The protest by ad hoc teachers in Nagaland demanding regularisation of their services entered its 10th day on February 16, with the group refusing to call off its cease-work strike despite an appeal from the state government.
Members of the All Nagaland Adhoc Teachers’ Group (ANATG), 2015 batch, held a meeting at their protest site outside the Directorate of School Education and once again pressed for a clear and time-bound roadmap for regularisation.
The teachers rejected a February 13 letter issued by the School Education Department asking them to resume duties. According to the group, the letter failed to mention any specific timeline for regularising the 1,166 ad hoc teachers, making it difficult for them to trust yet another assurance.
In its communication, the department had said the government was actively looking into the matter and urged the teachers to cooperate in the interest of students and the overall academic atmosphere.
However, ANATG-2015 representatives said vague assurances were not enough after nearly a decade of service in an ad hoc capacity. They warned that they would revive their proposed indefinite hunger strike — which was temporarily put on hold on February 13 following talks with the government — if there is no concrete decision.
The decision to continue the agitation was taken during Monday’s meeting at the protest venue. The teachers said they were awaiting the outcome of a high-level meeting called by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio later in the evening and expressed hope that it would lead to a definitive and time-bound resolution.
The ANATG-2015 batch has been staging protests since February 4, seeking immediate regularisation. While they have paused demonstrations over the weekends, the group said it remains open to dialogue but will not withdraw the agitation without a written commitment specifying a clear timeline from the government.