Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) has threatened to hold a series of “democratic mass based protest” following state government’s failure to act on its ultimatum even after the lapse of more than a month.
It therefore appealed to all right-thinking Naga citizens to come forward and lend their support in its fight against backdoor appointments.
In a press note, NSF appealed to everyone to take ownership of the “righteous cause” and be relentless in their collective pursuit to tell the government that Naga youths would no longer accept practices that were responsible for the stunted growth of Naga society.
It also asserted of not wavering until the desired result was achieved and appealed to everyone to walk together with it throughout this journey.
In a statement by its media cell, NSF alleged backdoor appointments and other malpractices during recruitment processes to various government posts that have threatened to destroy the future of educated Naga youths in the State into disarray.
Mentioning that meritocracy was given little credence, nor the efforts and sacrifices made by the candidates to secure a future for themselves and the society at large, the federation declared that the situation needed to be remedied without further delay “lest posterity holds us accountable for having done little or nothing to right this monstrous wrong”.
NSF declared that, as conscience-keeper of Naga students and youth, it had taken it upon its shoulder to fight this ever pervasive malaise and submitted a memorandum to chief minister Neiphui Rio on June 11 this year, urging his government to set up a committee to work out the modalities for setting-up Staff Selection Board (SSB) in the State within two months.
But when no positive development to this effect was witnessed, the federation said it was compelled to issue an ultimatum to the State government on August 21 with three-point charter of demands, in addition to its long-pending demand for setting up SSB. The three additional demands included i) issuing notification banning all recruitment to ‘Group C’ posts until SSB was set up, ii) issuing notification for scrapping down of all departmental exams for recruitment to ‘Group C’ posts and iii) setting up SSB and that all existing vacancies should be filled up through open recruitment.
NSF ’s draft policy and modalities in tune with the already implemented States were also submitted to the government for ready reference and implementation thereafter, the statement added.
NSF said it had appealed to the government in good faith to comply with the demands within a period of one month. The representation also clearly stated that it would be compelled to take up befitting action in the interest of the student community, should the government chose to refrain from taking up the issue in earnest.
However, even after a lapse of one month since the ultimatum was served, NSF said it has not made much headway in its pursuit as the State government had not been forthcoming to hammer out a solution in tune with the aspirations of the Naga students and youth.
The uneasy impasse created by the failure of the government to heed to the collective desire of Naga youth and students had now compelled the federation to register its resentment against the government.