Reaffirming its commitment to reinstating the rights of the indigenous inhabitants of Kohima district, the Angami Students’ Union (ASU) on Thursday threatened to intensify its protest against the appointment of non-indigenous inhabitants of Kohima district to grade-IV positions in various district offices of the state government.
Addressing a press conference, ASU president Khriesamhalie David Mere expressed disappointment over the health & family welfare (H&FW) department’s recruitment of six individuals for those reserved posts at the Naga Hospital Authority Kohima (NHAK). He stated that ASU would leave no stone unturned until the rights of the indigenous inhabitants were reinstated.
Earlier this year, ASU picketed the H&FW directorate in Kohima in protest against the deprivation of the rights of the indigenous inhabitants of the district. ASU general secretary Vimeyiekho Vitso informed that ASU officials met with H&FW officers on Thursday and submitted a letter seeking the advertisement of the six posts occupied by non-indigenous inhabitants at NHAK. He said that the department verbally assured ASU that those posts would be reinstated to the indigenous inhabitants of the district.
Vitso pointed out that those appointments violated the government office memorandum (OM) dated October 26, 2017, which stated that “all direct recruitment vacancies in Grade-III and Grade-IV posts in District offices of the departments shall be filled up by the indigenous inhabitants of the respective districts.”
While health officials informed the student body that the six irregular appointees would be relocated to their parent district, Vitso noted that such an act would also deprive the indigenous inhabitants of that district of their rights.
ASU vice president Thomas Khawakhrie informed that ASU had filed an RTI with P&AR department seeking information on the appointment of non-indigenous inhabitants against reserved posts in district offices of various government departments. He claimed that some departments were unwilling to provide information.
Vitso said that the P&AR transferred the RTI to the respective district offices. Among the seven to eight departments that responded, it was revealed that 16 appointments had been made against the government OM in some government departments. He emphasised that posts meant for indigenous inhabitants should rightfully be given to them and appealed to government officials to be vigilant against such appointments.
He also informed that ASU, if necessary, would approach the appellate authority to obtain the information sought as per the RTI Act, with plans to also approach the chief information commissioner (CIC) or take legal action if needed.
Asked why ASU was taking particular interest in the H&FW department, Vitso explained that formal complaints had been received from aggrieved residents about irregularities in the department. He said the student body was committed to finding information on irregularities in other government district offices to ensure that the rights of the indigenous inhabitants were protected.