Official apathy, red tapism responsible for Kulgam youth’s suicide, employees shocked: EJAC

Srinagar: Employees in Kashmir have voiced their strong resentment on the official apathy and red tapism in offices which according to them is responsible for the suicide of a B.Tech student, son of a government teachers from Kulgam, whose salary has been kept withheld by the department for last more then two years which led to the suicide of his son.
J&K Employees Joint Action Committee (EJAC) an amalgam of employees associations of J&K, has termed the suicide of the son of Bashir Ahmad a teacher, result of official apathy and red tapism.
In a strong worded statement President EJAC Mohd Rafique Rather said although he does not subscribe to this extreme step but added that situation forced a young soul to end his life.He said that he has been pleading the case of such teachers who’s salary has been withheld for last two years, and has in detailed briefed allmost all officers of the department.But nothing was done in this regard and added that today its heart wrenching to watch a young boy committing suicide only to get salary of his father released. He questioned, how can a society imagine of educational advancement where in a teacher is put to mental trauma, starvation and unfolded miseries and his family is compelled to resort to such an extreme step of suicide. Rather said these teachers have been working in the department for decades and their services were regularised only after the clearance certificates issued by different security agencies.He said that all these teachers are performing their duties regularly by providing online education, assignments to students, delivery of mid day meals at doorsteps of students besides working as Blo’s, in Covid centres, and as magistrates on roads, still the they are not being paid their due and earned salary in spite of court orders, which he termed as sheer injustice and violation of basic human rights.He said that death of the son of a teacher will keep on haunting conscience people for ever and assured sufferers that his sacrifice will not go in waste. Rather urged upon administration to urgently dispose of these cases on priority so that such heart wrenching incidents don not happen any more and teaching community is saved from starvation and miseries.
President JK Teachers Forum (JKTF) Mohd Afzal Bhat termed the incident a blot on the system and said that its really unfortunate to see teaching community being pushed to the wall and creating a situation where in their familes suffer for no sin of theirs and finally resorting to such an extreme step of suicide. Expressing heartfelt condolences to bereaved family Bhat said that he feels completely devastated on the incident and appealed administration to redressal this human issue as soon as possible. School Education Employees Coordination Committee(SEECC) which represents school education employees of all cadres has also expressed deep concern on the plight of suffering teachers and have expressed grief on the incident.
Spokesman of SEECC Saleem Sagar has termed the incident which has gone viral, unacceptable and has castigated those responsible for official delay of such cases, terming them as real deadwood in the system and urged for fixing the responsibility and initiating action against them. Leaders of SEECC appealed Governor, Chief secretary, Secretary Education and DSEK to redress this human issue on priority otherwise we will be left with no option but to protest on roads to get justice for aggrieved teachers.