Salary dues not paid, teachers plan begging bowl march

AMBALA: Searching for ‘katoras’ (bowls) that will catch the eye, 200 guest teachers of government schools in Haryana went on a shopping spree on Wednesday.
Having failed to get their salary arrears released despite an assurance from Haryana chief minister, the guest teachers have decided to take to the streets on Friday and beg money from public. ‘‘It is said beggars cannot be choosers, but these ‘educated beggars’ are very choosy.We are looking for the best bowl that will attract passers by and make them contribute for our salaries,’’ said Gulzaar Singh, district head of the protesting government lecturers appointed as guest teachers. Singh said the teachers are being forced to beg as even CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s assurance has not led to any results yet. ‘’Do you think that an educated class would volunteer to opt for a step like this? We have been forced into taking this step. Assurance won’t work any more, we need solutions now,’’ he added.
The teachers who are protesting under the banner of Haryana School Lecturers’ Association have prepared a huge wooden bowl that has ‘Sarkari Katora’ (government bowl) inscribed on it. On Friday, some protesters plan to carry this bowl and go on a begging march, while the remaining ‘’beggars’’ will drop whatever money they collect from the public into it.
In a fix over the teachers’ proposed move, district administration officials are making efforts to persuade the agitators into postponing their march. Lecturers of government schools who were appointed under the head of guest teachers have been protesting for three months over the issue of releasing their salaries that have not been given since the beginning of this academic year. The teachers had earlier planned to show black flags to Haryana CM Hooda during his visit to Ambala district on January 30. They postponed the agitation after the CM assured an early solution.