Police Saturday used ‘force’ to foil a demonstration of teachers who tried to march towards the office of Director Education Kashmir in capital city Srinagar.To protest against what they say ‘dictatorial and childish behavior of incumbent Director Educaiton’, hundreds of teachers and members from Employees Joint Action Committee assembled here in Press Enclave and amid anti-Director Education slogans tried to march towards Directorate of School Education. The protesters were led by EJAC and Teachers Forum president Abdul Qayoom Wani who castigated Dr Shah Faisal for pursuing anti-employees policies. “Director Education Shah Faisal intentionally locked the Teachers Forum office and even stole the material there. He is acting like a kid. He should know he is in the department on temporary basis but we teachers will be there forever and it will be we people you have to take care of the department,” Wani told reporters.“Number of Directors served the Department and they never acted as dictators. In the garb of improving education system he is targeting teachers community and has been harassing them,” Wani alleged.
The agitated protesters who tried to march Directorate office were stopped by police.When the protesting teachers did not budge, police used tear-smoke shells to disperse them. Police charged protesting teachers with canes. 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. He said that higher ups in Police Department played a partial role when it came to registering of an FIR against Shah Faisal. (CNS)