REJECT REVIEW PANEL, DEMAND ALONG’S OUSTER
The ongoing protest by aspirants under the banner of the Combined Technical Association of Nagaland (CTAN) and the Nagaland NET Qualified Forum (NNQF) entered its third day on Monday, drawing thousands of demonstrators to the Directorate of Higher Education, braving the rain.
Protestors intensified their demands, including a call for the resignation of Higher Education and Tourism minister Temjen Imna Along, while rejecting the Cabinet’s decision to form a review committee on the regularisation of 147 contractual assistant professors and librarians.
What began last week with a few hundred participants has now grown into a state-wide demonstration, with protestors arriving from multiple districts. Chanting slogans and holding placards with messages such as “We studied, you betrayed,” “Hardwork is overrated, try corruption,” and “Meritocracy died here, RIP,” demonstrators voiced frustration over the government’s silence and delay in addressing their concerns.
The protestors flatly rejected the April 21 Cabinet’s decision to constitute a review committee, insisting that only a complete revocation of the December 17, 2024, government order would resolve the deadlock.
Some demonstrators attempted to march toward the Chief Minister’s residential complex but were stopped by officials citing security concerns. A three-member delegation later submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister’s Office. A core committee member informed Nagaland Post that the protest will be kept on hold for the next two days.
DC appeals for calm: Deputy Commissioner Kohima, Henok Buchem, visited the protest site on Monday evening and addressed the demonstrators. Acknowledging their determination and peaceful conduct, Buchem assured them that their memorandum would be promptly forwarded to the CM’s office.
He assured that the government had taken note of their sentiments and that their concerns would be strongly reflected during the review.
Reject cabinet’s decision: In a joint memorandum submitted to the chief minister through DC Kohima, CTAN and NNQF expressed strong dissatisfaction with the Cabinet’s decision to form a review committee.
The groups described the move as “unsatisfactory and insensitive” given the magnitude of the ongoing protest.
The memorandum reiterated their core demand—the immediate revocation of the December 17, 2024, order regularising the 147 contractual appointees—and stated that the agitation would continue until that demand was met. The groups accused the government of bypassing merit-based recruitment and undermining transparency in the higher education sector.
Meanwhile, social activist and GB, Kahuto Chishi, extended solidarity with the protestors during a visit to the site on Monday.
Addressing the gathering, Chishi stated that the protest was more than a question of 147 appointments—it was a fight against systemic corruption in Nagaland.
He praised the demonstrators for standing firm without any personal gain and encouraged them to stay the course. “The fewer we are, the greater our victory,” he said. Chishi asserted that no one is above the law and stressed that it would be better for the government to meet the public’s demands now than to face embarrassment in a court of law.
Calling the movement a “moral stand for Nagaland,” he added, “We have to clear this jungle of corruption step by step.”