Striking work or resorting to protests at this time of the year and then withdrawing their agitation is not a new thing for the PU lecturers.
Striking work or resorting to protests at this time of the year and then withdrawing their agitation is not a new thing for the PU lecturers. Knowing fully well that striking PU exam evaluation work at this time of the year would touch the nerves of the students, parents and the state government, the lecturers struck work this year, too.
And yet again, they withdrew their agitation unconditionally. That is the reason that the Karnataka State PU Lecturers' Federation refrained from supporting the Karnataka State PU College Lecturers' Association and Coordination Committee in striking the evaluation work this year.
GK Sriram, general secretary of the federation, said: “Last year, when we asked the lecturers not to participate in the protests, most teachers opposed us. We know that there is no use protesting, and we knew it would end like this (unconditional withdrawal of the strike). That is the reason why we took neutral stand this time.”
Several lecturers, on condition of anonymity, pointed out that the association almost every year has boycotted evaluation work, or threatened to do so, with an objective to blackmail the state government into submission of their demands for higher pay packages, knowing well that it is the right time to put pressure on the state government as that would indirectly also bring in pressure from the parents of students awaiting PU results.
“But the actual adverse effect of the protest is on students and parents who suffer from anxiety as many students, particularly those in the Science stream, are preparing for some competitive exams or the other; and they are also anxious about their PU results. Our community (lecturers' community) has given unnecessary tensions to students and parents. It is not the way to fight the government,” said a senior lecturer who refrained from participating in the protest.
This year, the protests became more aggressive mainly because of the involvement of politicians. The MLCs of the state, cutting across party lines, irrespective of their political parties, supported the protesters from April 14 onwards after the lecturers decided to strike evaluation work.
“We have to elect MLCs from teachers and graduates constituencies. This time, the elections are scheduled to be held in June. Keeping that in mind, all MLCs supported the protest,”said a member of Karnataka State PU Lecturers' Federation.
“Along with the politicians, the leaders in association get the publicity. Apart from this, there is nothing to benefit from,” he said.
Irrational protest
If the evaluation work was conducted properly from the scheduled date, it would have been completed by now. This happened last year too. Last year, the Pre University Education department had warned lecturers' community of imposing Essential Services Maintenance Act (Esma) and bringing in an ordinance. But according to sources from the department, political pressure inhibited the department from going ahead with the threat.
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