10,323 issue figures in assembly after police assault on peaceful procession of retrenched teachers

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, September 26, 2022

The issue of 10,323 teachers today came up for a brief discussion in the state assembly after it had been raised by the leader of the opposition Manik Sarkar following a massive police assault on a peaceful procession of the retrenched teachers below the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Circuit house square around 11-00 AM today. Having learned about the lathi-charge,use of water cannon and firing of tear-gas shells on the retrenched teachers including women marching towards the state assembly with permission obtained in advance from police the leader of the opposition Manik Sarkar raised the issue and demanded that the government initiate talks with the retrenched teachers. He also criticized the police role in using force on the retrenched teachers.

The minister for education Ratan Lal Nath said that most of the teachers will be accommodated in government jobs through JRBT and others and for the rest the government will think positively. At this the Congress MLA Sudip Roybarman blamed the government for dilly-dallying over the issue . Provoked by this Ratan Lal Nath gave a caustic reply. But Sudip Roybarman said that the government should look into the matter from a humanitarian viewpoint. Finally the chief minister Dr Manik Saha said that he will meet and talk with a group of representatives of the retrenched teachers within a day or two to discuss the whole issue.

Before that police personnel who had allowed the procession to reach up to the circuit house on the basis of permission granted in advance suddenly pounced on the teachers in the procession and started beating them up with lathis besides firing tear gas shells and using water cannon. Many teachers including women and leading figures like Bijay Krishna Saha and Daliya Das sustained injuries. The befuddled teachers asked the police why they had lathi-charged after escorting them up to the circuit house en route to state assembly , the DSP Ajay Kumar Das and additional SP Anirban Das said that they were merely carrying out orders. The procession dispersed below the Gandhi statue.

The retrenched teachers condemned the unprovoked lathi charge and use of tear gas shells and water cannon but expressed satisfaction over the assurance given by the chief minister in the state assembly that he will talk with their representatives in two or three days.