Government Middle School (GMS) Marepkong, Mokokchung, was put under lockdown by its landowners on Thursday, 19 September, starting at about 7:30 a.m., sources said.
The closure was allegedly initiated in response to the recent transfer of a non-landowner to a 4th-grade post at the school, an action the landowners claim violates a longstanding agreement with the government.
According to reports, an agreement signed in 1973 between the government and the landowners stipulates that all 4th-grade positions at the school should be filled exclusively by landowners. The recent transfer of a 4th grade staff, which reportedly contradicts the terms of this agreement, led the landowners to take this drastic action.
The school is expected to remain closed until the landowners receive a positive response from the authorities regarding the matter. This is a developing story, and further details will be updated as the situation progresses.