Assam: Congress appeals to teachers to refrain from committing mass suicide

25 July 2018:

The Congress in Assam on Wednesday appealed to the salary-deprived teachers in the state to refrain from committing mass suicide.

The appeal was made as altogether 1,514 teachers, belonging to All Assam Salary Deprived Assistant Teachers’ Association (AASDATA), had recently threatened to end their lives by jumping into the Sivasagar “pukhuri” (pond) on July 26 as their salaries were not released for six years.

The Congress said instead of questioning the legality of their appointments, the government should regularise their jobs and release the pending salaries as committed ahead of 2016 elections. The Congress pointed out that the government had availed of the services of these teachers during the updation of National Register of Citizens (NRC) besides the conduct of elections and census.

“We oppose the government’s bid to constitute the proposed Higher Education Commission Act by dissolving the University Grant Commission,” senior Congress spokesman Apurba Bhattacharya said at a press conference at Rajiv Bhawan in Guwahati on Wednesday.

On the issue of formalin-laced fish, the Congress questioned the logic behind lifting the ban on imported fish ten days since its enforcement. “Is syndicate involved in it? The prices of imported fish have suddenly shot up. Who is going to benefit from this,” Bhattacharya asked.

At a time the Assam government lifted the ban, a similar restriction on imported fish had been imposed in neighbouring Meghalaya, the Congress leader pointed out.