Our Correspondent
Kohima, Oct. 3 (EMN): The standoff between the All Nagaland Ad-hoc Teachers Group (ANATG) 2015 batch and the state government got more intense on Wednesday when the former defied the administration’s order of denying the group to congregate in the Civil Secretariat area.
Members of the teachers’ group, who are demanding for regularisation of service, gathered for a meeting at the Capital Convention Centre in Kohima at around 9 am but were dispersed by the police. As per the teachers, they immediately sought permission from the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) to use the Naga Solidarity Park, which was located in the vicinity. With the student body allowing them to use the park, ANATG members marched to the venue, only to be prevented by more police personnel from entering.
Subsequently, the police reportedly took away four leaders of the teachers’ group including the president and spokesperson to the North Police Station Kohima, where they were detained for at least six hours.
Speaking to reporters following their release, ANATG president Rüguotsolie said the members, who were detained, were not ill-treated at the police station. He said they were asked to sign a kind of ‘good behaviour bond’ which was a police station procedure before the release of any detained person. However, the ad-hoc teachers refused to sign. Later, at around 4 pm, they wrote an undertaking that the group would not resort to any violent means while carrying out their demand for regularisation of their service, following which, they were released.
It was learnt that a number of placards were also seized from the vehicle of the ANATG member. When asked why they had placards when they claimed to have planned for a peaceful general meeting, they said they brought the placards along in anticipation of the outcome of the cabinet meeting that was scheduled to be held in the afternoon.
“We did not bring out any placard in public view at all.... They were kept in the vehicle for use if the cabinet failed to take up our issue,” a member said.
It was learnt that the state cabinet had, during its sitting on Wednesday, approved to bring the 1166 aggrieved ad-hoc teachers under the scale of pay while the issue of regularisation was kept at bay as there were legal matters connected to it. But this could not be confirmed from the department officials.
Meanwhile, the ANATG has acknowledged the Kohima Village Youth Organisation for stepping in with their assistance when the ad-hoc teachers’ leaders were detained earlier during the day. They also sent out a clear message that they ‘have news’ that their issue was discussed at the cabinet level, but they will not take any decision whether to continue or call off their agitation until they see the official order in ‘black and white’.
