In an issued press release by Delhi University Teacher’s Association (DUTA) , the key demands of the association were raised, along with the future course of action for going about the protest was set out as well to make sure their demands get headed.
On 16th January 2020, Delhi University Teacher’s Association (DUTA) issued a press release which broadly highlighted the reconsideration of mode of protest to be carried further and re-entry of teachers into the classrooms.
DUTA General Body Meeting was held to reconstruct the mode of pretests to be observed further, by prioritising larger student interests. Even though teachers would continue to work and take up classes, they will however refrain from evaluation duty and screening as a symbol of boycott. Unsettled ‘key issues’ such as one time regulation for absorption, promotion, pension, recovery and issue of Physical Education (PE) teachers would be the ‘focal issue’ for day and night dharna (protest) outside the Vice Chancellor’s (VC) office.
The DUTA has well devised its protocol to be followed in order to get its demands heard. It calls for taking forward the struggle of one time regulation for absorption by reaching out to Members of Parliament(MPs). It will rewrite to the ‘Visitor’ and the ‘Prime Minister Narendra Modi’ on the matter to seek appointment. In order to gain solidarity from the leaders it will also organize a ‘Long March’ to Parliament during the upcoming budgetary session. It will organise a petition by MPs to the visitors on the issue. All of these are primarily aimed at getting their issues to reach out to both the Houses of parliament: Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, thereby ensuring that their concerns are rendered due importance.
Expressing disdain for the ‘privatisation of education’ that follows the new proposed “Educational Policy” DUTA, resolves to mobilize students and ‘karamcharis’(workers/non-teaching staff) towards a massive citizen’s protests against these policies to reverse the existing trend of ‘commercialisation of education’ and ‘contractualisation of of services’ of teaching and non teaching staff.
The DUTA General Body further, urged the government and the VC to implement the agreement reached on 5th December 2019 in letter and spirit to honor honest honest dialogue towards resolution of DUTA’s pending demands. The General Body boldly ‘warned’ these stakeholders with an ‘ultimatum’ of a months’ time, that they will be held responsible for agitation and unrest caused due to non compliance with the demands.
In their future course of action, the DUTA will again hold a General Body Meeting(GBM) around 15th February 2020 to further escalate the movement circling around the above mentioned key areas of absorption, promotion, pension and recovery of PE teachers, if in case demands are not met with. The DUTA GBM reiterated it’s demand for the removal of Vice Chancellor, as well.
The DUTA seems very reselient and stands rock solid towards going about it’s demands. The student fraternity however holds their own concerns. A first year B.A. (H) Political Science student from Kirori Mal College spoke DU Beat, and said,” We understand the demands of the teachers and we are with them but erratic pattern of the strike has become a hindrance as the classes are being suspended very often.”
Another student Gauri Gupta from first-year, B.Sc Maths (Hons) from Kamala Nehru College raised similar concerns, and said,”The demands of teachers are just and I stand with them,” however, she further added that”I don’t like the cost at which all of this is happening.”
Feature Image Credits: DU Beat Archives
Umaima Khanam