The D.El.Ed students’ agitation for ‘Online examinations’ took a serious turn following police action on the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) activists in which more than 25 students were injured. Police had to resort to lathi-charge to disperse the ABVP students who had been staging dharna in front of the Shiksha Bhavan on Tuesday.
The ABVP students were particularly peeved at the Education Secretary Soumya Gupta for her decision to hold their examination off line.
Rupam Dutta, state secretary (organization) of ABVP alleged that the agitation was launched for the interest of students but police lathi-charged them mercilessly leaving around 20-25 persons injured.
Datta in a press conference with some of the injured ABVP activists at IGM hospital said they would stage a protest programme on Wednesday once again and would demand for suspension of the Secretary of Education.
“We were demonstrating at Shiksha Bhavan demanding online examination for the D.El.Ed students since 11 am. But, no official from the Education department met us till 6 pm”, he said and put all the blame on the Education Secretary.
Police said the protestors were informed that their demand would be discussed at 11 am but they were in no mood to listen to anything and the employees were stuck inside the Shiksha Bhavan since morning. “Finally, we had to resort to minor lathi-charge to disperse the protestors”, an officer told the media.
Director of Higher Education N.C. Sharma accompanied by Director of Elementary Education Chandni Chandran held an urgent press conference at Agartala Press Club highlighting some important issues.
An official said, “D.El.ED students were protesting at Shiksha Bhavan for online examination though no decision on the issue was taken yet. The D.El.Ed (DIET) is only looked after by SCERT but they had gheraoed the entire Shiksha Bhavan from morning. They were protesting at the wrong place. There is no office of SCERT inside Shiksha Bhavan. Only thing is that the Director of Higher Education is also the Director of SCERT.”
“We tried our level best; we also informed them that they can have a meeting with the Education minister tomorrow and issues will be solved. It’s a matter of one night only. Police also tried hard to remove them without force. But, they didn’t go following which the police had to apply minor force. No girl was harmed, they were escorted peacefully,” the official said.
