Raj govt school teachers declare ‘all-out battle’ against education minister

Jaipur: Govt school teachers under the banner of Rajasthan Shikshak Sangh (Siyaram), while addressing media Friday, declared an ‘all-out battle’ in protest against education minister Madan Dilawar’s way of functioning.

Teachers condemned the FIR registered over the teachers’ rally held in Ramganj Mandi, the Assembly constituency represented by Dilawar, to press for their demands to increase the days of summer vacation. They demanded the immediate withdrawal of the FIR along with regular discussions with the minister and officials to resolve their issues.

Siyaram Sharma, president of the association, said that a peaceful rally comprising over 3,000 teachers was organised in Ramganj Mandi on May 18. He said that the rally was held to protest the arbitrary 10-day reduction in summer vacations this year as well as to press other demands.

“Rattled by the success of the rally, the education minister — on May 22 — pressured the police to have a BJP office-bearer file false and baseless FIRs against the teachers, even though, due prior notice regarding the rally was formally submitted to the police,” said Sharma.

The association threatened that if the FIRs filed against the teachers are not withdrawn, and if positive action is not taken regarding the teachers’ demands within 15 days, then every public programme of the education minister will be gheraoed, and black flag demonstrations will be done starting from July. They added that a specific team for this purpose will be announced on June 25.

Mahendra Singh, chief of the Akhil Rajasthan Rajya Karmchari Sanyukt Mahasangh, extended support to the agitation. They declared that if the education minister fails to rectify his “dictatorial behaviour and take positive action on the charter of demands”, a sit-in involving thousands of employees and teachers will be staged in Jaipur, Kota or Ramganj Mandi.

“Teachers constitute the backbone of the state machinery and will not tolerate any humiliation. The govt and the administration will bear full responsibility for the consequences of this agitation. If the minister’s attitude remains unchanged even after this, thousands of teachers will march to Delhi,” said Singh.

The association’s key demands include lifting the ban on the transfers of Grade-III teachers, providing relief to teachers posted in ‘dark zones’, immediately implementing a practical staffing pattern and rationalisation policy, relieving teachers from non-academic duties and threats of suspension, and withdrawing allegedly false FIRs to initiate dialogue regarding the charter of demands.