With several thousand striking teachers refusing to return to work on Monday evening, Director of School Education V.C. Rameswaramurugan extended the deadline for them to rejoin work till 9 a.m. on Tuesday. However, with the government showing no indication of calling for talks, the strike by Jactto-Geo is likely to continue.
Earlier in the day, the Tamil Nadu Secretariat Association, the Tamil Nadu Government Officials Union, among other associations, too announced a protest on January 30.
Meanwhile, Justice N. Kirubakaran of the Madras High Court appealed to teachers to suspend their strike and asked Jactto-Geo to respond by Tuesday.
A total of 96,207 teachers working in schools under the Directorate of Elementary Education, or 63% of the working strength, didn’t report to work on Monday. Director of School Education V.C. Rameswaramurugan maintained that if striking teachers failed to return to work, their positions would be considered vacant and would be filled up eventually.
Over 300 government employees, who attempted to protest inside the Ezhilagam campus in Chennai, were detained. A total of 600 were detained in various places across Chennai. A heavy posse of police personnel were deployed to prevent any untoward incident on the arterial Kamarajar Salai.
Over 2,100 government employees and teachers, who attempted to block the the State Bank of India Road near Coimbatore Collectorate, were detained. Parents and students resorted to a counter protest against the striking teachers.
In Krishnagiri, over 1,224 JACTTO-GEO protesters were arrested for attempting to stage a blockade.
In some places, students came out in support of the striking teachers. In Udhagamandalam, students from the Government Arts College, who were planning a road roko in support of the teachers, were detained.
Parents protest
In areas around Erode, Salem and Namakkal, over 3,500 were detained for protesting and attempting to block roads.
There were also cases of some teachers joining duty in some schools. At Perumal Malai in Erode, parents and students of an elementary school staged a road roko demanding appointment of new teachers.
More than 15,000 government employees were detained in the southern districts after they attempted road blockades.
Over 11,000 Jactto-Geo members were arrested after they staged a road roko in the Tiruchi region.
