Ratia, : Guest teachers protesting under the banner of the Government Contractual Teachers’ Association will observe a ‘Black Diwali’ on November 8 and organise a mock parliament followed by a demonstration and gherao of the Chief Minister’s Camp Office in Kurukshetra on November 15. The protest at the Kurukshetra Mini Secretariat, demanding regularisation under the three-year regularisation policy of 2014 in accordance with court orders, continued for its 136th day today. The next phase of the agitation was announced during a press conference held at Kamboj Dharamshala, Block Ratia, Fatehabad district. The teachers will burn copies of the negative speaking orders issued by the Education Department to register their protest against the government’s rigid stance.
Guest Teachers Allege 21 Years of Service Without Regularisation
Addressing the press conference, C.N. Bharti said guest teachers had been working in government schools for the past 21 years and supporting the education system, but the government continued to keep them in temporary employment instead of regularising their services. He said guest teachers across Haryana would observe Black Diwali on November 8 to protest against the government’s alleged unjust approach. On November 15, a mock parliament would raise questions concerning regularisation, judicial decisions and government accountability on a public platform. This would be followed by a gherao of the Chief Minister’s Camp Office.
Educators, Employee Leaders and Public Organisations to Join Mock Parliament
Educationists, intellectuals, employee leaders from various departments, parents’ organisations, School Management Committees (SMCs), Samyukta Kisan Morcha, student and youth organisations, Haryana Gyan Vigyan Samiti, Advocates’ Union, Writers’ Association, university professors, Jan Sangharsh Manch Kurukshetra and social activists will be invited to participate in the mock parliament.
Negative Speaking Orders Allegedly Violate the 2014 Regularisation Policy
Krishna Nain, General Secretary of Sarv Karamchari Sangh Haryana, said the negative speaking orders issued by Education Department officials were arbitrary, unjustified and contrary to the spirit of judicial directions. He stated that the service conditions of the three-year regularisation policy dated June 16 and 18, 2014, did not mention the conditions cited by the department in its speaking orders.
The Haryana Government itself had notified the regularisation policy on June 16 and 18, 2014, and guest teachers working in government schools fulfilled all its requirements.
Guest Professors Regularised, School Guest Teachers Left Out
Krishna Nain said guest professors working in the college cadre had been regularised in June 2014, while guest teachers working in the school cadre under similar circumstances continued to be denied regularisation.
Despite the Supreme Court upholding the 2014 policy and the High Court directing the government to consider regularisation, the Education Department issued negative speaking orders rejecting the claims of guest teachers. He described this as an example of the government’s anti-employee policy and administrative stubbornness.
Supreme Court and High Court Judgments Strengthen Regularisation Claims
Krishna Nain said the judgments in the Madan Singh case before the Supreme Court and the Sukhwinder Singh case before the High Court had clarified the path towards regularisation of guest teachers.
The High Court had considered their appointments, merit and nearly two decades of continuous service as significant factors. Despite this, the government was allegedly attempting to deprive them of their rights on technical grounds rather than regularising their services.
Guest Teachers Cite Uma Devi and Jaggo Cases
Krishna Nain said the principles laid down in the Uma Devi case could not be selectively applied to deny regularisation to employees who had served for a long period.
He also referred to the Jaggo case, in which the Supreme Court had emphasised the rights of employees working continuously for extended periods and the actual nature of their service.
He argued that requiring guest teachers to perform regular and permanent teaching duties for 21 years while denying them rights merely because they were designated as ‘guest’ employees was unjust.
Equal Work but Denial of Regular Employee Benefits
Krishna Nain said guest teachers taught the same curriculum as regular teachers, performed examination and result-related duties, and shared similar responsibilities in academic activities at schools.
However, they were being denied benefits such as regular pay scales, pension, gratuity, leave, transfers and promotions. He said this was contrary to the principles of equal pay for equal work, social justice, employee dignity and the spirit of Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution.
Contractual Employment Policy Raises Concerns Over Public Education
Krishna Nain alleged that the government’s approach was not limited to guest teachers but was part of a broader policy promoting temporary, contractual, HKRN and outsourced employment instead of permanent jobs.
He said eliminating permanent posts in public education and promoting low-paid employment without adequate rights was harmful to the quality of education, teachers’ dignity and students’ future.
Regularisation Linked to Quality Education and Social Justice
Krishna Nain said the regularisation of guest teachers was not merely an employment issue but was directly connected to quality education, social justice and the future of government schools.
He urged the government to regularise guest teachers under the 2014 three-year policy, consider their seniority and pending financial benefits, and end the practice of keeping teachers in guest and contractual arrangements for extended periods.
Employee Unity and Democratic Leadership Urged
Krishna Nain called upon guest teachers to honestly review the weaknesses of their movement over the past two decades, including internal disputes, personal ambitions, monopolistic leadership, financial irregularities and the tendency to pursue separate struggles.
He said the movement could not be the property of any one individual. Broad unity, democratic leadership, transparency, collective decision-making and a shared struggle were essential to achieving a decisive outcome in the regularisation battle.
He added that if guest teachers overcame these weaknesses and united, they could compel the government to accept their demands.
Women Guest Teachers to Join Kurukshetra Protest
Poonam Kumari, President of the Women’s Wing of the Government Contractual Teachers’ Association, said women teachers organise a 24-hour protest at the Kurukshetra demonstration site on the second Saturday of every month.
Under this initiative, women employees from across Haryana gather in Kurukshetra to protest against the government’s alleged anti-people policies. As part of the ongoing movement, women teachers will also join the protest outside the Kurukshetra Mini Secretariat on November 15 to fight for their rights.
Employee and Student Organisations Extend Support
Leaders from various departments affiliated with Sarv Karamchari Sangh Haryana, including electricity boards, fire services, municipalities, Mid-Day Meal workers, construction workers’ unions and student organisations, extended their support to the guest teachers’ protest, which has been underway in Kurukshetra since June 23.
They demanded that the government regularise guest teachers under the 2014 three-year policy at the earliest. Employee leaders warned that if the government failed to regularise the teachers in time, organisations from various departments would jointly launch a broader movement against the government’s alleged anti-people policies.
Employee Leaders and Activists Attend Press Conference
Those present at the press conference included Fatehabad District Secretary of Sarv Karamchari Sangh Haryana Dev Lal, Harjinder Kamboj, Surjit Sachdeva, Bhudev, Pradesh Kamboj, Reena Rani, Shweta, Rajendra Batu, Bhup Singh, Malkit Singh, Raghubir Singh, Pushpa Kumari, Kiran Pal Kaur and others.
Upcoming Protest Programme
November 8: Guest teachers across Haryana will observe Black Diwali and stage protests against the government’s rigid stance.
November 15: On the 147th day of the Kurukshetra protest, a statewide demonstration will be held. A mock parliament will be organised outside the Mini Secretariat, copies of negative speaking orders will be burnt, and a demonstration and gherao will be conducted at the Chief Minister’s Camp Office.
Appeal for Statewide Participation
All guest teachers, employees, farmers, students, parents and public organisations across Haryana have been urged to reach Kurukshetra on November 15 to strengthen the movement for regularisation, teachers’ dignity and the protection of quality education.
The association stated that broad unity and collective struggle against the government’s rigid stance would be essential to achieving a decisive outcome in the regularisation movement.
