Combined Technical Association of Nagaland and Nagaland NET Qualified Forum halt agitation after minister's assurance

Protestors during the ‘symbolic mourning over the loss of meritocracy' in Kohima on Thursday. (EM images)

Protestors clad in black clothes outside the Directorate of Higher Education, Kohima, on Thursday. (EM images)

• Earlier in the day, a black dress code and symbolic mourning of meritocracy marked the fourth day of protest spearheaded by the CTAN and the NNQF.
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• The protesters, who began their agitation on April 16, have been demanding the revocation of a state government order dated Dec. 17, 2024, which regularised 147 contractual assistant professors and librarians.
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• After a two-day gap, the protesters, clad in black, marched from the Secretariat Junction to the Higher Education office in Kohima.
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• They went on to hold a symbolic mourning over the loss of meritocracy by placing a coffin inscribed with "RIP Meritocracy" with protesters delivering solidarity messages at the protest site.
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• Participating in the “memorial service in honour of meritocracy”, aspirants shared their grievances and mourned the “death of meritocracy”. They also expressed strong opposition to the lack of opportunities and the government order dated Dec. 17, 2024.
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• “Today is the day that we mourn for its (meritocracy) death,” remarked one of the aspirants.
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• “We are here today to grieve the death of all morals and principles which our teachers have taught us. The morals and principles hold no ground when it comes to being regularised as one of the 147 assistant professors,” another protestor shared.
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• In the midst of protest, the chief secretary invited three representatives each from CTAN and NNQF for a meeting at his office conference hall at 12 noon on Thursday.
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• The meeting, chaired by the chief secretary, was attended by the home commissioner and Higher Education officials, including the ex officio director.
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• After the meeting, CTAN convenor Meshenlo Kath told the media that the chief secretary had informed them that, due to the protest, a committee had been set up and regularisations kept in abeyance.
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• The CS also requested the protestors to wait on the government and the committee to bring out its report, Kath said. However, he said that they “don't trust the government.”
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• Immediately after the CTAN-NNQF meeting, the chief secretary also met with the Naga Students' Federation (NSF) executives.
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• According to sources from the federation, the chief secretary had requested them to put its seven-day ultimatum served to the government, which is due to expire on April 28, on hold.
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• However, the NSF made it clear that it won’t budge from the stance expressed in the ultimatum.
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• On April 21, the NSF served a seven-day ultimatum to the state government, demanding the revocation of the “unjust” cabinet decision dated Sept. 11, 2024, that had allowed the absorption of 147 contractual assistant professors and librarians.
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• The federation warned that failing to roll back the decision would compel them to come out onto the streets.

Also read: Nagaland government’s decision to keep assistant professors on hold draws flak from ANCSU

NSUI slams Nagaland government for "lethargic attitude" towards assistant professors' regularisation