The ongoing agitation called by the Eastern Naga Students Federation (ENSF) against the backdrop of the failure of the State government to meet the five point charter of demand issued earlier by the former has led to all sort of confusion. Further the failure to address the issue on time forced the ENSF to call for a shutdown of eastern Nagaland leading to more protest during Republic Day. As a result, the State Cabinet expressed its displeasure and terming that it was “unreasonable” for the ENSF to ask the public not to attend the Republic Day functions in the four districts of Eastern Nagaland. While one hopes that better sense will prevail among all concerned, the School Education Department, Minister and the government in particular could have handled the crisis in a better way. Even the manner in which the Cabinet has handled the issue remains questionable. While the Cabinet may feel that the ENSF agitation was “unreasonable and disproportionate to the issue at hand”, nevertheless the political leadership of the present State government cannot shy away and act as if they not responsible at all. The School Education Department cannot be alone blamed for the mess currently facing our education system. Our politicians cannot run away. They too must share equal if not more blame. It was also quite strange that the Cabinet was meeting on an important matter and yet it did not have the official facts and figures. If the government says that the figure of teachers claimed by the ENSF, to have been transferred out of eastern Nagaland areas with posts, “is hypothetical and not based on factual calculation”, then the same must be made known to the public. It becomes even more curious to know that despite the presence of the concerned Minister, the Cabinet had to direct the School Education Department to clarify the actual figure. One must question as to whether the concerned Minister is actually aware of what is happening. Better coordination and team work is needed. Also rather than forwarding the crisis to a group of legislators from eastern Nagaland, it is the responsibility of the department/government to come out with a permanent solution to the issues at hand. The legislators can at most facilitate.
As far as the cabinet concurring and reiterating the earlier assurance given by the Chief Secretary in his letter dated 14th August, 2011, if this was the case, why couldn’t the government act on this assurance? To refresh public memory during last year when a similar agitation had begun, the State government acceded to the five-point charter of demands of the ENSF relating to redeployment, transfer and posting of teachers in four districts of eastern Nagaland. At that time the Chief Secretary while agreeing to the five-point charter of demands, assured that the government would take “necessary steps immediately to implement them on the ground within the shortest possible time”. Why was the delay which prompted the ENSF to resume its agitation? This time also the Cabinet has assured that the demand will be met in the “shortest possible time”. It appears to be either that the School Education Department is not acting on the directives from the top or the government at the highest level is not able to deliver because of whatever reasons. The present government whatever its merit or achievement may be, has failed to keep its word on important public matters. For instance, even as the ENSF also waits on the government’s assurances, the Aggrieved Teachers Association, Nagaland (ATAN) has set February 25 as deadline for the government to resolve the issue of regularization of those teachers retained by the department through its July 15, 2011 order. This government either backtracks or fails to implement. This is not a sign of good governance.
