FASTOM threatens indefinite agitation over govt’s indifferent attitude

The decision was taken at the general meeting of the federation held at Malki ground on Monday.

The meeting also resolved to seek permission from the district administration for taking out a peace rally on Tuesday.

“We have decided to march to the secretariat and to repeat the same agitation held on January 17 and 18, where we will stand in front of the main gate of the secretary till the government considers our demand,” FASTOM vice president Diningroy Marwein.

FASTOM EC member and the Khasi Jaintia Hills Adhoc School Teachers’ Association (KJHASTA) president Mayborn Lyngdoh said, “We demand the government to deficitize the ad hoc teachers of Meghalaya.”

He said the same was made clear to the Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma in August 2019.

The Chief Minister had assured to call the teachers in the month of November 2019 to discuss the matter but that has not happened till date, Lyngdoh said.

“After protest staged by our leaders in front of the secretariat, we met Director of Directorate of School Education and Literacy, Ambrose Marak and based on the discussion we had, a new proposal has been sent by FASTOM that is to have our pay increased by Rs 18,000 and 5 percent increment every year irrespective of lower primary, upper primary, secondary and higher secondary. However, nothing has come out till date despite having waited for two months,” he said.

Stating that the FASTOM will stick to the demand, Lyngdoh said, “We are no longer negotiating with the government, it is on the part of the government they should negotiate with us. We have told the government what we want, we have bargained with the government based on their terms. Now it is the government who should listen to our demands and who should come to the table of agreement with us.”

He warned, “Should the government not pay heed to our demands, then we will stage an indefinite agitation until our demands are met.”

When asked, Lyngdoh said the teachers have decided not to disturbed the students during their board exams adding “we are keeping them in our minds and our hearts”.

“Our full-fledged agitation will not take place until the end of the examination, however, if the government thinks that we are weak because we are few, I just want to assure the government that we have already come up with a blueprint on what we should do,” he said.

He further stated that they already have the blueprint and in course of time should the government not pay heed, the government will itself know and will witness what the adhoc teachers are going to do.

Meanwhile, the FASTOM leader also lambasted the state government for allegedly wasting money on “useless festivals” with no revenue.

“Despite the government claiming that it is generating lots of revenue from these international festivals with ambassadors from Japan visiting Meghalaya, what did we get from that we are not getting anything from that.

If we are getting something, we demand the government to tell us what we are benefiting from these festivals. If the tourism department is really flourishing from this please show us the numbers,” he stated.

By Our Reporter