Angered at the continued delay of their pending dues for more than half a year, teachers under the banner of the All Garo Hills SSA School Teachers’ Association (AGHSSASTA) has decided to go on an indefinite hunger strike from December 1, in an effort to pressure the state government to look into their situation and release their six months pending salaries.
The teachers through a press release today lambasted the attitude of chief minister, Conrad Sangma and minister of education, Lakhmen Rymbui after their pleas for the release of their salaries went unheard.
The teachers, through their release, felt enough was enough and more serious agitations were required so that they could get what is their rightful due. AGHSSASTA will undertake an indefinite hunger strike in front of the office of the deputy commissioner in Tura.
“We will organize a mass hunger strike at the premises of the DC office. We have remained unpaid and our suffering is beyond any words that we can put forth. If they don’t clear the pending salaries, we will be compelled to continue stronger forms of agitation until our salary is cleared,” said publicity secretary, Bunbunbirth Marak.
AGHSSASTA contended that till today, there has been no practical response from the government and they were running without food and a salary since the past six months.
“We are not dying because of COVID but will die due to hunger and starvation. The adamant Chief Minister and Education Minister don’t care about SSA teachers as their action showed through their attitude. We are fed up with submitting memorandums and petitions to them,” added Marak.
The teachers felt that the CM and the education minister were only doing lip service in the favour of teachers. On ground their efforts at education are nil.
The situation of the teachers has come to such a point that they have even threatened to take their agitation to New Delhi.
Our situation is no better than daily wage labourers as we are practically without any form of finances to meet our or our family’s needs. We demand the immediate release of our 6 months pending salaries,” said the teachers in their demand to the CM and the education minister.
