From Personal Experience as Contract Assistant Professor
From Personal Experience as Contract Assistant Professor
This analogy is brought not to resent but to shade the plight of the contract incumbents working in different government establishment with no job security.
Teaching
in a government college as contract assistant professor for nine years now,
never have I been brought to a close situation in a core tension between the
narratives of loyalty to the government which employed and paid me thus far
although on a meagre salary in comparison to the other regular employees with
the same workload in every sense of the term.
This analogy is brought not to
resent but to shade the plight of the contract incumbents working in different
government establishment with no job security, meager payment, devoid of any incentives
or leave that the other regular counterpart enjoy including the maternity leave
for women, but who had to labour in equal footing away from home and family,
perhaps all hoping someday government will recognise their effort according to
the nature of their job where they havebeen posted and serving up tothis point. After years of working with all the paucity in inducement,
Nagaland government took up the case for 147 assistant professors who have all been
appointed at different period of years and absorbed into regular service as one
time dispensation on 17th December 2024.
The years of service for
everyone absorbed varies, who have all served for five years and more to
sixteen as maximum years of serving. However, the backlash and criticism that
follows from different sections seems unfair after we have struggled and spent
conscientious years with sincerity and dedication in our job, while all have
sacrifice something along the way for the current job we are holding. On 8th
April 2025, the Higher and Technical Education Department, Nagaland Civil Secretariat,
Kohima, came out with the order ob posting of 147 assistant professors and
librarians who were absorbed vide Notification of even no dated 17-12-2024
under Higher Education Department, only to receive the circular on 10th
April 2025 that the office has not issued the notification officially and
posting of Assistant Professors, which has been viral on social media and other
digital platform, as null and void, and thereby principals of all government
colleges in Nagaland were directed not to facilitate handing over and taking
over basing on the aforementioned notification until further notice from the office.
The
complex entanglement of socio-economic, administrative and political lapses of
shortage and shortcomings and the need for contract employment was necessitated
by the colleges, and in which situation we can humbly admit that we have entered
into the job without the screening process. No amount of regret or
justification of how and why we have landed into this noble profession without
facing the screening can undo our past and neither can we say with confidence
that we will abdicate our job to search employment elsewhere or to appear exam
as challenged by many since nearly all have crossed the age limit to face
another exam; many have become parent and shouldering the responsibility of
managing the family through the income earned out of this occupation, and by
now, although many have mastered skill to some degree in their own respective
subject which comes over a period and years of teaching, humanely speaking, our
knowledge about the wide world is not as fresh like the present young graduates
who are out freshly from the university campuses ready to challenge and face
anything, and that we accept again with no defense.
It is on this existing
ground reality that we plea to relook the issue on holistic, humane and grace
approach to settle the issue of 147 contract assistant professors as other
alternative may result in stalemate or indecision which none of the group will
desire it to happen. To face the ridicule and carry the scrutinised, judgemental
and critical gaze is what we have been enduring for many uncertain months and
we do not want to let this fate hang in balance any longer. We hope for the
fair and proper response from the legitimate authority and that impartial
procedure and method be applied by looking the case exhaustively to protect the
rights of the band and correct the injuries and harms done in audacious and
without any sensitivity. The graveness and urgency of this ‘147 contractual
assistant professors’ issue required sincere, comprehensive and inclusive
solution to prevent any form of misunderstanding and calls for the existing
government to be responsive to the pleas by proposing solution and ensure accountability
to the people while prevent abuse of power in the process. In a democratic
system, as the legislature is composed of elected representatives who
represents people’s interests, the government of the day has legislative
authority to enact ordinances and resolutions that addresses the local needs.
After all, it is the responsibility of our government to identify and address
the issues affecting its people. We plea to the current leadership to carry
forward decisive resolution in this matter to restore peace and dignity of the
affected contract assistant professors so as to enable us to continue to teach
and mold the younger students which we believe we all care for while we
reaffirm our commitment to uphold the dignity of the job.
Personally,
I have not followed any issue in media as close as I did for the 147 cases
because it concerns career which I have invested many years and a rude
awakening of the current reality of Naga society; the issue and follow up
situation has been revealed on broader scale, and (if) left unchecked can
corrode our very being as a community of robust society we envision. The fight
for the cause of justice have impelled many who naturally want to live in a just
and fair environment, to join the initiative for the past few weeks in
solidarity. Unfortunately, what could have been a fight for a cause smudged to
the level of blurring the real issue and may imperil the long-term goals for
all who wish to go in line against unjust means of operation in any domain.
Media and the role of effective use of information has reached all corners and
is thus expected to play the role of standard care and degree of caution
required to avoid what could foreseeably harm others and lead to claim in
negligence. Just as the media personnel have the right to inform the citizens,
the citizens also have the right to be well informed of any issue concerning society
and not simply provide with partial, partisan and preferential bias report, or
at the worst turns it to the level of personal propaganda and vigilantism. When
people on the street start to dictate the legitimate administration and
authority what to do, how to do and when to do, and failure to comply with results
in threat both subtly and directly, it is not short of anarchy and an encouragement
to lawlessness and chaos. Social media comments are filled with hatred, slender
and insult to the point of extreme toxicity to anyone feeding it, which is
totally unbecoming of a civilised society, and the growing trend is unhealthy
which promotes intolerance and culture of ‘hate begets hate’ and encourage each
other to resort to violent behaviour.
Throughout the week-long journey, there
was stark evidence of violent behaviour of angry outburst, impulsivity, aggressiveness
and rage to the pleasure and point of gratifying the abuser in complete
disregard of another individual and their mental wellbeing. Civic sense of
character such as treating others with respect as individual inherently worthy
of consideration regardless of their social or political issues, refraining
from personal attacks and adhering to commonly accepted standards of public
discourse and greater need for larger community aspect is vital. Defamatory, derogation,
abusive, and offensive bashing, and tendency to lay down principles as undeniably
true without consideration of evidence or the opinions of others need to be
renounced and a greater need for respecting to different ideas and argument for
better consensus decision is viable. If we are on the road to search for
fulfilment, berating and shaming others through vilification might give
momentary pleasure, perhaps not the real joy and peace. When the issue that
requires careful consideration due to its complex interplay of historical, social,
economic and political factors is sensationalised under the surveillance of
camera, the real issue can be diverted and led to policy influence based on
mass popularity and defective decision can arise out of it, which can lead to
persistent challenges and societal divisions.
The present issue is one such
case that arises from the intricate relationships between past events, social
structure, economic and political systems, all of which contribute to the
ongoing issue. Addressing such issue necessitates a holistic approach that
acknowledges and recognises other dynamics at play and consider further
implications it will have. Righting the wrongs along the way and not just
throwing it all along its way in our pursuit and effort to change the system may
be of help in one’s zeal and pursuit for transformation. When we work toward
narrowing the gap of democratic ideals we envision, to real situation one has
been placed with and demonstrate care and empathise without losing the
principle of constitutional democracy, then our persistent effort and goals is being
attained along the way and not in final victory of destination.
