My sympathies have always been with teachers of the state, who have spent more time protesting on the streets than teaching in the classes in the last few years as a callous and apathetic state government has repeatedly turned a deaf ear to their legitimate demands. Even in the ongoing round of confrontation, I am fully behind their basic demand for repeal of the mandatory requirement to furnish an affidavit guaranteeing that they would never stage a protest in future to avail the benefits of full grant-in aid. The provision slyly introduced by the government is grossly undemocratic and a violation of their fundamental rights.
But the utterances of the leaders of the Odisha School and College Teachers and Employees United Forum over the last couple of days are highly disturbing. First, they threatened that 10,000 teachers would campaign against the ruling party in the upcoming by-elections in Bijepur. Today, Forum convenor Golak Nayak went a step ahead and needlessly roped in V Karthikeyan Pandian, private secretary to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and blamed him for their woes. In doing so, they have turned a largely apolitical struggle into an overtly political one.
Stop The Hatemongers Before It’s Too Late
In the process, they have, wittingly or unwittingly, provided a handle to the state government to beat them with. The government can now legitimately claim that the agitation by the teachers and staff is being instigated by opposition parties for their political ends ahead of the Bijepur by-poll. And there will be many takers for the state government’s argument.
Of course, one can always argue that the teachers have been pushed to the end of the tether by an uncaring government, which has repeatedly spurned their prolonged and just struggle for the abolition of the iniquitous block grant system that has created an artificial divide between teachers and staff with the same qualification, seniority and responsibilities and led to a lot of heartburn. Even when it agreed to their legitimate and long pending demand after years of strike, dharna and agitation, the government has tried to put a spanner in giving them their dues by insisting on a ‘no strike’ clause.
Given their experience of being repeatedly cheated by the state government, the teachers have obviously decided to hit where it hurts the most. Developments since the three-tier panchayat elections last year have proved that the only language the current regime, the Chief Minister in particular, understands is the one spoken at the hustings. The complete transformation in the way Naveen Patnaik conducts himself in public and the way his government responds to people’s grievances brought about by the debacle of sorts in the zilla parishad elections may have convinced the teachers that only a threat to eat into the BJD’s votes would make the government wake up to their demand. This consideration appears to have influenced their decision to campaign against the government in the Bijepur by-election.
A Litany of Unanswered Questions
But by taking what appears to be an overtly political and partisan role, the teachers have laid themselves open to the charge of acting at the behest of the opposition parties. They have not helped their cause by wading into the raging controversy over the power and clout allegedly enjoyed by Mr. Pandian. By harping on the ‘non-Odia officer’, they have needlessly added a parochial colour to their legitimate demand. It is bound to be seen by the people at large as an act tailored to suit the political interests of the BJP, which has been going hammer and tongs at the Chief Minister’s private secretary over the last few weeks. The saffron party’s consistent support for their cause will only help buttress such an impression.
The teachers have also threatened to boycott the upcoming matriculation and Plus Two examinations, beginning February 23 and March 6 respectively. As teachers’ strikes over the years go, this is par for the course. But they have undermined their own legitimate cause by taking an overtly political line. While their goal may be justified, the means they have chosen to achieve it are not acceptable.
Since the state government, unlike previous occasions, has readily invited them for discussion on their demands, the teachers must accept the offer and talk to the government. When the more contentious demand for full grant in aid, which would involve a large outgo from the exchequer, has already been conceded, there is reason why the row over the ‘no strike’ affidavit cannot be sorted out across the table.
In the interest of lakhs of students - and in their own intere the teachers must relent and come to the negotiating table. In acting political, they risk losing the sympathy of the people for their just cause.
(DISCLAIMER: This is an opinion piece. The views expressed are author’s own and have nothing to do with OTV's charter or views. OTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)