Non-government teachers' woes

The teachers are on strike to press home their demand, which they are entitled to do, and they had set out on a procession along a route that was known to all, something that the law of the land also allows them to do. What, may we ask, were the compelling circumstances that forced the police to go physical on a group that are not only an educated lot, they are a docile lot too, and violence is not a part of their disposition. It is inconceivable that our so-called well-trained police force could not deal with a group of motley individuals who were ventilating their genuine grievances peacefully, without the extensive use of their batons. Or is it because this group of striking teachers belong to the opposition camp that they were the subject to cruel police action?

This regrettably carries a very wrong message to the public. One would have hoped that being professionals in their own rights their behaviour would have been guided by a feeling of mutual respect, and reports do not suggest that at anytime the teachers had resorted to violence. Thus, under these circumstances it would have been only natural to expect the police to extend some courtesy to a fellow professional. But humane behaviour is a commodity not to be found in a group that has come to consider anyone on the streets as a potential adversary. Therefore, one is not surprised by the harsh treatment meted out to the teachers.

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We urge upon the police, in particular those that are responsible for its training and employment, to impress on the need for restraint and the skill to desist from resorting to actions that compound a situation rather than pacify it. At the same time we urge the government to address the grievances of the non-government teachers without letting political considerations influence policies. And for this we are convinced that nothing short of intervention from the highest level would do.