NSF ultimatum on NSSB evokes mixed responses

Dimapur, March 1 (MExN): Against the backdrop of the NSF’s ultimatum on setting up a Nagaland Staff Selection Board (NSSB) on February 22, various organizations/groups have voiced out opinions on the issue. 

On Sunday, the Eastern Naga Students’ Federation (ENSF), Public Service Aspirants of Nagaland (PSAN) as well as the Nagaland State BJP issued statements on the matter. 

 

Call for consultative meeting with stakeholders: ENSF

ENSF requested the state government to call for a consultative meeting with all the stakeholders of Nagaland and take their views and opinions before any final decision is taken on constituting the NSSB, in order to avoid any future confrontation.

In a press release issued by ENSF President Sepili L Sangtam and Assistant General Secretary Khomo P, the ENSF recognized the NSF’s demand as ‘genuine’, considering its future implications affecting the lives, interests and careers of students and educated unemployed youth of Nagaland.

The federation also asserted that it will not accept whatever decision is taken by the state government in regard to NSSB without the prior consultation with the stakeholders of Nagaland including ENSF.

Meanwhile, ENSF also objected to the “unwarranted and unwanted interference by the non indigenous students’ organizations in the internal affairs of Nagaland.”

“There is neither a dearth of leadership nor talents in Nagaland to resolve any issues within the state. The State Government is accountable and answerable only to the people of Nagaland. Hence, the duly elected Government of the day should in no way succumb and decide anything for the people of Nagaland under the dictates by the non indigenous students organizations of Nagaland,” it stated.

The ENSF added that it would submit the same statement to the Chief Minister in the form of a representation.

 

‘NSSB is the need of the hour’

PSAN came out in support of SSB/SSC in Nagaland and said that it is “the need of the hour.”

The SSB will go a long way in solving the issues related to appointments to public offices, thus paving the way for meritocracy and providing an equal opportunity to thousands of educated youth of Nagaland, PSAN said in its statement on Sunday.

Highlighting some benefits of setting up SSB in the state, the PSAN said that the reservation policy can be implemented in the SSB which will benefit those tribes that enjoy Backward Tribe reservations.

Meritocracy will be given due importance and persons recruited through the SSB will be more efficient and thus bring improvements in the system, it added.

The PSAN also said that the practice of backdoor appointments to all Grade III posts that do not fall under the purview of the NPSC will be curbed for good.

Thousands of hopeful candidates, especially from far flung areas, are compelled to incur a lot of expenditures (application fees, travel expenses, etc) and face untold miseries while applying for and writing departmental exams which put more burden on their parents. SSB will, in turn, reduce the expenditures of the candidates to a great extent, the PSAN said in its statement.

Considering these benefits and feeling the urgent need of SSB in the state, the PSAN initiated the demand for SSB by first submitting a memorandum to the then Governor of Nagaland, PB Acharya in 2016. Subsequently, numerous representations have been submitted to the state government on the same issue, it said.

PSAN requested the Government of Nagaland to set up SSB at the earliest possible time.

It also requested the government to ensure that the selection or appointment of SSB members is done from among competent persons who have the required knowledge and expertise of competitive exams and not just anybody, in order to ensure transparency, accountability and efficiency. 

The PSAN also requested all the right-thinking Nagas to look beyond tribal and political interests and support its demand for setting up SSB in the state.

 

Nagaland BJP 

The Nagaland State BJP expressed concern stating that, “It is inappropriate for a student body to issue ultimatum to the State Government, and moreover, it considers NSF's act of involving other student bodies from outside the State to pressurize Nagaland State Government on the internal State matters as seriously injudicious.”

While acknowledging the initiative of NSF on their demand for implementation of Nagaland State Selection Board, the State BJP is perplexed as to the motive, if any, behind NSF for involving student bodies from outside the State as signatories, the statement read.

It viewed that the ultimatum issued to Nagaland Chief Minister “is an act of intimidation, which is very unbecoming, and beyond the dignity of NSF.”

As civilized intellectuals in a democratic society, it is always desirable to resolve matters of public importance through peaceful way of consensus dialogue and deliberation, the statement read.