Morung Express News
Dimapur | April 22
The government is still yet to come up with a response to the four-day old agitation of the Aggrieved Teachers Association of Nagaland (ATAN). The Naga Mothers’ Association (NMA) today expressed solidarity with the ‘suffering’ of the ATAN but made very clear that the NMA is not supporting anything to do with bogus teachers. Led by its president Abeiu Meru, the NMA met with the agitating ATAN at the District Education Office in Dimapur on Sunday.
The number of agitators camping at the DEO had risen to more than 600 by Sunday evening with the arrival of more members from the other districts. Two of the hunger strike volunteers – both women – were hospitalized today. Twenty-three volunteers have volunteered for the hunger strike.
Addressing the agitators, NMA president Abeiu Meru made it clear that the NMA was there not in support of “bogus teachers” if there are any. “Let me make our stand very clear. If there are any bogus teachers (then) we’re not standing for it,” she said.
While assuring the NMA’s support and solidarity with the ATAN’s cause, Meru appealed to the agitators to call off the hunger strike, at least; taking into consideration the health of the volunteers. “If you are to continue like this, you’ll destroy yourself,” said Meru of the hunger strike while reassuring, “You are not alone”.
On the government’s rather silent stance, Meru said “I don’t know why they (the government) are keeping silent, and sitting on top of the representation we’ve submitted.” The NMA had taken up the matter with the government following the ATAN agitation in 2010.
Rosemary Dzuvichu, advisor to the NMA said “Till today you’re agitating. This proves we have a government that doesn’t listen… How serious is the Education Minister? We respect your sentiment, we respect your struggle. I for one can’t tell you to stop your struggle.”
Dzuvichu also brought up the possibility of taking legal options by telling the agitators that “you must be aware of your legal rights.” Reassuring the agitators, Dzuvichu said the NMA will certainly be deliberating on the matter. “We’ll be going back and decide on our stand on this with the government.”
According to ATAN, data sourced from the Education department contradicts the total number of employees the department has at present. During the period from 1971-2004, the number of posts created in the department stands at 2201, according to figures provided by the department, the ATAN said while the number of employees in the department at present is approximated at more than 20, 000.
The figure of posts created when reassessed comes to 2164. ‘If we are dubbed as ‘bogus teachers’ (then) the same yardstick must be applied to those who joined the department during the said period. The figure of post creations is also not without anomalies, the ATAN said. According to the data at hand, there is huge disparity between the number of employees at present and posts created during the period 1971-2004.
