Just 10 days after the agitation of the woman workers of the Munnar tea estates achieved a historic victory, an indefinite hunger strike by two school kids of 13 and 12 years of age on Wednesday succeeded in forcing the Kerala Government to agree to their demand for appointment of sufficient number of regular teachers in their school situated at an Adivasi-settler region.
Class 9 student Yadu Krishnan, school leader, and Class 8 student K Sandhya, an Adivasi girl, started their hunger strike on Tuesday evening after the repeated requests of parents and frequent agitations by students calling for appointment of teachers in the Government High School at Mamalakandam in Ernakulam district failed to awaken the authorities to their plight. “We had brought the matter to the attention of all concerned in the Government, including the Chief Minister. But nobody did anything. That is why we started the hunger strike on our own. We are not asking for any impossible thing. We are just asking for teachers and other necessary things. Can education happen without teachersIJ” asked Yadu Krishnan.
left probably with no option in the context of the children’s Gandhian struggle, the State Cabinet on Wednesday decided to immediately fill all vacancies of teachers in the school, immediately appoint teachers temporarily, pay the salary arrears of all the temporary teachers and appoint regular teachers on permanent basis at the earliest.
This was perhaps the first time in the State students had gone on a hunger strike upholding demands related to studies. However, reactions to the students’ strike were mixed with some quarters expressing the concern that the small kids could be becoming the tools in the hands of some other people. “Is this trend good for usIJ” asked a retired school principal from the area.
“But you should see that this also shows the callousness of those in power. The Government could have done this a year ago,” said a parent. The Upper Primary School of Mamalakandam was upgraded as a High School last academic year but the Government had done this without fulfilling the basic requirements including that of appointing sufficient number of teachers.
The students, who demanded written assurance with respect to the Cabinet decision, ended their hunger strike only after local MlA handed over to them a letter assuring to meet their demands. Parents, political parties, youth organisations and various cultural outfits had declared solidarity with the agitating students.
Though Education Minister PK Abdu Rabb had promised to appoint sufficient number of teachers at the school while upgrading it as High School in 2014, this did not happen for over a year. “The students, parents, PTA office-bearers and the local people had met the CM six times with the demand, but nothing was done,” said a local Panchayat member. A Kochi-based sociologist pointed out that the victory of the students’ hunger strike, close on the heels of the victory of the determined and united agitation of thousands of woman estate workers in Munnar, was proof of the power of non-traditional methods of strike but added that he was not sure whether the students’ strike carried moral justification.