Teachers: From classroom to the street

Shillong, August 10: Meghalaya chief minister Dr. Mukul Sangma has directed the State Chief Secretary WMS Pariat to look into the grievances of the agitating primary school teachers who are holding a dharna near the Raj Bhavan on Friday.

Sangma told reporters, “I have directed the Chief Secretary to inquire into the problems of the agitating teachers. He will speak to the Education department and find out where is the problem exactly.” He said it was not necessary for him to meet the agitating teachers if their problems can be sorted out at the lower level.”

Sangma said that “delay in the salary of these teachers may not necessary be because of the government, it can also be that the managing committee of their school are having problems.” He, however, promised to look into their grievances and redressed it at the earliest.

Hundreds of primary school teachers staged a sit-in-demonstration to protest against indifference shown  by the state government  towards disbursing of their salary on time and the retirement benefits they are demanding. The teachers have threatened to go on picketing during the upcoming Teachers’ Day celebration if government continues  to treat their grievances with apathy.

“The failure of the government to address the pending demands has irk the teachers  and compelled us to take to the street”,  said the All Meghalaya Primary School Teachers’ Association (AMPSTA) general secretary FC Shullai ..

Around  700 primary teachers participated in the one-day sit-in-protest that started from 8 am today.  Shullai said, “We have over 200 teachers from Garo hills region, 300 from Jaintia hills and the hundreds from East Khasi hills, West Khasi hills and Ri Bhoi district.”