The Pradip Banik-led faction has always maintained distance from the Joint Action Committee of 10,323 teachers which is a larger front of three organisations.
Mrinal Banik, Agartala: A faction of the 10,323 sacked teachers on Thursday led by Pradip Banik announced a hunger strike at the Orient Chowmuhani Agartala demanding reinstatement in service.
The Pradip Banik-led faction has always maintained a distance from the Joint Action Committee of 10,323 teachers which is a larger front of three organisations.
The other factions neither extended support to the agitation nor made any statement in solidarity with the Banik faction, as Banik had once vehemently opposed the protest programs undertaken by the JAC. “We are with them. The demand that is being raised from the platform created by Mr Banik is in the interest of all the 10,323 teachers. But, for now, we can’t publicly join the hunger strike as Chief Minister Manik Saha has told us to wait till Deepavali. We feel that the CM’s words should be respected which is why for now we are not in the position of sharing the state. After October 25, we shall certainly join them if we don’t receive any positive response”, said Kamal Deb, a leader of another faction of the 10,323.
Speaking to the media persons Pradip Banik said, “You all know that when the Left Front was in power, the High Court of Tripura declared our jobs to be illegal. In the judgement, there is no mention of 10,323.
We lost our jobs due to the ignorant attitude of the higher officials of the Education and Law department as the jobs of as many as 38 people were challenged. Later Tripura saw a political change of guard, a new political party with a promise to resolve our problem was set at the helm of power but we did not see any change. We want our services in schools to be resumed. Finding no other way, we have started the hunger strike.”
Banik also accused a section of officials of misinterpreting the Court Judgements which ruined their lives. “We hope the state government will hear our pleas and make efforts to reinstate us in the schools”, he said.