Nearly one lakh students will abstain from voting in the Nagaland Lok Sabha bye-election on May 28, reported The Morung Express. The All Nagaland College Students’ Union said their move was a mark of protest against the failure of the state government to improve the education sector.

“We have written to the chief minister [Neiphiu Rio] multiple times and even sought appointments with him, but he has not yet given a positive response,” union president Katho P Awomi said at a press conference on Saturday. “So we were compelled to come out with a resolution in our first presidential meeting that the ANSCU with its 42 affiliated colleges will abstain from participating in the bye-election Lok Sabha seats in Nagaland.” The students may also hold protest rallies on the day of voting.

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Awomi said the government has not come up with any new policy for the education sector. “We are talking about change, but there is no change,” he said. “They are not listening to our multiple appeals. We are not even asked to sit around the table to discuss the possibilities.”

The students union had also demanded that teachers who were allegedly attached to ministers, MLAs and other officials be removed within 30 days. “Teachers are appointed to discharge their teaching duty schools,” said Awomi. “However, these teachers are deputed for other programmes. We are against this and told the department to re-depute the teachers.” However, the government rejected the demand.

Their demand for a nodal cell department to streamline scholarship is also yet to be met. The union has also alleged land encroachment on the Kohima Science College, campus in Jotsoma.

The bye-election was necessitated after the Nagaland seat fell vacant when Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio resigned as Lok Sabha member on February 16. The result will be declared on May 31.