Guwahati: As the nation celebrated Teacher’s Day on Friday, hundreds of tutors staged a hunger strike at Latasil playground in Assam’s Guwahati, demanding official recognition as teachers and respect for their profession.
The Association of Provincialised Middle English and Lower Primary Tutors organized the protest, with participants wearing black badges to express their dissent.
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Initially, the tutors planned to hold their demonstration in front of Raj Bhavan, but the authorities denied permission, forcing them to relocate the protest to Latasil.
During the protest, the tutors submitted a list of demands to the state government, calling for formal recognition as teachers instead of tutors and an increase in their salaries.
One protesting tutor said, “We want to be recognized as teachers, not just tutors. The government now requires us to clear the TET exam, but many of us have served for 20 to 30 years. When did this rule suddenly come into effect?”
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The protesters also accused the current Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, who was the education minister at the time, of failing to fulfill a promise made on February 5, 2021, to provide Rs 10 lakh gratuity to the families of deceased tutors.
“On Teacher’s Day, when we should be with our students, we are forced to protest on the streets demanding our rights. The Chief Minister had assured Rs 10 lakh gratuity in the event of a teacher’s death, but we have yet to receive it. We want that gratuity,” the tutor added.
The association warned that if the government does not meet their demands by October 10, they will escalate their agitation.
“We will intensify our protest if the government ignores us. We are ready to launch a larger movement,” the tutor cautioned.