NSSATA to continue agitation until demands met
Our Correspondent
Kohima | November 1
If nonpayment of salaries for six month is more than unjust, the Nagaland Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) teachers on Tuesday morning were made to feel more wretched after the police sprayed them with water cannons while staging a protest outside the Directorate of School Education (DoSE), Bayavu, Kohima.
The agitating SSA teachers, some of whom had come along with their children, were battered with water cannons after they tried to peacefully prevent some of the employees of the education department to enter inside the office.
Under the aegis of Nagaland Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Teachers Association (NSSATA), around 1700 aggrieved teachers had gathered at the DoSE premises to launch the second phase of agitation against the state government.
The aggrieved teachers undertook the first phase of agitation from October 17 by boycotting class till October 31. On Tuesday, the teachers protested by occupying the DoSE premises.
Co-convenor for action committee, NSSATA, Sheta said when some of the agitating teachers tried to stop some employees from entering the office; the police in “quick moment” ordered the Fire brigade to use the water cannon on the teachers.
Undeterred, the agitating teachers endured the spray from the water cannon on them and continued with the protest. “We did not confront back and continued with our agitation,” Sheta said.
Placards lined up in the entire compound and entrance of the DoSE read: ‘A noble job also need to survive’; ‘Pay your teachers and then talk of quality education’; ‘A big hand of the government behind students’ failure’; ‘No scheme of education can be successful without teachers.’
SSA teachers from Tuensang shared their grievances of working in one of the most remote areas of Nagaland. Altogether 197 teachers had come all the way from Tuensang to support the agitation.
The problems faced by the teachers are aplenty. Many schools in these areas are run by SSA teachers, which mean that the agitation will lead to total closure of the entire school. Schools like GPS Helipong and GPS K. Khel, Tuensang village has shut down because of the agitation since SSA teachers alone manage it, they pointed out.
Amid the agitation, officials of the Association were summoned for a meeting with Minister of School Education, Yitachu at his official residence, where they discussed the matter in the presence of the Secretary and HoD of Education Department. On the outcome, the minister and department officials failed to give any written assurance and the meeting was inconclusive, the agitators said.
“We will be continuing our agitation indefinitely till our demands are met,” Aliba Sangtam, NSSATA president informed.
It may be recalled that in its October 4, 2016 ultimatum to the Commissioner and Secretary, DoSE, the NSSATA had demanded that their salaries be paid from the non-plan revenue expenditure since they were appointed as regular state government employees through proper channel.
It had also requested the State Government to strictly adhere to the National Mission (SSA/MHRD), GoI rules and guidelines, funding procedures to avoid installment lapses and delays in the payment of salaries.
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Meanwhile, the Concerned Citizens’ of Nagaland (CCN) and Association of Kohima Municipal Wards Panchayat (AKMWP) in separate statements condemned the manner in which the protest was handled.
“Meeting the aggrieved protestors with water cannons has only tainted the sacred ideals of democracy for which one cannot help but surmise that the very Government has turned anti-democratic by attempting to silence the genuine cries of suffering employees through forceful suppression,” CCN stated.
“While every citizens have the right to demand their due share for the contribution to the society, especially the teachers, the Government of the day played down their card using its machineries to threaten and deprive the very fabric of democracy of the slogan, “Government is by the people, of the people and for the people,” stated AKMWP.
