Many hurt in lathicharge on agitating teachers in Bhopal

Bhopal, June 26 (UNI) Several persons were injured after police lathicharged gurujis (contract teachers) while the latter were advancing towards the Chief Minister's Residence under the banner of the Madhya Pradesh State Shiksha Guarantee Guruji Sangh today in support of demands including a better payscale and designation.

Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Jamuna Devi reached the spot, condemned the police action and supported the teachers' demands.

Denying the lathicharge, a senior police officer said ''mild force'' was exercised during an attempt to lift a blockade at the bustling Roshanpura crossing.

On the other hand, Sangh President Sandarbh Singh Baghel alleged that police suddenly lathicharged after lobbing tear gas shells, hurting roughly 50 people.

Thousands of gurujis gathered at Tinshed area this morning in support of demands to regularise, on the lines of shiksha karmis (education workers), about 38,000 gurujis employed at shiksha guarantee schools. Later, a rally proceeded towards the Chief Minister's Residence. When police attempted to stop the rally at Roshanpura, the gurujis staged the blockade. After use of force, the gurujis staged a sit-in.

Vehicular traffic was diverted.

''The state government earlier promised that gurujis will be regularised. However, a recent Cabinet meeting restricted the regularisation to shiksha karmis and others. The hike in gurujis' honorarium will benefit only 4,000 of them. For more than a decade, gurujis have been playing a key role in spreading the light of knowledge in faraway rural areas. Both Congress and BJP regimes deceived gurujis,'' alleged Mr Baghel.

Claiming that the blockade and sit-in would continue until the demands were considered, he added that brutal repression would not succeed in scaring gurujis. Attempts were underway to conduct discussions with Sangh bigwigs in the presence of a heavy police force and senior officials. A government representative is expected to reach the spot soon.

UNI