Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, Jun 4: The All Nyishi Students’ Union (ANSU) on Monday announced that it would launch a 12-hour bandh in the capital complex after the expiry of the 20-day ultimatum which it had submitted to the education minister on 7 May.
ANSU general secretary Tukbom Ligu, who announced the proposed bandh during a press conference at the press club here, did not, however, specify the date of the bandh call.
“In view of the forthcoming examinations of various schools and colleges of the state, the union cannot declare the date of the bandh call,” he explained.
He said the ANSU is “dismayed” that the state government is yet to meet the six- point demands which the union had submitted to the state government on 25 May. The demands include immediate action by the state government to streamline and upgrade the education system through infrastructure development and enhancement of teaching and non-teaching staffs at all government schools in Nyishi-inhabited areas of the state.
“There are a lot of schools in six Nyishi-inhabited districts like Kurung Kumey, Kra Daadi, Papum Pare, East Kameng, Upper Subansiri, and Lower Subansiri districts, which do not have proper school structures, and face shortage of subject teachers and textbooks. The textbook requirement proposal for 2016-17 was Rs 13 crore and 50 lakhs for secondary section and Rs 19 crore and 10 lakhs for elementary section, but the state government has yet to release funds for the same, which ultimately resulted in the poor performance of students in CBSE exams and lower classes,” Ligu claimed.
He said the state government also failed to respond to the representation the union had submitted on 28 May, seeking cancellation of the notification issued by the Upper Subansiri DDSE (Order No EDN/US/GAZ-01/2017), and reposting of teachers transferred from various schools of Kamle district till their relievers are posted.
“The Nyishis, though highest in population in the state, have low literacy ratio and therefore need special assistance from the state government,” Ligu said.
Accusing the state government of displaying a “step-motherly attitude” towards the union’s issues, he said that despite repeated submission of representations and memorandums to the education minister and the chief minister during the past two years, no definite steps have been initiated to address the grievances.
The ANSU in its ultimatum demanded, among other things, early creation of new posts of principal, vice principal, headmaster, PGT and TGT for the upgraded higher secondary and secondary schools since 2008-09; posting of principals, headmasters, PGTs and TGTs to the respective schools during the new academic session; adequate fund for school infrastructure development; early release of textbooks; and establishment of an agri-horti college in Nyishi-inhabited area.