Mokokchung, October 4 (MTNews): The Rising People’s Party (RPP) stated today that the ongoing ANATG agitation can only be resolved politically and has come down heavily on the NDPP-BJP leaders for treating the teachers as political pawns.
While stating that the teachers are advised to stop talking with the bureaucrats in the DoSE, RPP said in a press release that only the intervention of the Chief Minister himself can resolve the issue. “It is also advised that the teachers continue to stand their ground till the state cabinet takes a positive decision,” RPP added.
RPP said that, from day one, the political leadership should have addressed the issue, led by the Advisor of School Education himself. “It is disheartening that despite the serious nature of the agitation, our leaders are yet to respond to the teachers’ plight,” RPP observed.
“It’s inhuman that our politicians should remain silent when day after day teachers are being hospitalized including one lady teacher in serious condition,” RPP said, and questioned, “Who shall be responsible if any untoward incident happens?”
“At this juncture the agitating teachers are once again reminded that they should not fall prey to any commitments whatsoever short of regularisation,” RPP advised.
Further, the RPP also reminded the NDPP-BJP Coalition partners to get their priorities right and “stop their whispering campaigns against each other over the issue for petty political mileage.”
RPP said that, if at all the NDPP or the BJP were really serious, the two parties would have come out openly in support of the teachers by now and got the job done. “But it’s obvious the NDPP-BJP leaders are treating the teachers as political pawns and the RPP is fed-up with their disgusting game of one-upmanship,” the RPP remarked.
“What kind of coalition government is this where both the partners are trying to pull down each other’s pants over the literally suffering bodies of teachers?” it asked, stating that the only conclusion that can be drawn from this episode is that “these NDPP-BJP leaders are sick humans without any moral qualms and ethics.”
ANATG Hunger Strike: Four more hospitalized; One Critical
As the hunger strike by All Nagaland Adhoc Teachers Group (ANATG) demanding immediate service regularization entered the sixth day on Tuesday, four more of its volunteers were rushed to the hospital due to health issues.
“One of them is said to be in critical condition while others are stable,” an ANATG spokesperson said.
The hunger strike that started on Thursday night with 38 volunteers is yet to see any positive response from the department or the government. The ad-hoc teachers on Monday rejected the state government’s offer to set up a High Powered Committee (HPC) and reaffirmed their demand for immediate regularization of their service. They also submitted a representation to Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio seeking his intervention to resolve the matter.
On Tuesday, a 31-member team composed of ANATG officials and its Core Committee members composed of district representatives had a closed-door meeting with a 4-member government team led by Advisor for School Education K T Sukhalu. However, the meeting remained deadlocked with both sides not budging from their stand.
According to reports, during the meeting, the government team once again requested them to accept the proposal to constitute an HPC and give them a year’s time to look into the demand. They also reportedly requested ANATG to call off the agitation.
However, the agitating Adhoc teachers refused the same while suggesting that, if their demand for immediate service regularization is not possible, the government should give a written assurance that HPC would complete the process within six months. The Advisor for School Education reportedly expressed the inability of the government to do so.
Following the meeting that ended in a deadlock, the ANATG representatives returned to their colleagues sitting on agitation outside Civil Secretariat gate.