The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and the head teachers on Wednesday held massive protests across Kashmir valley demanding implementation of 7th pay commission recommendations, and de-linking of their salary from Ministry of Human Resource and Development (MHRD) funding.
The protesters accused the government of being indifferent to their demands.
The protests were held in Kupwara, Baramulla, Ganderbal, Bandipora and other districts. The protesting teachers also staged demonstrations outside the offices of chief education officers.
A teacher from Sopore zone fell unconscious during the protests in Baramulla.
In Ganderbal, a protest rally was led by chairman JK ReT teachers’ forum, Farooq Ahmad Tantray who later submitted a memorandum to the district administration
“The association submitted memoranda to all the deputy commissioners. We have decided to stage a peaceful sit-in on Eid-ul-fitr at Pratap park to press for our demands,” Tantray said.
Meanwhile, the J&K Police foiled a sit-in organized by the teachers’ joint action committee (TJAC) outside civil secretariat Srinagar. The police bundled the leaders of various associations in police vehicles, lodging them at Shaheed Gunj police station.
The protesting teachers had covered their mouth with black cloths to register silent protest but police didn’t allow them to assemble outside the civil secretariat.
“Around 80 of our representatives/members are lodged in the police station. We were not allowed to stage sit-in outside secretariat and were cane charged by the police,” said president JK teachers’ forum Abdul Qayoom Wani.
Wani gave a five-day “ultimatum” to the government for addressing the demands of the SSA and the head teachers saying they will hold a sit-in protest in Sher-e-Kashmir Park on Tuesday (June 19) if the demands were not fulfilled.
“The irony is that the ministers and the bureaucrats are misleading the Chief Minister on SSA teachers’ demands. Our clear demand is that the SSA salary be released with due implementation of 7th pay commission recommendations,” he said, adding that government should also de-link the salary of SSA teachers from the Ministry of Human Resource and Development (MHRD) funding.
“The government announced de-linking of SSA salary twice on the floor of the legislative assembly but nothing beyond the announcement has been done,” Wani said.