Kohima, Feb 6: The All Nagaland Adhoc Teachers Group (ANATG) 2015 Batch on Friday intensified its agitation demanding regularisation of their services, as its members staged a demonstration here.
Addressing the media, ANATG Core Committee member Lhovito Sheqi clarified that the group identifies itself as the “2015 batch” as that was the year when 1,166 of them became eligible for regularisation.
Sheqi said the teachers have been staging a protest in Kohima for the past three days. The agitation began on February 4 with a silent sit-in at NSF Solidarity Park, during which members held internal discussions and a general meeting but those were not made public.
He said that on February 4 and 5, the group held two rounds of talks with the School Education Department. On Thursday, they met the Chairman of the Screening Committee for regularisation, but the meeting failed to yield any positive outcome.
Following deliberations and resolutions adopted by joint members, the group intensified their agitation through a peaceful and silent procession from NSF Solidarity Park to the Secretariat junction.
However, an unfortunate incident occurred when frustrated protesters turned briefly violent, Sheqi said, adding that the situation was brought under control by the police, district administration, and ANATG officials.
He attributed the incident to mounting frustration among members, stating that the teachers have been denied service regularisation for a minimum of 14 to 15 years.
Tracing the history of the agitation, Sheqi said the ANATG 2015 batch had earlier carried out peaceful protests in 2018, followed by another agitation in 2022, after their demands remained unfulfilled.
He said that in 2022, an agreement was signed between the government of Nagaland and the ANATG 2015 batch. As per the agreement, a High-Powered Committee (HPC) was to be constituted within 15 days, submit its recommendations within six months, and resolve the issue on or before December 2023.
Despite the clear terms of the agreement, Sheqi said no positive response was received till 2025.
He stated that teachers were compelled to return to the streets despite their reluctance, reiterating that the agitation was not intended to be violent.
Sheqi said that on Friday morning, the group had planned a silent sit-in and intended to submit a memorandum to the government through a core committee comprising district leaders, but they were allegedly prevented from entering the Secretariat.
“We requested permission to enter and submit the letter, but even that was denied,” he said.
He stated that the group remains open to discussions with the government if a constructive solution is offered.
Responding to queries on the delay, Sheqi said the teachers had appeared for suitability tests as per government norms, their documents had been verified, and they were placed on scale pay following protests in 2018 based on the 2017 suitability test.
He said the government had earlier acknowledged that the Office Memorandum issued in 2024 was a result of the HPC process, and that several departments have since regularised ad hoc employees under the same provisions, while teachers continue to be excluded.
According to Sheqi, the department has informed the group that all required documents have been submitted to the Personnel and Administrative Reforms (PNR) department, though additional documentation has been sought at various stages, leading to what he described as a “blame game” between departments.
“If the government does not come up with a solution, we are prepared to continue our agitation until our demands are met,” he said.(PTI)
