Teachers divided over call to boycott Gunotsav
STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: A division has emerged among teachers of the State as a result of the announcement by the Assam State Primary Teachers' Association (ASPTA) to boycott Gunotsav 2023 if its charter of demands is not met within December 31 next.
While three other teachers' organizations – All Boro Primary Teachers' Association, All Assam Primary TET-qualified Teachers' Association and All Assam State Pool Teachers' Association have extended their support to the ASPTA's proposed school lockout programme, the All Assam Primary Teachers' Association (AAPTA) has opposed the proposed programme.
In a statement to the media, the AAPTA asserted that the issue should be resolved through dialogue.
On the other hand, the ASPTA has termed the AAPTA as a "fake organization" which is misusing the registration number of the ASPTA. The ASPTA said that it will move the court against misuse of its registration number.
Meanwhile, ASPTA secretary general Ratul Chandra Goswami said that Assam's Education Minister Ranoj Pegu has invited them for a discussion over the issue on December 21. A final decision regarding their agitational programme will be taken after that discussion, Goswami added.
It may be mentioned that the ASPTA recently said that it had sent an adequate number of memorandums to the Chief Minister on their various demands. The association said that "now the ball is in the Chief Minister's court" to fulfil their demands. The association had said that if the Chief Minister does not meet their demands by December 31, 2022, they will resort to boycotting the Gunotsav scheduled from January 18-February 18, 2023. The ASPTA's demands include creation of posts of headmasters in primary schools, payment of the cancelled grade pay, regular payment of the dues of contractual teachers and regularization of their jobs.
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