Students of government education institution taking out protest rally in Imphal demanding the 'right to education'. The rally has been prompted as teachers have gone on agitation demanding the 6th Pay Commission. (Newmai News Network Photo)
Imphal, February 26 (NNN): Government education institutions in Manipur have not been conducting classes in the last two months as teachers are on strike demanding the implementation of the 6th Pay Commission in the state.
On Saturday, even as students carried out a protest rally demanding a regular class, teachers of government colleges in the state capital staged sit-in protest demanding the pay hike. The college teachers demanded that they should enjoy the UGC pay scale. The college teachers also condemned the statement of Manipur chief minister O Ibobi Singh who said yesterday that the demand of the teachers would not be able to meet. It is worth noting that government teachers of Manipur under the aegis of Council of Teachers Association (COTA) have intensified their ongoing fast until death stir with 200 more teachers volunteering to break into a striking mode—more waiting in the anvil to join their colleagues—at the face of stark reality following total apathy by the government to their demand for the implementation of central 6th revised pay commission recommendation in toto.
Teachers under COTA have been resorting to fast until death stir as a last option since January 19 at the campus premises of Johnstone Higher Secondary School in Imphal demanding for the implementation of the 6th pay commission recommendation in toto. As of today, 195 teachers have been arrested by the police and lodged in jail on charges of attempting to commit suicide. Council of Teachers’ Association (COTA) has been demanding the implementation of 6th pay recommendation since 2009 via various forms of agitation and negotiation. Early in 2010, the government and the striking teachers reached an agreement with the government buckling under pressure and agreeing to adopt and accept the implementation of the recommendation of six pay commission. But since their demand has been falling on deft ears of the government, COTA has pledged to intensify its stir with member teachers volunteering in huge numbers even at the expense of academic atmosphere, said a member.
At least 195 teachers who were on fast until death stir have since been arrested and put behind bars by police on charges of attempting to commit suicide. Few days ago, around 18 teachers were bundled up on a waiting police truck to be taken to the jail. The jailed teachers have been reportedly tortured and force fed inside the jail.
In their attempt to step up the agitation, 200 teachers—180 from Imphal East zone II and 20 from Chandel district—freshly joined the stir at Johnstone Higher Secondary School, confirmed T Rameshwore, president COTA.
Beginning Tuesday last, the teachers are going into an overdrive with the ongoing fast until death stir in a group of 200 teachers. Earlier on, the teachers sat at the fast in a group of 20 so as not to disrupt the academic atmosphere of schools.
Teachers' body also alleged that despite three rounds of negotiation and constant pressure, the government is still unwilling to produce a white paper on the non-plan budget of teachers and education, hiding as it is within a non-transparent and unaccountable veil.
