Dimapur: The Rising People’s Party (RPP) on Wednesday called on Nagaland Higher Education Minister Imna Along to step down from his portfolio, citing concerns over the controversial regularisation of 147 contractual assistant professors and librarians in the state.
In an official statement, the RPP asserted that the move is in the interest of fairness and justice.
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RPP stated that a minister handling a crucial department like higher education must possess integrity and strong moral character.
It stated that, while the Combined Technical Association of Nagaland (CTAN) and the Nagaland NET Qualified Forum (NNQF) held protests at the directorate of higher education in Kohima over the issue, the Naga Students Federation, on April 21, issued a seven-day ultimatum to the state government to revoke the cabinet decision on regularisation of the contractual assistant professors and librarians.
RPP further stated that the minister, previously, declared bombastically that henceforth there would be no more appointments from the backdoor, window, or the ceiling.
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However, it said, he has managed to provoke every right-thinking citizen on the issue of regularisation of these assistant professors and librarians today.
The RPP affirmed that although the ‘provocateur-in-chief’ Imna Along is the main target of public ire, Neiphiu Rio’s cabinet is equally responsible for the regularisation decision.
The party stressed that the NDPP-led government must fulfill the just demands of CTAN and NNQF, and accused it of using delay tactics by failing to constitute a committee to study the ‘147 issue,’ calling the move insulting, demeaning, and tone-deaf.
The RPP added that future generations will face disastrous consequences if the student community backs off without settling the issue.