Nagaland RMSA teachers protest transfer orders, demand service regularisation and scale pay, warning student welfare suffers amid agitation.
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KOHIMA — Six members of the Nagaland RMSA Teachers’ Association – 2016 have reportedly been served transfer orders, which the association termed as “unacceptable.”
According to the association, two separate transfer orders were issued by the state mission director. Three teachers received their orders on September 10 and three more on September 11, directing them to join their new place of posting on or before September 17 and September 19, respectively.
The association maintained that it came to know about the transfer orders only on Sunday. In response, it is expected to submit a letter to the mission director on Tuesday seeking to “revoke” the orders.
Related: Nagaland RMSA-2016 teachers flay ‘no work, no pay’ notice
“When we are exercising our rights through democratic means of agitation, why victimise us with such orders?” questioned President Imlitemjen while addressing reporters after the sixth day of the protest outside the Nagaland Civil Secretariat in Kohima.
He informed that the six members included an executive member, a unit executive, and four other general members, and that they were served with transfer orders while protesting alongside other members.
The association further condemned the government for issuing a “no work, no pay” order against its members.
“We are not asking for something beyond their reach. We are only asking for service regularisation, scale pay, and mainstreaming. That’s all—nothing more, nothing less,” Imlitemjen asserted.
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He added that the association had submitted a memorandum to the chief minister last week, demanding immediate implementation of service regularisation, scale pay, and its charter of demands.
Association spokesperson Renbemo L Patton told Eastern Mirror that a letter “denouncing” the transfer orders would be submitted with the signatures of all 367 protesting members.
He also clarified that the hunger strike the members had contemplated launching either on Monday or Tuesday was put on hold after discussions with the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) and following the latter’s advice.
Patton said the 367 protesting teachers are from 133 government schools across the state, teaching Classes 9 and 10. With their absence, he noted, students are being affected as their examinations are approaching.
“If the government is truly concerned about the children and the students, they should first look into the welfare of the teaching fraternity. Only then can they talk about student welfare. If the welfare of teachers is ignored, then automatically the students suffer,” he remarked.
He further urged the government to “look into and give what is rightfully ours before the situation goes out of hand.”
The spokesperson also pointed out the sacrifices made by some members, mentioning that even those grieving the loss of loved ones or coping with miscarriage have continued to turn up daily at the protest site to press for their demands.