Imphal: Higher secondary school students in Manipur, on Wednesday, staged demonstrations pressing the government to resolve the ongoing impasse with the Lecturer’s Association Manipur.
The higher secondary school contract lecturers have been taking up a six-day pen-down strike since Monday.
On the 603 lecturers under association continued to press the government to complete the pending process of regularisation and release their long-overdue salaries.
The lecturers were appointed on a contractual basis in 2019. The Manipur Cabinet had approved their regularisation on January 4, 2022, with a subsequent government order issued on January 8 of the same year, which included provisions for the payment of entitled salaries and allowances from April 1, 2023.
However, the association claims, despite the official order, the government has failed to fully implement the decisions. Many lecturers have reportedly not received their monthly salaries for the past three years.
Students of various schools including Ibotonsana Higher Secondary School, Johnstone Higher Secondary School, TG Higher Secondary School, and CC Higher Secondary School in Imphal held protest demonstrations within their school campuses.
Concerning over the disruption of classes, a student said, “We are preparing for our upcoming Council of Higher Secondary Education Manipur examinations. We are worried that our syllabus may not be completed in time?”
“This is not the first time such an issues arises in government schools. We are competing with private school students, and we demand the government resolve the lecturers’ demands urgently.”
Sangeeta Soram, a regular senior lecturer said normal classes have been severely affected by the strike and appealed to the authorities to find an amicable solution with the striking lecturers. “We hope the government will take up action in time.” she said.
Outside Johnstone Higher Secondary School, Imphal, students staged rally holding placards that read “Make Education Disturbance-Free,” “Issue Pending Monthly Salary of Teachers,” and “We Want Education.”
Soffy Nongmeikapam, an English lecturer and one of the 603 striking teachers, told reporters, “We have been receiving irregular payments since our appointment. How can we survive without getting salaries for over three years. We are demanding our basic rights. Why has the government turned a deaf ear? It is not just economic exploitation, it robs us of our peace of mind.”
Protests were also held in other districts including Thoubal, Kakching, Bishnupur, and several hill districts.
