LJP backs teachers’ demand: Chirag Paswan

PATNA: LJP president Chirag Paswan said in Sheohar on Saturday that the contractual teachers’ demand will be included in the party manifesto for the upcoming state assembly elections. Chirag has embarked on a ‘Bihar First, Bihari first’ yatra across the state from Friday. Incidentally, the NDA government, of which LJP is an ally, has refused to accept the contractual teachers’ demand of equal pay for equal work.
Around four lakh contractual teachers of government and government-aided schools belonging to 32 teachers’ associations have been on an indefinite strike since February 17, demanding equal pay for equal work, old pension scheme and service conditions. They have also boycotted invigilation duty during the ongoing matric examination conducted by Bihar School Examination Board.
“I am agreed to your demands. I will give this memorandum (of striking contractual teachers) to the chief minister and every demand being raised by you all will be put in our manifesto and resolved as well. I am with you all,” Chirag said.
The group of striking teachers, who met Chirag at Sheohar, also handed over a memorandum of their demands to him. They claimed that two teachers were terminated and FIRs were lodged against five teachers and several others have been suspended. They hailed Chirag’s announcement regarding their demands.
When asked for his reaction on Chirag’s announcement, JD(U) spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan Prasad said: “Every party in any alliance has the right to include issues, which they consider important, in their manifesto. It is purely their prerogative. However, we would like to assert that Nitish Kumar government has always looked after the interest of niyojit (contractual) teachers. Their employability issue has been resolved and the government has improved their honorarium. Thus, the teachers should also think about the future of the students and not be adamant on their demands.”
RJD, on the other hand, claimed that Chirag’s statement is aimed at ‘politics of vote bank’. “Chirag’s statement is mere gimmick as his party is in the government. He should talk to the CM and get the grievances of the protesting teachers resolved at the earliest. Claiming that their demands will be included in the manifesto is nothing more than asking for votes by showing shallow sympathy,” RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari said.