New Delhi: The ongoing protests of vocational teachers in Himachal Pradesh has taken a new turn with the disgruntled teachers having recently started a hunger strike. This comes a week after they resumed their protests at Chaura Maidan in Shimla (on March 31).
The protest site showed visuals of a board reading ‘HPVTA Indefinite Gradual Hunger Strike’ (translated from Hindi). Some of the protesters removed their umbrellas to stay at the venue under the intense heat. The second phase of protests have witnessed the teachers bringing along their family members with them.
The core objective of the protests is the teachers want direct recruitment from the government instead of being employed through private outsourced companies. The protests resumed for the second time after it was staged in November 2024 previously. The protestors claim that they were assured by the state government that their demands would be met.
However, nothing materialised with the government’s contract with private outsourcing company expiring on March 31. The teachers were forced to hit back the streets to once again raise their demands as they believe they get exploit and the concern of job insecurity haunts them under their contract with private firms.
Jairam Thakur meets protestors
Jairam Thakur, the leader of opposition in Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly, visited the vocational teachers on Sunday and interacted with them.
“I met with the vocational teachers at their request. Their demands are genuine. The central government funds 90 per cent of this program, with only 10 per cent coming from the state,” Thakur told news agency ANI.
“These teachers are only asking for what Haryana has already implemented, ending the role of private contractors and instead recruiting through a transparent government mechanism,” he added.
#WATCH | On the issue of Himachal Pradesh Vocational Teachers, state Assembly LoP & BJP leader Jairam Thakur says, “They are on indefinite strike. I went to meet them and talked to their representatives. I think they have legitimate demands. 90% of what they get is borne by the… pic.twitter.com/zy1wgzVvfH
— ANI (@ANI) April 7, 2025
The BJP leader in the state suggested that recruitment should be done through a government corporation like Haryana’s Skill Development Corporation, which would ultimately save money for both the government and the employees, and further prevent exploitation by private firms.
