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Agitating Hindi teachers are seen with placards during their peaceful protest at Kohima on Wednesday.[/caption]
Hindi teachers begin peaceful protest at Kohima
Our Correspondent
Kohima, March 15: With no ‘positive response’ from the state government even after its 2nd phase of agitation, around one thousand Hindi teachers employed under centrally sponsored schemes in Nagaland converged at the directorate of School Education on Wednesday to stage a ‘non-violent protest’.
The peaceful agitation by the teachers was to demand the state government to release their salary – left unpaid for ten months running. The agitating teachers said that they would continue their protest at the Civil Secretariat on Thursday from 9 am. The teachers were seen holding placards which read: ‘asking for regular salary is no tall order’, ‘forcing to work without salary is slavery’, ‘10 months without salary is inhuman treatment’, ‘right to work also means right to be paid’ etc.
Speaking to media persons, All Nagaland Hindi Teachers Union (ANHTU) president, Rometo said the teachers just want salary for the services they have rendered. Though the department is trying, he said, ‘nothing is happening since last year.’
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A mother is seen holding her baby during the protest.[/caption]
It may be mentioned that Hindi teachers appointed under the centrally sponsored schemes (CSS) have been in agitation since August last year.
Reiterating the peaceful nature of their protest, Rometo said: “We just want our salaries”. He also informed that the teachers will continue to agitate till the state government clears all of the pending salaries.
It was learned that on March 14, the chief secretary in a meeting with the ANHTU officials had offered to clear two months’ salaries of the teachers. However, the union had out-rightly declined the offer.
In this regard, ANHTU said it will not accept anything less than the payments/clearance of all the pending ten months (including the month of March).
At the time of filing this report, it was informed that no officials from the department have come to meet the agitators, nor any assurance given to them. Hence the teachers have decided to continue its agitation at the Secretariat.
Despite the presence of security personnel at the site of protest on Wednesday, the agitation remained peaceful throughout.
