KOHIMA, NOVEMBER 1 : Police on Tuesday resorted to firing water canon to disperse the aggrieved teachers of Nagaland Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Teachers Association (NSSATA) who blocked the entrance of the Directorate of School Education, Kohima to prevent the Directorate staff from entering the office building.
The Directorate staff were forced to leave as the protesters did not allow them to enter the office building even after they showed their identity cards.
The NSSATA began its phase II agitation today after the meeting with the Education Minister and other officials failed to yield any positive result.
In the sit-in-protest, around 2600 teachers from all the 11 districts converged at the Directorate of School Education, Kohima to protest against non-fulfillment of their four-point charter of demands by the government. There was heavy deployment of police force during the protest.
Retracting on their decision, the association has informed that no staff of the Directorate of School Education would be allowed to enter the office building as they continue their sit-in tomorrow. It said it was the unanimous decision of the members even though it had earlier informed that it would allow the Directorate staff to attend their office.
The aggrieved teachers were seen holding placards which read ‘No scheme of education can be successful without teachers’, ‘we are not robots, we do eat’, ‘we can’t teach with empty stomach’, ‘don’t exploit teachers dignity’, ‘a noble job also needs to survive’ etc.
The NSSATA members have not been paid their salary for the last six months. On October 4, 2016, the association submitted an ultimatum to the Commissioner & Secretary, DSE, to fulfill its four-point charter of demands that included payment of the pending salaries, payment of the salaries of the SSA teachers (2010-2013) from the non-plan revenue expenditure, strict adherence by the State Government to the National Mission (SSA), MHRD, Government of India, rules/guidelines funding procedure to avoid installment lapses and delays in the payment of salaries and arrangement for regular pay from the State Fund.
The association informed that 20 of their members held a meeting held with the Education Minister, HoDs, Secretary and Mission Director but the government has not given any verbal or written assurance on its demands. Therefore, it said, the aggrieved teachers were compelled to continue with their agitation till the demands are fulfilled.
Meanwhile, president of the association Aliba Sangtam has appealed to the aggrieved teachers to maintain discipline and not to create any unwanted and undesirable situation during the protest while vowing to fight for their rights in a democratic way.
Regretting the use of water cannons on the protesters this morning, Sangtam has sought cooperation from the members and also urged the law and order enforcing agencies to understand the plight of the aggrieved teachers.
The association has asked all its members to gather at the Directorate by 8 am tomorrow to continue with the agitation.
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