Edu minister asks para-teachers to end fast, return to classes

West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee on Thursday sought to know from the striking para-teachers why they wouldn't approach the Centre with their demand for salary revision, while also urging them to call off their fast and return to classes. The indefinite hunger strike by the teachers, seeking immediate salary hike -- from the range of Rs 10,000-12000 to Rs 22,000-25,000 -- and 'elementary teacher' status, entered the 21st day on Thursday.

"I have been asking them repeatedly to return to their classes, be a little flexible in their approach... Please call off the stir and start taking classes. The students are suffering," Chatterjee said. He iterated that the state government, at this point of time, did not have the ability to accede to their demands as it would incur a huge expense on the state's exchequer.

Slamming the state BJP leadership, which had expressed solidarity with the teachers, the minister also said that the protesters should ask the saffron party leaders to lobby with the Centre for the cause. "Why can't they approach the Centre? The state, despite its financial constraints, had increased their salary to the range of Rs 10,000-12,000. We don't have the resources to agree to their current demands.

"Why can't they ask the BJP leaders to lobby with the Centre (which is led by the saffron party)," the education minister retorted. Meanwhile, Bhagirath Ghosh, the co-convenor of 'Para- Teachers' Oikyo Manch' - which is leading the agitation - said the protest would continue till the time the government considered their demands.

Ghosh, who had to be admitted to a hospital after he fell ill on Monday, said, "The education minister has asked us to return to classes. We will return once the government considers our demands." Over 1000 para-teachers, who work on contract in government-run schools, have been staging a sit-in since November 11 near Bikash Bhavan (higher education department headquarters) in Salt lake, demanding a revision in pay scale. At least 37 of them are observing an indefinite fast since November 15.

Members of human rights group -- 'Association for Protection of Democratic Rights' - reached out to the fasting teachers on Thursday and lent support to their cause. BJP leader Agnimitra Paul, who is also a member of the saffron party-run 'Bengal Intellectual Society', said the Mamata Banerjee-government was "inhuman" in its approach towards the striking teachers.

"Is it a crime to seek better working conditions and financial stability? The government has been inhuman in its approach towards the para-teachers, who are making reasonable demands," she added..

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