Sacked teachers of Tripura have launched an agitation programme in Agartala, demanding the state government provide them with employment.
About 10323 teachers spent the night along with their families on the roadside during the indefinite strike that was launched on Monday.
The former left front government in the state had recruited these teachers between 2010 to 2014.
However, candidates who had failed to secure the teaching jobs had challenged the then government’s recruitment policy in the Tripura High Court in 2014.
The high court later had passed the order to terminate the jobs of these teachers finding the recruitment process faulty.
Also read: Tripura teachers to hold stir in Delhi
The then left front government had moved the Supreme Court against the order.
The Supreme Court meanwhile, upheld the high court order, terminating the jobs of these teachers by March 31 this year.
The ruling BJP state government had promised before the last state assembly elections, to recruit them back by amending an existing law.
Asish Kumar Bhowmik, recipient of the President’s Award in teaching said, “I lost my job this year. If I am an incapable teacher, then how did I get the President’s Award?”
“People are questioning our qualification and capability, which is very painful,” said the teacher who used to teach in the Teliamura Higher Secondary School.
The teacher threatened to return the President’s award if the teachers did not get back their jobs.
These teachers had on October met state chief minister, Biplab Kumar Deb to highlight their problems.
Although Deb had assured to solve their problems within two months, nothing has materialized, compelling them to launch the agitation.
“The BJP led central and state governments should keep the promises they had made to us before the 2018 state assembly elections,” said an agitating teacher.