Agitating teachers of government colleges in Manipur were caught between the state government and students.
After a silent rally carried out by agitating teachers was cut short by police soon after it kick-started, students of colleges urged the teachers not to enter college campus if classes were not to be conducted.
The striking teachers on Tuesday converged at the campus of Maharaja Budhachandra College in Imphal’s Palace Compound to carry out a silent protest rally on the streets of Imphal. When the rally kick-started, a strong police team armed with riot gear stopped them from carrying out the rally and forced them to return to the originating point. The police also prevented them from continuing a sit-in-protest in front of the college.
The students also condemned their victimization because of the ongoing conflict between the teachers and the state government.
Government college teachers have been agitating under the aegis of Federation of Government College Teachers’ Association (FEGOCTA) demanding implementation of the 7th Pay and Regulations, 2018 which the state government had already agreed.
The agitating teachers today announced continuation of the cease work strike until the orders implementing the UCG policy are issued. Talking to reporters, FEGOCTA general secretary Dr N Somorendro said ,“We will not retreat from the strike until the state government issues necessary orders implementing the national UGC policy.”
He said that today’s silent rally was organised to register a strong protest against the state government’s failure to issue orders of 7th UGC and Regulations, 2018. He once again appealed to the state chief minister to consider the demand of the teachers without any delay so that normal academic atmosphere is restored in government colleges.
Meanwhile, the agitating FEGOCTA, in a statement, expressed strong condemnation to the police violence on protesting students on Monday.
It stated that the college teachers were on democratic protests against the non-implementation of UGC policy of 7th Pay and Regulations, 2018 and appealed to all to restrain from any kind of violence.
“FEGOCTA’s agitation is not against the students,” it added.
The apex body of government college teachers asserted that if the government was committed in implementing UGC policy and fulfilled the three written assurances to FEGOCTA in 2019, the unfortunate crisis would have been avoided.
“FEGOCTA firmly believes that the unprecedented 5th FEGOCTA agitation can be resolved any time, if there is a strong political will,” the statement said.
FEGOCTA demanded not to blame college teachers for the violence incident while asserting that the federation was compelled to agitate as the last resort.
There were many compelling reasons. All government college teachers including principals were denied the complete salary for over nine years.
The younger teachers are not promoted for the last twelve years. Basic infrastructure and facilities like urinals and toilets, including for the lady teachers, adequate classrooms, non-teaching staff, proper budget allocation etc, are not provided properly in government colleges.
Only when teachers are on agitations, focus has been still on the teachers and their pay, it added.
The FEGOCTA asked “Who is really concerned and bothered about the issues and problems of collegiate education in Manipur? When the teachers are always in agitating moods even without physical agitation, will there be quality collegiate education in Manipur?”
Blaming the teachers will not resolve the fifth FEGOCTA agitations, it reiterated.
