Over 350 teachers under the Nagaland RMSA Teachers’ Association (NRMSATA)-2016 began an indefinite sit-in outside the Directorate of School Education in Kohima on Monday, pressing the state government to address their long-pending demands.
Their key demands include official recognition of salary and service benefits from their original date of appointment in 2016, as per a Supreme Court order. Immediate implementation of the ROP 2017 pay scale, including regular annual increments, to align them with the SSA-RMSA 2010–13 category.
NRMSATA-2016 spokesperson Renbemo L Patton said the agitation is the result of repeated government inaction. “We are compelled to adopt this non-violent and lawful step after all our appeals went unheard,” he said, adding that their protest will continue until their legitimate rights are recognised and corrective measures are taken.
The demonstration follows a pen-down strike launched on August 25.
Patton said the government’s failure to act is “not only a violation of law but also an affront to justice, dignity, and fairness.”
The association has also appealed to civil society groups, student bodies, and workers’ organisations to extend solidarity to their movement.
Addressing concerns about the education of students in 133 government schools where their members teach, Patton said, “As responsible teachers, we are deeply concerned for the children. We never wished to resort to agitation. We are eager to return to classrooms, but denial of our rights has left us with no choice.”
(With PTI inputs)
