AAPSU supports SSA teachers

FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT

ITAGAR, May 11: The All Aruchal Pradesh students’ Union (AAPSU) has extended its moral support to the agitating contractual teachers under Sarva Shikha Abhiyan (SSA).

“The demands of the SSA teacher including regularization, timely payment, and proper implementation of RTE rules are genuine and should be addressed accordingly,” AAPSU President Kamta Lapung said in a statement here today.

“In a democratic set-up like ours, placing genuine grievances through dhars and protest is not a crime. People take up protest only as the last resort when their demands are not heard. We strongly condemn the immature act of Chief Minister Kalikho Pul who not only got agitated by the peaceful dhar organized by the SSA teachers but also termed it politically motivated. Where is ‘politics’ in demanding for regular payment?” he questioned adding, instead of hearing their woes and addressing their genuine demands, the chief minister has been indulging in issuing threats to the agitating teachers.

“Everyone in the state is aware of the pathetic and inhumane conditions in which these SSA teachers and other contractual staffs working in various government departments are serving. Teachers are tion builders. One should have utmost respect for them. But sadly, here in the state a teacher has to come out in the streets to demand for salary and other basic rights. Pul is running the state affairs like a dictator which shall never be tolerated by the AAPSU at any cost,” he added.

It is perhaps happening for the first time in the state that those raising their voices are being openly threatened by the chief minister himself. The state government has been repeatedly claiming that SSA and other contractual staffs are receiving their salaries regularly. But the story seems otherwise,” Lapung alleged.

He said, AAPSU members have been interacting with numerous SSA teachers who have straight forward denied the claims made by the government.

The AAPSU strongly urges the state government and the chief minister in particular to address the genuine grievances of the masses rather than indulging in false propaganda, he said.

“It is also learnt that the state government is yet to file the curative petition in the Supreme Court against the decision of the latter in which it had directed the Centre and the AP state government to grant citizenship to Chakma-Hajong refugees in the state despite tall claims made by it. We are not only saddened but also angered at the same time due to this negligent attitude of the state government. The present government under Pul will be solely held responsible for any judgment against the people of the state due to non-filing of the curative petition,” the apex students’ body said. Condemning the attempts made by the present chief minister to strangulate the local Media houses, the AAPSU said that Media is often termed as the fourth pillar of democracy and as such the media persons have every right to express their views and opinions on every matter of public interest.