GUWAHATI: Hundreds of teachers from the All Assam Non-Provincialised Teachers-Employees Association staged a protest at Chachal on December 17 demanding justice and fulfillment of long-pending promises made by the state government.
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Talking to GPlus, a protester in Chachal said, "We want our schools to be provincialised and want our salary. This is injustice."
The protesting teachers accused the government, led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, of failing to address their grievances despite years of appeals, protests, and discussions.
The association highlighted that a meeting with the Chief Minister on October 20, 2022, ended with assurances to address their demands, including the provincialisation of venture schools. However, since April 1, 2023, key facilities like mid-day meals and free textbooks were withdrawn from venture educational institutions, leading to a sharp decline in student enrollments.
Further, the government reportedly shut down over 1,800 lower primary, upper primary, and higher secondary venture schools by deactivating their DISE codes, pushing these institutions toward closure. The association claimed that while Education Minister Ranoj Pegu held multiple meetings, including on April 12, 2023, no concrete actions followed.
The teachers alleged that promises made in the Assembly, including provincialisation processes to be initiated within the year, were contradicted later. The lack of clarity or progress has forced the association to resort to stronger action.
The association declared that if the government does not initiate discussions or announce a decision on provincialisation by December 5, teachers will begin an indefinite hunger strike starting December 16, 2024, in Guwahati.
They warned that any harm to participating teachers during the protest would hold the government and the Chief Minister accountable.
The teachers have demanded a clear, official response from the government on resolving the long-standing issue of provincialisation and warned of further escalations if their demands remain unaddressed.