A peaceful protest carried out by contractual teachers turned hostile today after police resorted to using tear gas on the marchers, who included among their number pregnant women and children.
Under the banner of the Meghalaya Government Lower Primary School Contractual Teachers’ Association (MGLPSCTA), protestors marched towards the Secretariat.
The teachers are demanding to be reinstated, after having their jobs terminated in January last year. Such teachers have been on hunger strike in the city for three weeks, though few in the government appear to have taken much note. Many of the teachers were not able to secure permanent teaching jobs when the government began hiring again as they had not cleared the Meghalaya Teacher Eligibility Test (MTET) or were too old.
Deciding on a stronger course of action, the teachers marched on the heart of government but were met near the Secretariat by a wall of well-armed riot police.
As the marchers approached, the police lobbed three tear gas shells at the agitating teachers. It is not known whether the magistrates present had given the order to use tear gas on the unarmed protestors.
However, East Khasi Hills police chief Sylvester Nongtnger said his forces had to fire tear gas because the crowd turned violent. “The police were left with no option but to fire tear gas as the teachers suddenly turned violent,” he said.
Following this, the teachers blocked the main entrance to the Secretariat by sitting in front of the gates. The police cordoned off one lane of the road outside and the two sides held their positions even as darkness descended although the area around it has been placed under Section 144 of the CrPC. They pledged not to move from the spot unless the state government issues a written order reinstating all contractual teachers who lost their jobs.
The teachers also filed a complaint with the Director General of Police claiming that the police officers had violated their human rights. They also stated that, despite their peaceful protests, the police resorted to tear gas and manhandled women and children.
“We organised a peaceful march to demand the reinstatement of the teachers. We are neither an NGO nor a pressure group harassing anyone and we did not even carry a single stone in our hands,” the letter stated.
Chief Secretary Donald P Wahlang had reportedly invited the group for talks but the teachers are fed up with dialogue, having seen no benefit to it over the last two years.
“The teachers are done talking to the government after meeting seven times with the Chief Minister and been fooled every time,” MGLPSCTA president Birbor Riangtem, who was injured by police in the clash, said. “What is the use of a dialogue when it is fruitless every time. The CM has been examining our issue for the past two years. We cannot be fooled anymore and we want a written order.”
When asked whether it was wise to bring children to such a protest, he said that the children had gone without their parents (who were earlier at the hunger strike) for a long time and they wanted to reconnect.
