Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 23: The police used force and foiled the peaceful candle march of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalya (KGBV) teachers, sitting on hunger strike at Press Club for the last eight days.
The female KGBV teachers hailing from various districts of Kashmir and Jammu region who are sitting on protest dharna and hunger strike at Exhibition Ground near Press Club Jammu, today on the 8th consecutive day of their agitation, organised a candle march this evening from Press Club.
All these lady teachers waging struggle for their regularization, as a part of their protest programme, took out torch light procession from the venue of protest dharna at around 7 pm. As they moved towards Dogra Chowk, holding lighting candles in hands, the police party including a large number of lady constables intercepted them and did not allow to move ahead.
The Police foiled their torch- light procession, forcing the protesting KGBV teachers to curtail their protest pogramme at Dogra Chowk. The police had also used force on them on Monday and foiled their march towards Raj Bhawan.
An agitating teacher Shveta Sharma told the Excelsior that teachers planned to take out peaceful candle march but it is unfortunate that the Government instead of listening to the agitating teachers and resolving their issue is using force on them. She said that nearly 700 teachers were engaged by the State Education department during 2005 under Centrally sponsored scheme, in 99 schools across the State but these teachers were not regularized till date.
Meanwhile, EJAC leader Qayoom Wani and Mymoon Khan, president of All J&K KGBV Employees Association condemned the police action on the peaceful procession of teachers . They said that Governor’s Administration was trying to gag the voice of the agitating teachers who are protesting democratically. Ms Khan said that out of total 693 teachers appointed, hardly 90 teachers have been regularized on pick and choose basis till now while all others have been ignored. They were engaged on RET pattern and all of them have completed the full term of 5 years. They are waiting for their regularization.
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