Unpaid RMSA teachers opt for poster campaign

Our Correspondent
Kohima, April 19 (EMN): The RMSA teachers under the aegis of Nagaland RMSA Teachers’ Association (NMRSATA) have decided to go ahead with its second phase of agitation in the form of poster campaign on April 20 and 21.
With no fruitful response from the state government and the department of school education even as the RMSA teachers have boycotted three days of classes from April 17-19, the association has decided to go ahead with its agitation.
Talking to Eastern Mirror, NRMSATA president Renbemo L Patton said the teachers were astonished over the silence and apathetic attitude of the government and the department till today despite repeated reminders at all given opportunities and platforms.
He informed the decision to go ahead with the second phase of agitation was taken during its executive meeting held today at Kohima. ‘We are aghast with the step-motherly attitude of the state government and the department in their approach to our problems’ said Patton.
The president said the poster campaign will begin by 6:30 am on April 20 at targeted locations viz CM’s residence, Department of School Education, Secretariat premises, Raj Bhavan, Kohima town area and Education Minister’s residence.
He further informed that if no positive response comes out within these two days, he said the NRMSATA will begin its third phase of agitation in the form of sit-in protest from April 25.
It may be mentioned that earlier on April 6, 2017, NRMSATA has served 7-days ultimatum to the Education department of for non-release of 5 months salaries, which expired on April 13, 2017.
NRMSATA stated ‘we did all that was humanly to us and therefore, we had good faith that the department must have heard our grievances being addressed, but only to realise of beating dust at the end of the day when we are bogged down on the same old issue.’
The ultimatum further stated ‘while agitation is not encouraged it should also mean that efforts are made by the administrative bodies to keep the system healthy, but having run short of all the expectations and hopes after being stretched to hazardous levels without any remuneration, the NRMSATA has been compelled to issue a 7 days ultimatum against the Education department.’
RMSA Tuensang unit supports stir
In a separate statement, the Tuensang unit of NMRSATA stated that “the government refusal attitude is only welcoming unpleasant situation to occur which is not expected out of valuable services rendered with the lapse of almost six months without salary”. It expressed “full co-operation” to the demands expressed by the NMRSATA.