Agitating in the State Capital on 83rd day, guest faculties of the Government colleges of Madhya Pradesh threatened that their women colleagues would get their heads tonsured collectively. To start with, one teacher was tonsured on Monday.
One of the women guest faculties, Lashkari Das, got her head tonsured by a barber as a mark of the protest on Monday at the Shahjehani park, where the protest has been underway since December 2. “Regularisation as promised by the Congress leaders is the only demand for us,” Das told the media accusing the State Government of ignoring their pleas persistently.
Asked what would be next step if the State Government still fails to fulfill their demand, a committed Das stated that women teachers would go for tonsuring en masse on March 8 and then they would be compelled to immolate themselves if nothing happens. President of the Guest Faculties Agitation, Devraj Singh, also got his head tonsured in solidarity with Das.
On February 19, Dr Shaheen Khan too had got her heads tonsured in protest. Her hair was sent to Congress president Sonia Gandhi through courier as mark of protest. On being told that Higher Education Minister Jitu Patwari had announced to fill up 1,250 posts with guest faculties, Dr Khan said this should be done through the department portal.
Including Sanjay Kumar who had committed suicide in disgust, the guest faculties have lost three more of their colleagues due to one reason or the other in the course of the protest.
Dr Surjeet Singh Bhadauria, the convener of the protest claimed that they won’t compromise on their protest unless orders for regularisation are issued.
Thousands of guest faculties were employed with Government colleges for years but recently the State Government started filling up these posts with candidates who had cleared Public Service Commission exam, thus around 4,500 lost jobs and started protesting in Bhopal.