College students announce boycott of Lok Sabha by-polls

Our Correspondent Kohima, May 19 (EMN): Citing the state government’s ‘lackadaisical attitude’ to its ultimatum concerning encroachment of land belonging to Kohima Science College, Jotsoma, the All Nagaland College Students’ Union (Ancsu) has decided to retaliate by choosing not to participate in the Lok Sabha by-election. Addressing mediapersons on Saturday in Kohima, the president of Ancsu, Katho P Awomi said that about one lakh students from 42 affiliated colleges will abstain from casting their votes during the coming Lok Sabha by-election. Asserting that ANCSU has no political, Awomi said it was compelled to take this step against the government’s silence on this issue. He informed that the students will take to the streets on the day of polling to show their resentment, and the government will be solely held responsible for any untoward incident that may arise. Despite its demand for immediate demolition of permanent and temporary illegal structures in and around the college, Awomi said new constructions were still going on when it went for a joint land survey along with Jotsoma village council members, Angami Students’ Union, legal consultants, Science College staff and students union on May 18.

‘VIP deputation’

On Ancsu’s demand that all teachers attached to VIPs and other offices be detached and sent to respective places of posting, Awomi said the department through the secretary has stated its inability for ‘total detachment’ of teachers. The letter written by the Secretary on May 14, 2018 assured that the ‘department is serious on the issue and making utmost effort to effectively implement the detachment policy’. However, it also mentioned out of 22 writ petitions filed against the department by the affected teachers in the Gauhati High Court, Kohima bench, only two cases have been disposed. “As the matter has been subjudiced there is delay for detachment of concerned teachers,” it stated. On attachment of teachers to SSA and RMSA missions, the letter stated that ‘total detachment will not be possible as there is no sanctioned post for administrative staff of the two missions. Yet, the administrative staff will be minimised to a great extent by detaching some teachers with the merger of SSA and RMSA missions into Samagra Siksha Abhiyan this year.’ Expressing resentment over the department’s reluctance to provide details on the number of teachers attached to VIP through RTI filed by the union, Awomi said it was aware of three teachers attached to a single minister. He said that the union was writing to the governor seeking intervention and warned of a ‘surprise lesson’ to the department if its demand on detachment of teachers to their posting place were not fulfilled at the earliest.

Scholarship schemes

Although there are a number of schemes for students under various departments, the department at present, it said is overburdened regarding creation of awareness to the students for availing the scholarships. In this regard, the union has reminded the government to create a separate cell or nodal department for implementation of all scholarship schemes at the earliest.