EMN
Dimapur, September 16
Governor PB Acharya has appealed to Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) teachers, who are on agitation since August 21, to withdraw their strike for the benefits of the students who are mostly from government-run schools.
The Governor, in a statement, regretted the non-payment of salaries to the Nagaland teachers employed under the central flagship program RMSA along with arrears for the past six months.
The unpaid and aggrieved teachers, under the umbrella of Nagaland RMSA Teachers’ Association launched their agitation from August 21 last by boycotting classes.
The Governor urged the teachers to withdraw their strike, as it was affecting the less fortunate and weaker section of the society and also denied the right to education to the children of government-run schools.
The Governor also directed the state government to address the grievances of the teachers expeditiously by releasing their pending salaries without further delay.Meanwhile, a separate statement issued by RMSA 2013 batch teacehrs said they had not got salaries for 6 months consecutively.
“We waited patiently and had high hopes that we will be paid in full. Unfortunately, but not to our surprise, we were given only 4 months pay, that too without arrear. We would like to bring to the concerned authorities’ attention that just like a baby cannot be soothed with a pacifier for long and need milk for real sustenance, we cannot and will not, be pacified with 4 months pay when we need pay for all the unpaid months.”
The statement added, “Going to work without pay is quite disappointing. We have pointed out time and again that we had not gotten our salary for 6 months i.e from March till August, but everyone must take note that we started our boycott only from 21 August. And in the meantime we were not just sitting still; we did our duties like any other time and also met with the concerned authorities, a point which was highlighted in previous articles, all in the hopes to avoid boycotting classes which was considered a last resort. And now here we are, boycotting our classes but without our pay we cannot help but continue boycotting classes till all our dues are paid in full.”
