Playing good cop/bad cop at the same time, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong today urged protesting ad hoc teachers to return home and sleep comfortably in their beds while also alluding to nefarious “hidden agenda” if they continue with their agitation.
This came a day after contrasting styles of approaching the issue were taken by Tynsong in Shillong and Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma in Tura. While the CM met with protesting teachers last night in the street and urged them to trust in the government, Tynsong was threatening to cut the grants to schools that did not attempt to get their ad hoc teachers back to work.
The teachers this week launched an indefinite, round-the-clock protest in Shillong and Tura. Ad hoc teachers are striking for higher salaries and a guaranteed 5 per cent annual hike.
Today, Tynsong softened his stance and met with the Federation of All School Teachers of Meghalaya (FASTOM), which represents ad hoc teachers in the state.
In yet another promise to the teachers, Tynsong told FASTOM’s delegation that the government has decided to enhance the lump sum grant to aided schools. He was unable, however, to reveal how much extra the schools will be getting as this will be finalised at the next cabinet meeting.
“We had discussed the teacher’s agenda in our last cabinet and we had planned to take up this agenda in the next cabinet and approve it, but then the teachers started to protest,” said Tynsong. Ad hoc teachers were promised that their issue would be solved within three cabinet meetings of the date of the promise, May 12, which is why they waited until after Monday’s cabinet meeting before protesting, as no announcement on their demands was made.
With other unions, pressure groups and opposition parties also rallying to the teachers’ cause, the government has gone into damage-control and Tynsong reiterated the administration’s support for the teachers.
Asked for his opinion if the teachers continue with their protest, the Deputy CM could not help but be suspicious, saying that there may be a hidden agenda behind the agitation, which could be the only reason why they would persist with the protests despite his new promises.
