Agartala: Former Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar has condemned the police action on the protesting terminated teachers of the state at Kunjaban in Agartala.
“If the 10,323 teachers want to express their grievances before the Chief Minister and MLAs present in the state assembly, there is nothing wrong. Instead of inviting a delegation of the protestors for talks, police are using force. Tear gas shells were used, water cannons were fired and when nothing could prevent the agitators were lathi-charged to prevent the ‘Assembly March’. Such incidents are highly condemnable,” Sarkar, who is also the leader of the opposition, said.
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Comparing the arbitrary police action with the September 15 incident when a “Secretariat March” of Left-affiliated students and youth bodies faced alleged brutal police action, he said, “I am informed that 32 ex-teachers were injured owing to the police action.”
“Three persons–Mitali Deb, Rinku Sarkar and Bikash Sarkar were shifted to hospital for treatment. All of them are under treatment at GB hospital”, Sarkar said drawing the notice of the Chief Minister.
Chief Minister Manik Saha responding to Sarkar said that police would do its duty.
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“If the police anticipate indications of law and order breakdown, they will certainly take action”, Saha pointed out.
According to Dr. Saha, the state government is sympathetic to the 10,323 teachers.
He also assured the house that he would meet a delegation of the 10,323 teachers in the days to come.
Education Minister Ratan Lal Nath on the other hand said, the District Magistrate West Tripura has already been told to arrange a meeting.
Earlier, Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman raised the issue of terminated 10,323 teachers during a zero-hour discussion seeking to know what plans have been adopted by the state to settle the issue permanently.
In reply to this, Education minister Ratan Lal Nath said that the government is taking note of it and the new Chief Minister is planning to settle the problem of 10,323 teachers soon.