Perhaps for the first time in the post-1947 history of Jammu & Kashmir the people in Srinagar and Jammu the twin capital cities of the state saw teachers of government run middle and primary schools sitting on a hunger strike on the day when the teachers day was being celebrated all over the country. Attending a state sponsored teachers day functions with a call to agitating teachers to restrain from the path of hunger strikes and protests was not the only option before the Advisor incharge school education department khursheed Ahmad Ganai and other top helmsmen of the department to respond to the indefinite strike of the teachers over the demands already pending disposal before the government. Since the demands are genuine and legitimate concerning the resolution of the in time disbursement of the monthly salaries of SSA teachers and the implementation of seventh pay commission in their favour the advisor incharge school education department should started the teachers day celebration with his appearance at the venue of a hunger strike and announcement of a phase wise resolution of demands to end the mess of teaching that has been causes by the mass absence of SSA teachers in government run primary and middle schools. Instead of trying to reach out to the agitating teachers at the venue of hunger strike in Srinagar the summer capital the advisor incharge school education Khursheed Ahmad Ganaie in a customary way appeared at the official function at SKICC Srinagar and in his address appealed the agitating teachers to restrain from the practices of hunger strikes.
The time when barely one and a half month is left for the conduct of annual examinations in Kashmir valley and parts of the summer zone of Jammu division the only way for the government to restore almost suspended class work in primary and middle schools in the state is a direct engagement with the leaders of the agitating teachers with a proposal for time bound resolution of the pressing demands concerning timely disbursement of SSA teachers and implementation of 7th pay commission in their favour.
Since hunger strike is the lost resort of the agitating teachers to persuade the government to take action on their demands after the failure of the apex committees constituted by the government to recommend plausible measures for resolution of demands of the agitating teachers the quiescent approach to hunger strike on teachers’ day was not only unacceptable but also condemnable. The time when barely one and a half month is left for the conduct of annual examinations in Kashmir valley and parts of the summer zone of Jammu division the only way for the government to restore almost suspended class work in primary and middle schools in the state is a direct engagement with the leaders of the agitating teachers with a proposal for time bound resolution of the pressing demands concerning timely disbursement of SSA teachers and implementation of 7th pay commission in their favour.
