Unemployed Physical Education Teachers Protest in Shimla for Job Vacancies
Hundreds of unemployed physical education teachers braved heavy rains to protest in Shimla on Saturday. Organized by the Himachal Pradesh Physical Education Trained Teachers Association, the protestors demanded the immediate fulfillment of over 870 vacant posts. The teachers also called for the completion of a pending recruitment process, staging their demonstration from Chaura Maidan to Vidhan Sabha. They warned that if the posts were not filled within a month, they would escalate their protest, bringing their children and families along.
Ramesh Rajput, one of the protestors, stated that they had been demonstrating for the last seven years, with some on hunger strike for the past 10 days. “We have been protesting for the last seven years, and currently, we have been on a hunger strike for the last 10 days. The government forcibly removed us from here. We are protesting because the government advertised job posts, initiated the recruitment process, and was about to start our counseling, but it was abruptly halted the next day,” he said. He further explained that the recruitment process was stopped due to alleged non-compliance with RNP rules. “We were told that the recruitment process was halted because people did not follow the RNP rules. How is that our fault when we have followed all the regulations? We have crossed the age of 45 and still do not have jobs despite meeting all the requirements. This explanation is unacceptable to us,” Rajput said. He added, “We are all qualified for these positions and demand that our jobs be secured within a month. We have been protesting peacefully until now, but if our demands are not met, we will continue our hunger strike, this time with our children.”
Kalpana Sharma, another protestor, stated, “We were protesting to have our posts filled, but the police removed us from the protest site at Chaura Maidan in Shimla. We demand that all 870 vacant posts be filled within the next month.” “We voted for this government, yet we have not been given our jobs. We are fully qualified, but we remain unemployed. It is extremely disheartening that despite our qualifications, nothing is being done for us. Some women are here protesting with their children, and if no action is taken, we will take our protest to the CM’s residence,” she added.
“We are demanding that 870 posts for physical education teachers be filled. We meet all criteria and regulations, and we insist that our posts be filled. If our demands are not met, I will bring my children and continue protesting until they are,” said Sitaraman Sharma, another protestor.
Doubts Revealed
Unemployed -: Unemployed means not having a job. These teachers don’t have work right now.
Physical Education Teachers -: Physical Education Teachers are teachers who teach sports, exercise, and physical activities in schools.
Protest -: A protest is when people gather to show they are unhappy about something and want it to change.
Shimla -: Shimla is a city in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is known for its beautiful hills and cool weather.
Job Vacancies -: Job vacancies are open job positions that need to be filled by hiring new people.
Himachal Pradesh Physical Education Trained Teachers Association -: This is a group of physical education teachers in Himachal Pradesh who work together to solve their job-related problems.
Heavy rains -: Heavy rains mean a lot of rain falling at once, which can make it hard to be outside.
Escalating -: Escalating means making something bigger or more serious. Here, it means making the protest bigger if their demands are not met.
Recruitment process -: The recruitment process is the steps taken to hire new people for jobs.
Demonstrations -: Demonstrations are public gatherings where people show their support or disapproval for something.
