Over 10,000 guest lecturers working in government degree colleges across the State are likely to go on an indefinite strike after November 10 if their demands, including job security and hike in salary, are not fulfilled.
No other option
B. Rajashekar Murthy, honorary president of the Karnataka State Government Degree Colleges Guest Lecturers’ Association, has said guest lecturers were left with no option but to launch the stir.
Apathy
The apathy of the Congress government on addressing the problems of guest lecturers was not different from that of the Bharatiya Janata Party government, he told The Hindu here on Thursday.
Mr. Murthy, who is secretary of the Democratic Youth Federation of India State committee, which has taken the initiative to organise guest lecturers.
‘Not enough’
Though he welcomed the move to settle the salary arrears of guest lecturers for 2011–12 and 2012–13, he said it was not enough to mitigate their woes. The lecturers were yet to receive the arrears, he added.
Following protests, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Minister for Higher Education R.V. Deshapande had promised the association that their problems would be solved. However, the government failed to keep its word, Mr. Murthy alleged.
There are 10,562 guest lecturers in the State, among who 4,600 are women. The process of recruiting guest lecturers should be stopped and the services of those selected should be continued if not regularised. If new ones were appointed every year, it would harm their morale and the quality of education.
He demanded that the salaries of guest lecturers be fixed at Rs. 25,000.
Round-table meeting
A round-table meeting will be held on November 10 in Bangalore to discuss the issue. Writers Devanur Mahadeva, Baragur Ramachandrappa, B.T. Lalitha Nayak, and freedom fighter H.S. Doreswamy would be invited for the event.
