Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Sept 17: Breaking a long-established tradition at educational institutions, the protesting block-grant teachers in the state did not join their schools to observe Ganesh puja with the students Thursday.
Barring a few schools, most of the 4,000 block-grant schools in the state remained closed as about 40,000 teachers of these schools have been staying off the schools in protest since August 10. The teachers have been demanding that the state government abolish the block-grant system immediately.
Ganesh puja was celebrated with devotional fervour at various educational institutions, business establishments and offices across the state while the students of block-grant schools, particularly those in rural areas, were deprived of the opportunity to organise and participate in the worship of the God of learning and accomplishment.
“We are neither against nor in favour of breaking the tradition of celebration of Ganesh puja at the schools. We are as much hurt as the students of the schools for this year’s break. We are forced to continue our agitation till so far due to state government’s apathy to us,” said PK Mohapatra, general secretary of All Orissa Block-Grant Teachers’ Association, to Orissa POST.
At some block-grant schools, Ganesh puja was, however, celebrated on the veranda of the school buildings as the students insisted on having the puja organised.
“It is not we who have locked the schools. The school management committees have locked down the schools in support of our genuine demands. But in some schools in urban areas, the students themselves came to the school and celebrated Ganesh puja. We did not oppose them,” said Mohapatra.
The block-grant teachers had raised eyebrows when they stayed off the schools on Teachers’ Day on September 5 and observed the day as “black day”. The Orissa High Court recently declared the continuing agitation by the teachers as “unjust”. The HC had earlier asked the authorities to force open the locked schools and ensure educational activities resume there.
