Shadow Correspondent
JAMMU, MAR 06:
Coming down heavily on the State Government for perpetuating discrimination against the educated youth of Jammu while divesting them of their due share in employment besides adopting the policy of ‘use and throw’ against them, Mr. Harsh Dev Singh Chairman JKNPP exhorted the BJP-PDP govt to immediately respond to the genuine call of the protesting plus two contractual lecturers who had been observing chain hunger strike since last 20 days. He was addressing a press conference in Jammu today.
Expressing solidarity with the plus two contractual lecturers sitting on chain hunger strike, Mr. Singh said that the teaching fraternity had been rendering their services with zeal and honesty in schools on paltry salary of Rs. 7000/- per month with a hope that they would be regularized to earn with dignity and honour.
He regretted that many of them who had given several valuable years of their life to the education department were ruthlessly terminated by the government after taking their services for more than a decade.
Mr. Singh said that earlier instances where the highly educated youth of Jammu including PhD’s, MPhils and double post graduates had consigned their degrees to flames considering them as in fructuous had exposed the government and Saffron brigade in particular that they were power hungry who had mortgaged the aspirations of youth for their petty political interests. Perturbed by the deteriorating condition of Mr. Vinod Kumar, a contractual lecturer who had reportedly been fasting for the last 20 days, he cautioned the State government and the BJP leaders in particular to immediately respond to the calls of the teaching community and order prompt medical intervention for the waning protestor.
Dubbing the State government’s announcement of ex-gratia and jobs to NOKs of slain militants and thousands of stone pelters as highly obnoxious and insane, Mr. Harsh Dev Singh lampooned BJP’s claims of “Achey Din” as mirage for the educated youth.
Harsh Dev Singh sought a policy of regularization for all such highly qualified lecturers who had always been the assets to the otherwise sick educational system in the State and pledged that harassment of the underemployed youth shall be fought vigorouly by the Panthers party along with the aggrieved young fraternity until rights and justice were delivered to them.
Mr. Purshotam Parihar State Secretary Panthers Trade Union was also present in the press conference.
