Mokokchung, October 6 (MTNews): As the demand for the ‘service regularization’ remain in the deadlock between the ANATG protestors and the Department of School Education, the hunger-strike entered the eighth day on Thursday while the sit-in protest by more than one thousand teachers has entered the eleventh day.
According to Bendang Ozukum, member of ANATG, more than 200 protesting teachers are from Mokokchung which is the highest number district wise. He further informed that one teacher from Mokokchung was hospitalized on Thursday and was later discharged after administering medical care.
A total of ten teachers on hunger strike have been admitted to the hospital, some in critical condition, ever since the protest started, according to him.
He also added that, apart from one Angami civil society organization, they are yet to see “open support” from other civil society organizations although they have been receiving support from other quarters. He also added that the agitating teachers are hoping for “something positive” to happen soon.
Meanwhile, Thavaseelan K, Principal Director of School Education told media persons that the government is open for dialogue and may go for another round of talks with the agitating teachers.
He mentioned that the government is now taking advice from the Advocate General of the state while the High Powered Committee has been advised to look into the demand of the teachers in order to see whether any regularization made will be ‘contempt of court’ or not.
The government had been maintaining that it was not in a position to regularize services of the ad hoc teachers because of the standing order of the Supreme Court and High Court stipulating not to regularize ad hoc appointees.