All Nagaland Adhoc Teachers’ Group-2015 batch protesters outside Nagaland Civil Secretariat, carrying placards and raising slogans to press their demands for service regularization on February 6. (Morung Photo)
• Protest escalates, march blocked at Secretariat; one injured
• Demand written assurance for regularisation, agitation to continue
Morung Express News
Kohima | February 6
The protest of the All Nagaland Adhoc Teachers’ Group (ANATG) 2015 batch on Friday nearly turned volatile as mounting frustration spilled over during “democratic agitation.” The teachers have been staging a sit-in protest at Naga Solidarity Park, Kohima since February 4, demanding regularisation of their services.
On February 6, protesters marched toward the Nagaland Civil Secretariat, carrying placards and raising slogans to press their demands. When they reached the Secretariat, the district administration and security personnel directed them to remain in a designated area. Tensions escalated, however, when a group of agitated protesters broke from the crowd, rushed toward the Secretariat gate, with some protestors banging on the iron barricades.
According to a PTI report, ANATG Core Committee member, Lhovito Sheqi told the media that 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.
Amid the ensuing commotion, one person sustained injuries and was immediately rushed to the nearest hospital for medical treatment. The injured person was discharged following necessary treatment. The situation was later brought under control, preventing further escalation.
A member of the group told The Morung Express, the plan was to march till the Secretariat area and wait for the Core Committee members to submit the letter and wait for the response. “The frustrations of these long years of wait had done enough injury to our patience. So, some of our members were a little agitated,” he stated.
The situation was brought under control by the police, district administration and ANATG officials.
Following the commotion, the Core Committee were not allowed to go inside the gate citing ‘breach of security protocols’ and the protestors had to come down to Solidarity Park, but somehow, managed to pass their letter to the Department of School Education.
Subsequently, a meeting was held between the Core Committee and government representatives including Commissioner & Secretary PN&R, Additional Secretary, Director and Additional Director Education, Home Branch and a signatory from the High Powered Committee.
During the meeting, the Core Committee was requested to call off the protest with the assurance that their regularisation process will start soon and will be done. However, with no written assurance in ‘black and white’, a member of the group said “with members in thousand, we cannot just be talking; having dialogues and then come down with dialogues to convince them by word of mouth.”
“With no concrete assurance, it is impossible to just tell our members to go back,” he added.
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, reported PTI.
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.
Meanwhile, in a letter addressed to the Chief Secretary, the Core Committee of the All Nagaland Adhoc Teachers’ Group-2015 batch has demanded for immediate service regularization of 1166 ANATG-2015 Batch based on the HPC Agreement 2022 signed between the Government of Nagaland and the ANATG 2015 Batch on October 7, 2022.
Citing the meeting, held between the department, the Chairperson of the screening committee and the ANATG on February 4 and 5, 2026, the core committee strongly insisted on immediate service regularization of 1166 ANATG-2015 Batch. This demand refers to a past resolution, which was resolved as “Set-up High Powered Committee (HPC) headed by Principal Secretary or Commissioner Secretary within 15 days and submit its recommendation by June 2023 and thereafter take up the issue to resolve the matter of ANATG-2015 Batch within December 2023.”
The ANATG assured that it will suspend the democratic protest basing on the nature and feasibility of the written communication from the department.
It may be mention that the ANATG-2015 had protested in 2018 and to indefinite hunger strike in 2022 demanding regularisation.
The ANATG members will be gathering at Naga Solidarity Park, Kohima on February 7, it informed.
