Our Bureau
SHILLONG/NONGPOH: Teachers of the State under the banner of Joint Action Committee of All Teachers’ Associations of Meghalaya (JACATAM) observed simultaneous sit-in demonstrations in the State capital, Nongstoin, Mawkyrwat, Jowai and other places on Wednesday.
In Shillong, the sit-in demonstration was organised at the Students’ Field, Jaiaw.
The JACATAM has planned a massive rally on Thursday in boycott of the Teachers’ Day celebration and in protest against the non-fulfillment of their long-pending demands.
In Nongpoh, around two hundreds deficit and ad hoc teachers of schools falling under the Nongpoh Zone staged a dharna in front of the District School Education Office, Nongpoh.
Another group of hundred plus teachers staged a similar protest at Kurkalang Stadium in Bhoirymbong.
One of the agitating teachers stated that their top three demands included regular payment of salaries, provincialization of service and reformation of the MBOSE syllabus.
A lady teacher, who has been rendering her service as a teacher for the past twenty years, said that the State Government was resorting to gross injustice against the teachers as it allows three months of maternity leaves to government employees but no such leaves for the teachers.
Criticizing the indifferent attitude of Education Minister Prof RC Laloo, another aggrieved teacher said, “We are living in the 21st Century in a civilized society in the largest democratic country; so there is no reason for the honorable minister to be afraid to meet us (teachers) as we are not terrorists.”