AD-HOC TEACHERS WRITE LETTER IN BLOOD TO MODI OVER APATHY

RANCHI: The Jharkhand ad-hoc teachers, who are put in a camp jail at a construction site in Ranchi since Thursday, wrote at least 10,000 letters with their blood to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, demanding regularisation of services.

More than 70,000 ad-hoc or para teachers, who claim to run several schools in the interiors of Jharkhand without any help from regular teachers, sat on strike on October 17 against the government’s alleged apathy.

In the past ten years, the teachers have gone on strikes at least five times, derailing education in several government schools.

“Zindagi Maut Na Ban Jaye Sambhalo Modi Ji, Hazaron Para Shikshako Ka Ghar Na Ujado Modi Ji (Don’t snatch away livelihood of thousands of para teachers, Modiji),” said one of the letters. They used syringes to take out blood from their body and used it as ink for the letters.

These teachers were appointed under the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan from 2002 as Siksha Mitra (education friend) on honorarium basis. Majority of them are working for nearly a decade yet claim to earn less than `5,000 a month.

“I hope that Modiji reads our letters and understands our pain and agony,” said Sanjay Dubey, president, Jharkhand Para Sikshak Sangh.

School education and literacy secretary Aradhana Patnaik said the government was ready for a dialogue with the teachers, and protests should not be seen as a solution to every problem. SAURAV ROY