IMPHAL, March 15: The All Manipur College Teachers`™ Association, AMCTA, which has been on a cease work strike has threatened to intensify its strike.
In a press release today, the teachers`™ body said there are vested interests amongst the teachers community who have been trying to scuttle the perfectly justified stir by the teachers for their own personal ends.
The release said the teachers have been on a crusade to save Higher Education and to optimally support development of human resources in the state, and therefore have been agitating for the last three months. From February 18 onwards, the teachers have resorted to the extreme step of ceasing work, it said.
It however lamented that the government has been ignoring them and instead been supporting those amongst the teaching community which have stood against the teachers`™ agitation.
The release said in all other states of India, the respective state governments makes sure all needs of the teaching community are ensured so that there are no hitches in the development of human resources. It lamented that in Manipur this is not the case and the government`™s attitude towards the teaching community is despicable.
It said the All India Federation of University and College Teachers`™ in its NEC meeting held on March 14, condemned the Manipur government for obstructing the advancement of higher education.
In this regard, the teachers took out a mass rally at Singjamei Chinga Makhong on March 12 to further press their demands.
It said the teachers are not on strike for their monetary benefits, but to ensure that the system runs as it should.
The silence of the government on the matter, as if awaiting the teachers to take further steps, is extremely unfortunate, it said. There is no guarantee that the teachers will not take more drastic steps to achieve their ends, the release further said.
The AMCTA release also advised the government to listen to the genuine grievances of the teachers instead of supporting those in the teaching community who are driving wedges into the community and attempting to suppress the movement.
The release reiterated that the principals allegedly appointed arbitrarily by the government be immediately removed, CAS promotions be implemented, and then appoint principals through the due process of norms.