Agitating teachers withdraw indefinite fast after SC order

Contractual teachers in Meghalaya on fast unto death demanding their immediate reinstatement withdrew their agitation on Friday evening after a Supreme Court order though talks with the state government were deadlocked.

Leader of Meghalaya Government Lower Primary Contractual Teachers' Association (MGLPCTA) Birbor Riangtem announced the withdrawal of the month-long sit-in by the contractual teachers in front of the state secretariat and the hunger strike.

He said it was done in view of the apex court order directing the state government to allow contractual teachers write the Meghalaya Teachers Eligibility Test (MTET) examination.

''We were informed by our lawyers today that the Supreme Court has directed the state government to allow us to appear for the MTET exams. We withdraw our agitation without further ado though the order is yet to be available,'' he announced.

MGLPCTA is spearheading the agitation by hundreds of contractual teachers and had moved the SSupreme Court. Nine of its members who participated in the hunger strike launched on September 26 have been hospitalised. Ringtam said the MGLPCTA is happy with the Supreme Court order.

Earlier in the day Riangtem's meeting with Meghalaya Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui was deadlocked as he rejected outright the contractual teachers' demand to reinstate them without the mandatory MTET qualification.

He was seen emerging from the minister's room sobbing and announced that the agitators will fast unto death. The government dismissed the contractual teachers two years ago after they failed to clear MTET.

On Thursday hundreds of agitating school teachers had entered the secretariat and the police had burst tear gas shells to disperse them.

The teargassing and reported lathi charges on the teachers were denounced by various quarters. In the face of the criticism city superintendent of police Vivek Syiem said "We had to use mild force and burst tears shells to stop the agitators from storming the secretariat, where Section 144 CrPC is in force". He refuted claims that police also resorted to lathi charging and injuring some members of the Association. MGLPCTA had taken out a protest march and continued with their sit-in in front of the entrance gate to the secretariat.

Services of over 800 contractual teachers were terminated in 2019 after they were unsuccessful in the MTET, an exam that is necessary for all teachers in Meghalaya to clear before undertaking teaching as a profession.

BJP legislative party leader A L Hek has demanded the resignation of Rymbui.

The BJP, which has two MLAs in the 60-member House and one is a minister, is a member of the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government of Conrad Sangma.

Hek said, "Some of Rymbui's colleagues in the party have expressed unhappiness over the issue. I too feel that he should resign on moral grounds." Stating that bursting tear gas shells at the agitating teachers and their family members were "inhuman", Hek said, "None of the agitators are armed. Such use of force was unwarranted." Opposition TMC had condemned the incident on Thursday. Party leader and Opposition Chief Whip George B Lyngdoh said that it is the collective responsibility of the entire cabinet to ensure safety and to provide livelihood.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)