Mizoram Teachers Burn Government Orders in School Funding Protest

Aizawl: Teachers flooded Aizawl on Wednesday, July 29, to vent their anger against the state government. Members of the Mizoram Government Adhoc-Aided High School Teachers Association burned official orders that threaten to strip their schools of provincialisation status. They also torched documents outlining plans to move institutions into the Lumpsum Grant-in-Aid category.

These schools rely on community or private management backed by state grants. MIGAHTA president F. Vanlalchhuanga told the crowd that higher pay does not fix the administrative damage caused by the new rules. "We demand that the government immediately withdraw these new rules," he said. The association plans to hold a sit-in until Friday. They warned of more intense action if officials keep ignoring their push for full provincialisation.

The Wednesday protest follows a string of disruptions. Teachers wore black badges on July 21 and 22, stopped teaching on July 23 and 24, and took mass leave on July 27 and 28. These actions stalled school work across the state.

The Mizo Zirlai Pawl, the state apex student group, is now acting as a middleman. Education Minister Vanlalthlana met with student leaders in Aizawl on Wednesday to talk through the impasse. The student organization also sat down with the teachers to find a fix. Assistant general secretary Lalentlinga said the group wants an agreement soon to stop the academic calendar from falling further apart.