Underpaid Nagaland Village Guards to go on ‘arms down’ strike

July 18, 2023 27 Views No Comment

Disillusionment as State Govt sits on HC directive to enhance honorarium

Morung Express News
Dimapur | July 18

The Village Guards (VGs) will go on an ‘arms down’ protest on July 27 and 28. The announcement was made by the Village Guards Association of Nagaland (VGAN) at a press conference in Dimapur on July 17.

The decision came in the backdrop of the Nagaland State Government repeatedly ignoring its demand, including a court directive, for enhancing honorarium for the personnel of the 9500-plus strong voluntary frontier force raised over 6 decades ago in 1957 for supplementing security along the Indo-Myanmar border.

VGAN President, Kurithi Jorror said that the decision was made taking into account the government’s continued apathy to the VGs demands that dates as far back as 2008.

The VGs under the banner of the VGAN had petitioned the court in 2017. The court subsequently directed the State Government to enhance the honorarium of the VGs at par with that of the Home Guards i.e. Rs 520 per day per head. At the time the monthly honorarium for the VGs was Rs 1500 a month.

The State Government did enhance the honorarium but not as directed by the court, only increasing it to Rs 3000, which remains unchanged to date. The government meanwhile filed an appeal challenging the court directive.

A Division Bench of the Gauhati High Court, Kohima Bench, in 2019, directed the government to examine the issue and make recommendations in consultation with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. An 8-member Committee was thus constituted, to no outcome, resulting in the VGAN filing a contempt petition in February 2022.

In December of the same year, the court directed the reconstitution of the committee and completion of the process within a period of four months from the date of its formation. The committee was reconstituted, as directed, sometime in the early part of 2023.

It sat twice, once in May and the second in June, to no outcome, again. The case is set to be heard by the court on August 4.

The protest scheduled on July 27 and 28 will last for 11 hours on each day, from 6am to 5pm.

“The Committee is sitting on the court directive. But we will restart the agitation if our grievance is not addressed,” he said, while adding that they may be a volunteer force but considering the nature of their duties, the VGs deserve better wages.

The VGAN President further responded to a remark made by CL John, the Minister in-charge of Village Guards on July 10 to Nagaland News Network. Citing what he said was the stand of the MHA, John held that the VGs was only an organisation and not a government department. He also said that the existing strength of the VGs Nagaland was way over the sanctioned strength of 8000.

Contrary to the Minister’s remark, Jorror asserted that the VGs are under the operational command of the Nagaland Police and clearly a part of the government. He said that the present strength of the VGs stands at 9583 personnel. The sanctioned strength is said to be 8206.

“We heard that there would be downsizing but that is unacceptable. If it is affected, there will be turmoil within the ranks,” he said, while stating that status quo should be maintained.

He further recalled the Chief Minister announcing a life insurance cover for the VGs, back in 2007, fully funded by the State Government. There is no news of it ever since, he said.

According to the VGAN General Secretary, Thsatongpi Sangtam, the duties of the VGs, besides guarding frontier villages, range from serving as field guides for the police, civil administration and security forces to escorting VIPs and even ceremonial duties for a monthly honorarium of Rs 3000. They are also deployed during elections. He informed that they get no monetary allocation for food and no injury cover other than ex-gratia.