Police Saturday used force to foil a demonstration of teachers who tried to march towards the office of Director Education Kashmir in capital Srinagar.To protest against what they say ‘dictatorial policy of the government’, hundreds of teachers assembled at Municipal Park Srinagar. Addressing the teachers there, Jammu and Kashmir Teachers’ Forum chairman and Employees Joint Action Committee president Abdul Qayoom Wani alleged that incumbent Director Education is more loyal than king and has been indulging in acts which are illegal in nature. He expressed their dismay over the failure of the Department of Education to address the genuine issues of teaching community on the one hand and creating chaos and confusion on the other hand.He also expressed concerned over the issues like screening test of ReTs with distance mode certificates ban on tuition, regularization of ReTs with Five years’ service and release of time bond in their favour, delay in proposed move of handing over of department to KAS officers, handing over of the department to outside state, pay anomaly of Masters, delay in salary of SSA, NPS, RMSA, SBM and delay in the regularization of KGBVs, SBM volunteers, Gender Coordinators and contractual employees of SSA and RMSA.
Shortly after addressing the teachers, the teacher amid anti-Director Education slogans marched towards the office of Director Education Kashmir in capital Srinagar. However, the agitated protesters were stopped by police near Regal Chowk. When the protesting teachers did not budge, police used tear-smoke shells to disperse them. The bursting of tear-smoke shells by police created panic in the business hub. At least one dozen protesters were injured in police action while more than 50 protesting teachers including Abdul Qayoom Wani were arrested by police.“The protesting teachers disrupted traffic. We used few tear smoke shells to disperse them,” a police official told CNS. However, JK Teachers Forum president Abdul Qayoom Wani while accusing police of harassing teacher’s community said that autocratic approach doesn’t last for long. (CNS)