MADURAI: Teachers are going to impact the outcome of Lok Sabha elections 2024 in Tamil Nadu if the State-level conference organised by ‘Makkal Kalvi Kootiyakkam’ in Madurai on October 1st 2023 is an indication.
Hundreds of teachers from various associations and organisations in the State had turned up for this first conference held here to highlight the plight of thousands of college teachers and school teachers who are working part-time, temporary basis for meagre monthly salary in self-financed colleges and private schools in Tamil Nadu.
The main demand of this mega conference in Madurai yesterday was to demand the State Government to make the jobs permanent and stop exploitation of teachers in colleges and schools. That the teachers are set to influence the prospects of political parties, especially the ruling DMK, in the coming Parliament elections 2024 was clearly evident if the mood and speeches of part-time, temporary teachers, guest lecturers etc who took part in this Madurai conference yesterday is observed to gauge the pre-election mood, and teachers along with their families become important because there will be lakhs of votes.
“The present State government in Tamil Nadu must immediately take our genuine demands into consideration and fullfil our demands. The DMK promised us in its election manifesto in assembly elections, but nothing was done to regularize our jobs. We voted for the present present ruling party. Next time when they come to us asking for votes, we will be alert,” the associations said openly while speaking in the evening session.
Prof.Dr.R.Murali, State coordinator of ‘Makkal Kalvi Koottiyakkam-Tamil Nadu’, had assured the gathering that their demands will be immediately taken to the attention of State government, Ministers for higher education and school education, government authorities and others.
“Ours is an united struggle for the cause of suffering teachers who are getting very low salaries despite having good qualification. There should not be temporary/part-time lecturers at all. Same is with school teachers also,” Prof.Dr.R.Murali said.
Among those who spoke at the conference include former High Court Judge Justice D.Hari Paranthaman, MUTA general secretary Prof.M.Nagarajan and Dr.A.Srinivasan of Save MKU Coalition, Prof.V.Arasu, N.Periathambi, Uma Maheswari, Sivaraman and P.Vijayakumar and several others from various places in Tamil Nadu.
