SHILLONG: The Joint Action Committee of All Teachers Association Meghalaya (JACATAM) has resolved to continue its fight for the cause of all the teachers including the primary teachers even after the All Meghalaya Primary School Teachers’ Association (AMPSTA) decided to withdraw their support to the ongoing agitation.
Stating that the JACATAM will not drop the issues faced by the primary teachers, its chairman, ED Nongsiang, said, “Whether they support us or not we will continue to fight for the teachers in the State as it concerns the overall welfare of the entire teaching community.”
Earlier, AMPSTA had decided not to take part in the agitation underscoring that most of its members were in the dark about the demands of the JACATAM.
Alleging that the decision of AMPSTA to withdraw their support was perpetrated with the ulterior motive of weakening JACATAM, Nongsiang blamed the leaders for this act stating that the primary teachers had been kept in the dark by their leaders.
Nongsiang also questioned the AMPSTA for claiming ignorance of the demands put forth by JACATAM as the reason for their withdrawal. “How can they say that they don’t know the issues we are taking up when all along, we have been fighting for the same cause?” Nongsiang asked.
Nongsiang also informed that it was the AMPSTA which had jotted down the idea of uniting the teaching community under one umbrella.
He added that when JACATAM was formed in April, two representatives from the AMPSTA – SP Adhikari and its vice president A Dutta – had attended the meeting.
Meanwhile, JACATAM has reaffirmed its decision to go ahead with their second phase of agitation from September 11 to 13.
