule 9 clause 4)”.
Referring to the recent press statements released by the All Nagaland Government College Teachers’ Association (ANGCTA) and the information issued by the Principal of Kohima Science College Jotsoma directing the teachers and students of all the Government colleges of the state to organize and participate in a peaceful demonstration on April 21 (Monday) to show solidarity to the recently regularized Assistant Professors, the CTAN and NNQF asked: “Why is ANGCTA using students as shields to protect their employment? Why did they not protest for the gaps prior to this issue?”
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NSF and ANCSU not the aggrieved members
The two groups were also of the view that the NSF and ANCSU are not the aggrieved members with the protesters comprising of PhD holders and highly qualified aspirants who do not fall under the jurisdiction of NSF and ANCSU. “The Minister’s selective consultation points to vested interest and intentional exclusion. It is not a matter of distrust towards NSF and ANCSU, nor a rejection of their role. However, the minister’s remark that only NSF and ANCSU are legitimate bodies, is deeply problematic. Legitimacy does not rest solely on institutional title, it rests on who is directly impacted. Although CTAN is not a registered body, most of the organisations under them are registered,” they asserted.
Meshenlo Kath, President of CTAN also maintained that they are not interested in meeting the Minister Incharge but only want answer to their rightful demand to revoke the December 17 Government’s order. Kath further clarified that the protest is in no way affecting teachers or students, while also appealing the public to support the movement.
Kath also argued that the Minister should not bring political issue into this matter. “I have been fighting for students’ right for long. I am a Congress man but Congress has so far not supported our association,” he said. Kath clarified that they are not demanding termination of teachers who have served for 10-15 years but they are protesting over appointments made after 2016 .
The two groups also contended that the Minister was contradicting himself when he said “he is not acting on emotions but practicality”, but on the other hand referred to the movement based on ‘emotional reasons’. “He emphasised that the contractual teachers were employed with meagre salary. However, all of them had signed their contracts. So the amount salary is not the point in question. In fact, they are more fortunate than the unemployed qualified aspirants,” they maintained.
Kaqheto Kughutu, CTAN, also highlighted that the statements that have surfaced in support of 147 contractual appointees is a dangerous move. “They should not add fuel to fire and play with innocent people,” stated Kughutu urging students not to join the solidarity protest on April 21 called by the Kohima Science College, Jotsoma and ANGCTA but to instead join the protest against the regularization of the order.
