8 lakhs University and College teachers to proceed mass court arrest on Teachers' Day
Source: IT News

Imphal, August 31 2017: College and University teachers across the country have threatened to launch mass court arrest 'Jail Bharo' at the national Capital New Delhi on September 5, the day that the nation observed Teachers' Day.

This is the second protest organize by the All India Federation of University and College Teachers' Organisation over the central government delay in implementation of the 7th UCG Pay Review committee.

A statement of the AIFUCTO said that over 8 lakhs teachers from Universities and Colleges across the nation are taking part in the mass court arrest agitation.

In a press statement issued here, AIFUCTO President and General Secretary Prof.Kesab Bhattacharya and Prof.Arun Kumar said "We have particularly chosen September 5, for our programme as the day carries special significance to all the teachers of the country.

Former President Radhakrishnan, himself a teacher and academic had great regards and admiration for the teachers and understood the role of teachers in the making of the nation.

It is to honor that great ethos that his birthday September 5 has come to be observed as Teachers' Day in India".

FEDCUTA (Central Universities) and AIFRUCTO(All India Retired teachers)have already extended full solidarity and support to the ongoing agitations of AIFUCTO.

They said that teachers and their demands had always been treated with priority and all former governments respectfully looked into the teachers' demands.

Unfortunately we have reached a moment in our history when teachers are not taken into confidence either for drafting the education policy or something as important as the recommendation of the Pay Review Committee- an issue that directly affects their material well being.

Educational institutes, university campuses, freedom of speech are severely throttled under the present regime.

Vindication and terror tactics are openly used to silence the teachers.

The central government , as inside reports suggest, refuses to invest liberally on education, citing it as additional expense.

That is why the Finance Ministry wants to bear only 50% of the additional share of the burden that will emanate from the recommendations of the PRC.

This again is in complete violation of earlier precedence of the central government meting out 80% of the increased share.

This time we felt the government would agree in providing 100% assistance for the uniform and simultaneous implementation of the 7PRC.Against such a backdrop our slogan for the Court Arrest Programme will be" Save Education,Save" Teachers apart from highlighting other professional demands.

In the mean time AIFUCTO submitted a letter to PMO on 25th August , requesting the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to look into the matter and to resolve the on going stalemate in favour of the teachers fraternity of the nation.

We demand among other things uniform and simultaneous implementation of 7th UGC pay scale across the country for all categories of university and college teachers.

AIFUCTO expressed strong resentment over the attitude that MHRD shamelessly ignored the 7th UGC PRC recommendations submitted by Prof Chouhan committee and deliberately kept the report and its contents under cover from its stakeholders.

The govt.has neither the regards to the democratic teachers' movements nor the apex Teachers' Organisations of the country like AIFUCTO and FEDCUTA.

It is unfortunate and painful that the undemocratic and authoritarian attitude of the government compelled the teachers working in HE sector to take recourse to drastic moves, something that could have been amicably settled through open dialogue between government and the stakeholders.

We regret that government through its unsympathetic attitude thrust upon itself the Jail Bharo programme.

We appeal to all the teachers of the country, especially teachers of Central Universities in Delhi and universities and colleges in UP, Punjab, Haryana, HP, Rajasthan and MP to join the programme en masse and once again demonstrate our solidarity.

Our unity and struggle remain the only way to resolve our issues.

AIFUCTO President and General Secretary threatened that if their demands would not be considered upto 5th September, eight lacs university & college teachers of the country have no option except to go on strike across the nation.

Comment