Teachers to begin unto death hunger strike from today
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, January 18, 2011:
Teachers under the aegis of Council of Teachers' Association (COTA) today announced that they have decided to launch fast unto death stir from tomorrow as government failed to fulfill their demands, implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission in toto.
COTA's co-convener M Joykumar made the announcement today at a briefing to media persons at TG Higher Secondary School reminding that teachers under COTA have been undergoing their protest pressing the state government to fulfill their demand since middle week of November last year.
They first launched cease work strike and then relay hunger strike.
The relay hunger strike is going on, he said adding that during the course of their agitation, they had met with the Chief Minister who gave assurance to fulfill their demands.
However, the assurance is yet to translate into work, he lamenting.
Fifty teachers will go on unto death hunger strike from tomorrow as part of intensification of their stir, announced Joykumar adding that if they are picked up by the police another team of 50 teachers will replace them.
Informing that the sixth revised pay bands of the Central government have already been adopted the same in other departments under the state government leaving behind the education department.
Is the government, by leaving behind education department, neglected the teachers has been felt among the teachers.
Even though government is shouting for bringing quality education in the state, teachers are neglected a lot.
Failure to address plight of the teachers has shown that government is not interested in bringing quality education in the state, he criticized.
GR Angbu, president of the All Manipur Hills Teachers' Association (AMHTA), who also participated in the media briefing, said that despite the repeated plea of the teachers, government is not taking interest in fulfilling the demand of the teachers.
They have met with top officials of the government regarding the matter.
But, no positive response could get till date.
This is an unfortunate thing, he added.