KOHIMA, JULY 10 : Dismayed over non-receipt of salary even after a lapse of several months since their appointment, and following the expiry of their 7-day ultimatum served to the authorities on July 10, the members of Nagaland Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan Teachers’ Association 2015-16 (NRMSATA) have announced to boycott their duties from Monday until further notification.
This includes 639 graduate teachers across the state, who were appointed under RMSA in February and May 2016. It is reported that these teachers were not paid their salaries even once right from the time of their appointments.
NRMSATA president Renbemo L Patton and general secretary Kezhothito Keyho, in a press release, stated that it is not the intention of the RMSA teachers (2015-16) to take such bitter step infringing the rights of innocent pupils. However, citing compulsion by circumstances, they stated that they had no option but to boycott their regular classes until the release of all the pending salaries. The association pointed out that enough reminders and pleas had been made to the authorities concerned but efforts to solve the matter failed.
Urging the department to do away with the policy of not releasing teachers’ salary for months in a row, the NRMSATA reminded that when the “poor teachers” appeal for their salaries, the former department tried to lure them by giving them one or two months’ pay in lieu of the pending five to six months salaries.
The association asserted that ‘having tea alone cannot compensate dinner’ and such kind of step-motherly treatment meted out to SSA, RMSA and Hindi teachers employed under CSS programme is not acceptable.
When asked, it was learnt that when the association members approached the RMSA Nagaland mission director in June, they were told that there was no sanction from the central government and the state authorities were making alternative arrangements to pay the teachers two-months worth of salaries.
However, the teachers said that they have been deprived for too long and were facing countless hardships, running their families and meeting daily needs due to non-receipt of salaries for almost half a year.
The NRMSATA questioned as to why they could not enjoy the same privilege like any other teacher, and whether there is any guideline mentioned in the MHRD, Department of School Education and Literacy, that those employed under central flagship programme have to keep on pestering the department or write several letters, submit representations, memoranda, serve ultimatum, and in the end go for agitation etc. to get their salary.
“Are all these, part and parcel of our teaching profession? Please, with our hands clasped together, we beseech your good office to stop this crafty policy once and for all,” the NRMSATA appealed.
In view of the expiry of the 7-day ultimatum served to the department authorities, the association informed all its members to refrain from joining their duties until any further notification, and cautioned that they were ready to face any consequences for “what is right and justice”. The organization also requested all the concerned citizens to extend their support and cooperation as these issues are the root cause of corruption in the society.
Meanwhile, in another release, 639 members of the NRMSATA 2015-16 have alleged that they were made to sign a readymade bond by the education department (RMSA) during the time of obtaining their appointment orders, wherein one point of the bond stated that the appointee shall not resort to any kind of agitation while awaiting funds from the GoI for salary.
“The conditions placed on us were such that if failing or hesitant to sign the bond then we will be deprived of our appointment orders. We want to affirm, it was never of our consent and for that matter on our own volition that the endorsement of the bond was made. Subsequently, much to our embarrassment, its repercussion and jolt was felt by the RMSA Teachers 2015-16 when we have been denied of our salary for almost half a year by now without any rhyme or reasons from the responsible authority,” the RMSA teachers stated.
They alleged that it was clear now that the government of Nagaland was using its brainchild and the so-called bond was a mere tool to harass the RMSA teachers 2015-16. “We now have realized that the bond was merely to serve the interest of the Government of Nagaland at the expense of the RMSA Teachers 2015-16,” they stated, and outrightly denounced the bond, declaring that it shall be invalid with immediate effect and the same shall not have any binding on the 639 RMSA teachers in any manner henceforth.
In this connection, the members sought clarification from the department concerned to publicize in the official gazette as to what kind of guidelines and procedures they have followed while drafting “this gruesome bond” when the selected candidates have gone through an open, free and fair examination. They also sought the precise information as mentioned by the MHRD (GoI) for the appointment of RMSA teachers in the state.
