IMPHAL, Feb 3: Decrying the breach of trust and at the same time indifferent attitude of the Government for failing to bring an amicable solution to the prolonged stalemate leading to disturbance in the education atmosphere in the state, the Council of Teachers’ Association has called for intervention from the Prime Minister of India.
A statement issued by the association said that so far 106 teachers including 23 lady teachers have been lodged in jail however the Government has remained adamant.
It said the attitude of the Government was an unfortunate one for the State. While the country is enacting the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 to children upto 14 years, sarcastically the situation in Manipur is that teachers are on the street agitating indefinite hunger strike for a demand the Government has already accepted in writing, it said. At the same time the teachers who are supposed to be busy in the classrooms are now put in the jail in inhospitality conditions.
It has appealed the Prime Minister of India to kindly intervene in the matter.
In the meantime, the COTA in the statement recapped why the teachers were compelled to enter into the current position.
It said the Government of Manipur issued the Manipur Service Revised Pay Rules, 2010 on May 5, 2010, the order invited agitation from various employees’ organizations like the COTA, Manipur Secretariat Services Association and Joint Administrative Council (JAC) of AMTUC and AMGEO.
Owing to the strong opposition a formal meeting was held between the striking COTA, JAC with the Government in the office chamber of the Chief Minister of Manipur on May 16, 2010. The Government and representatives of the employees could not reach any agreement and after returning from the office CM the employees were surrounded by the police and 63 employees were put under police custody for three days. A memorandum of understanding was signed between the representatives of COTA and JAC on May 19, 2010 for implementing the 6th central revised pa in toto and the arrested employees wwere released. However till date the Mou has not been implemented, it said.
Further it recalled that the teachers have been launching various forms of agitations with effect from November 5, 2010. on December 31, the Chief Minister of Manipur appealed the striking employees to call off the cease work-strike. Responding positively to the appealed the COTA suspended its agitation but the Government has not implemented the Mou.
It further said that following repeated breach of agreement the teachers were left with no option but to launch indefinite hunger strike with effect from January 19, 2011.
