Landowners say school land was donated in 1961 with understanding that posts would go to landowning families; 50 students affected
Government High School (GHS) Longkhum has remained closed since February 27, 2026 following an issue raised by landowners regarding the appointment of fourth grade staff.
Speaking to MT, Yarba, a representative of the landowners, said that the land on which the school stands was donated to the government in 1961 by members of the Longchar and Yar clans.
According to him, although there was no written agreement at the time, the land was given free of cost with an understanding that fourth grade posts in the school would be allocated to members of the landowning families.
He stated that the arrangement continued for several years until 2023, when the fourth grade employees serving at the school retired. Following their retirement, the landowners submitted an application requesting that the vacant posts be filled by nominees from among the landowners.
However, Yarba said the government instead initiated an open recruitment process by calling for interviews.
He further stated that the landowners subsequently submitted a representation seeking the appointment of candidates recommended by them and were later called for a discussion with the Advisor for School Education.
During the meeting, the landowners were reportedly informed about certain Cabinet standing orders which could affect the number of posts.
“During the discussion, we were made to understand that the number of posts may be reduced to two, and we agreed to it,” Yarba said.
However, according to him, the government later issued another notification calling for an open interview. After learning that several candidates who were not landowners were expected to participate, the landowners decided not to take part in the interview.
Instead, they issued an ultimatum stating that if the government did not appoint candidates recommended by the landowners to the fourth grade posts within 15 days, the school would be shut down.
With no response received from the government within the stipulated period, the landowners stopped the functioning of the school from February 27. Yarba added that the landowners may resort to further steps if their demands are not addressed.
The Mokokchung district administration has reportedly intervened in an attempt to resolve the issue, though no resolution had been reached at the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, the headmaster of the school, Tongpanglepsa, informed that around 50 students are currently enrolled at GHS Longkhum and their classes have been affected by the closure.
Referring to customary land rights protected under Article 371A, Yarba said the landowners believe the land should be safeguarded.
“As long as Article 371A exists, it is important for landowners to safeguard the land. We donated the land free of cost and did not seek any compensation. The fourth grade post is all we asked for. We should at least get that for donating the land,” he said.
