Kohima, February 6: A protest by the All Nagaland Adhoc Teachers’ Group (ANATG), 2015 batch, turned tense on Friday after a group of agitating ad hoc teachers attempted to enter the Nagaland Civil Secretariat while demanding immediate regularisation of their services.
The demonstrators, who have been staging a sit-in at Naga Solidarity Park, began a peaceful march towards the Secretariat as part of their ongoing agitation. The situation escalated when some protesters, gathered a short distance from the main gate, removed barricades and moved towards the Secretariat complex.
Security personnel and district administration officials intervened to prevent the protesters from entering the premises. One person was injured during a brief scuffle, officials said.
The situation was later brought under control after leaders of the protesting group persuaded the crowd to return to the designated protest area. Members of the ANATG core committee were subsequently allowed to enter the Secretariat to submit a representation to the authorities.
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In their memorandum addressed to the Commissioner and Secretary, School Education and SCERT, Government of Nagaland, and the Member Secretary of the High Powered Committee (HPC) Agreement 2022, the teachers reiterated their demand for immediate regularisation of services for 1,166 ad hoc teachers of the 2015 batch.
The ANATG began its protest on February 4 at Naga Solidarity Park after the state government failed to meet a January 30 deadline for regularisation set in an ultimatum served on January 7. The group represents 1,166 ad hoc teachers appointed between 1994 and December 2012, who have been seeking regularisation despite clearing written tests, interviews and document verification in 2017. The teachers have warned that their agitation will continue until a concrete and time-bound decision is announced by the government.
