Two separate protest movements are set to escalate on Tuesday in Nagaland after the state government failed to formally revoke controversial orders regularising 147 contractual Assistant Professors and Librarians under the Department of Higher Education.
While the Combined Technical Association of Nagaland (CTAN) and Nagaland NET Qualified Forum (NNQF) announced the continuation of their agitation after receiving no written revocation despite verbal assurances, the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) will move ahead with its own agitation following the expiry of a seven-day ultimatum it had served to the state government.
CTAN, NNQF to continue protest over failure to issue written revocation
On Saturday, following negotiations with state ministers, CTAN and NNQF had announced a temporary suspension of their four-day protest, pending the government’s issuance of written revocation and dissolution orders. They warned that failure to deliver the documents by Monday afternoon would lead to an escalation.
By 4 pm on Monday, no such documents had been released. In a statement late in the evening, CTAN and NNQF confirmed that they would resume protests on Tuesday, April 29, beginning at 9 a.m. outside the Directorate of Higher Education. Organizations supporting the movement have been requested to assign representatives to deliver solidarity speeches during the protest.
CTAN and NNQF reiterated three key demands:
· Immediate revocation of the Cabinet order dated December 17, 2024, approving the absorption of 147 posts.
· Immediate requisition of all posts filled on contract after June 6, 2016, in accordance with the state’s ban on contractual appointments.
· Immediate dissolution of the Cabinet committee constituted on April 21, 2025.
“It is now or never. Show us your solidarity. Join us,” the two organizations said in a joint call to action.
Speaking to MT, Meshenlo Kath, convenor of CTAN, clarified that their protest is not officially coordinated with the NSF’s agitation. “We want to thank the NSF for pressuring the government while we were protesting. We have not met officially, but we are all fighting for the same cause,” he said.
NSF to launch democratic agitation following expiry of ultimatum
Meanwhile, the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) announced that it would proceed with its planned phase of democratic agitation after the expiry of its seven-day ultimatum served to the government on April 22, 2025.
Despite a meeting held earlier on Monday between NSF leaders and the State Cabinet, no positive outcome was achieved, and the Cabinet order dated September 11, 2024, remained in force. NSF has consistently opposed the regularisation move, citing concerns over transparency, meritocracy, and the erosion of fair recruitment practices.
In a directive issued Monday evening, NSF instructed all its federating units to mobilise volunteers and assemble at 8:30 a.m. at NSF Oking, Naga Solidarity Park, Kohima, to commence the agitation. Volunteers have been asked to maintain strict discipline and unity under the directions of the NSF leadership.
“This notification is issued for strict compliance in the larger interest of the student community and for the protection of merit-based governance in our state,” the NSF said.
NSF officials confirmed to MT that their protest is separate from the CTAN-NNQF agitation. “We are just following up the ultimatum we have served,” Pithungo Shitio, Publicity and Information Secy, NSF said.
Already, student organizations are responding to the NSF’s call. The Ao Students’ Conference (AKM) confirmed that about 100 volunteers will join the protest, while the Chakhesang Students’ Union (CSU) has directed all affiliate units to send five representatives each.
Separate paths, shared cause
Although not coordinated, the CTAN-NNQF and NSF protests reflect a shared cause: defending meritocracy and demanding accountability in recruitment practices. Both groups view the state’s absorption of contractual faculty members as arbitrary, unjust, and detrimental to the integrity of higher education in Nagaland.
As two separate protests unfold simultaneously in Kohima on Tuesday, pressure is mounting on the state government to act decisively or face sustained civil resistance from across Nagaland’s student and educated communities.