Protests mar Teachers’ Day celebrations in State
By Our Reporter
Shillong: Two teacher associations and a non-teaching employees’ union demonstrated against the State government’s alleged apathy towards their demands during the Teachers’ Day celebrations in the city on Monday.
The Meghalaya College Teachers Association (MCTA), Khasi Jaintia Higher Secondary Adhoc Teachers’ Association (KJHSATA) and the Meghalaya College Non-Teaching Employees’ Association (MCNTEA) boycotted Teachers’ Day functions and organised separate rallies protesting the government’s ‘failure’ to release the arrears and salaries.
The MCTA has, meanwhile, decided to cease work from September 9 which will continue for more than 5 days or so depending on the response of the government.
The decision was taken after a day-long gathering at Madan Student which was attended by over 413 members from various colleges of the State.
It may be mentioned that the MCTA has been demanding implementation of the revised pay scales as per the state’s Fourth Pay Commission for the college teachers and release of arrears.
Meanwhile, irked by the lack of response from the government to its various demands, the MCNTEA in a meeting held here on Monday decided to set a one-week deadline to the government to fulfill their demands failing which they will go for an indefinite strike stating from September 12.
The MCNTEA assistant general secretary P Majaw later told reporters that they would resume work from Tuesday onwards and they will again hold a sit-in demonstration at the parking lot of St Edmund’s College from September 12.
The MCNTEA members held a rally from Madan Iewrynghep, Fire Brigade with an intention to march towards the Main Secretariat to register their protest but police stopped the agitators at Dhankheti.
They later went back to Madan Iewrynghep and held a meeting. Members from all over the state including Tura, Mendipathar, Ri Bhoi, etc also attended the rally.
Meanwhile, the KJHSATA has threatened to intensify its agitation if the Education Minister RC Laloo does not invite them for talks in the next few days.
In their attempt to show their protest against the delay in releasing their salary, the KJHSATA members also held a sit-in protest at Madan Iewrynghep.
KJHSATA general secretary Richmond Kharlukhi later warned that the association would be compelled to intensify the agitation “if their salaries are not released at the earliest”.
It may be mentioned that the higher secondary adhoc teachers have not received their salaries from March this year.
“Our Executive committee will sit and decide future course of action if he (Laloo) does not respond to our demands in the next few days,” Kharlukhi said.