Bhubaneswar: More than 2,000 teachers under the banner of Odisha School College Teachers and Employees’ United Forum (OSCTEUF) Tuesday resumed their demonstration at Lower PMG here over their multi-point long-standing demands.
The demonstration started at Railway Station square and continued up to Lower PMG square where the protesters were stopped by the police while they were marching towards the state legislative assembly.
the strike entered its 55th day Wednesday. The teachers were joined by scores of guardians and wards from across the state. While the rally was peaceful, the protesters said they would continue till their demands were met. “We will not be deterred by the indifferent attitude of the state government, or by the adverse weather conditions approaching”, one of the protesters said.
The teachers had suspended the strike due to the terminal examinations in the state schools. During the hiatus, the teachers had donned black badges while on duty. “We could have taken an aggressive stand but ensured that the protests were peaceful because the future of 6,500 schools and 30 lakh students are linked to us and our demands,” president of the forum, Pabitra Mohala, said.
“The state government is not serious about our demands. Unless the teachers feel secure about their jobs, how will the educational institutions prosper? More than 20 teachers have died during the protests, demanding their rights. We appeal to the state government to stop shedding crocodile tears and empathise with our demands,” a senior member of the forum Golak Nayak said.
PNN