Government employees across Nagaland are preparing to launch a state-wide pen-down strike from October 14, pressing for long-pending service-related demands. The protest, organised under the banner of the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC), is expected to disrupt administrative work across several departments while ensuring that essential services remain functional. The JCC issued formal guidelines on October 9, outlining the modalities of the protest and emphasizing the need for a peaceful and disciplined approach. The committee has directed all affiliated service associations to adhere strictly to the strike schedule and ensure that employees understand their roles and responsibilities during the agitation.
According to the circular, emergency and healthcare operations will continue uninterrupted. Services such as power supply, water distribution, sanitation, road maintenance, and law enforcement have been categorised as essential and will remain exempt from the strike. Medical professionals and staff in critical infrastructure departments have been instructed to continue duties to avoid public distress. The decision for the pen-down strike comes after repeated appeals and negotiations with the state government reportedly failed to yield satisfactory progress on the employees’ longstanding issues. Sources within the JCC indicated that the demands include the implementation of service benefits, timely promotions, and resolution of pay anomalies that have persisted across several departments.
One of the prominent associations joining the agitation is the Nagaland School Teachers Association (NSTA), which has already confirmed its participation and circulated directives among its members. “We will follow the JCC’s instructions in letter and spirit while ensuring that our strike remains peaceful and within legal bounds,” a senior member of the NSTA said.
