Kalimpong: The 19-member central committee of the nascent
Sanyukta Madhyamik Sikshak Kalyan Sangathan (SMSKS) was formed on
Tuesday, giving a fillip to the Binay Tamang faction of the Gorkha
Janmukti Morcha even though the organisation insisted that it would
remain strictly apolitical.
The new organisation was formed in November by the hill
teachers most of whom were earlier members of the Morcha's Janmukti
Secondary Teachers' Organisation (JSTO).
"The organisation was first formed in Darjeeling district on
November 4 and subsequently on November 11, the Kalimpong unit was
formed. The central committee formed today (Tuesday) comprises members
from both Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts," said Sendup Lama, the
secretary of the organisation.
The names of 17 members of the 19-member central committee,
including president Anil Sharma, were approved on Tuesday, while the
remaining two slots will be filled with representatives from the Mirik
sub-division.
Lama claimed that the new body enjoyed the backing of the vast majority of the 2200-odd high school teachers in the GTA area.
"I will not be able to tell the exact number of teachers who are with
us because we are yet to carry out a membership drive. We intend to do
that at the start of the new academic session in February. Informally,
though, vast majority of teachers have extended their support to us," he
said.
While asserting that the organisation would remain strictly
apolitical, Lama, however, admitted that the decision to remain
party-neutral was taken at the advice of Tamang and his
second-in-command Anit Thapa.
"We cannot say about the future, but our decision to remain
apolitical was taken at the advice of Binay Tamang and Anit Thapa," he
said.
Sitaram Kafley, a central committee member, said the body
would work towards addressing the myriad problems of the both the
teaching and non-teaching community of schools in the GTA area.
"There are many issues that need to be addressed, including
that of job regularisation of some teachers. Our organisation has
already taken up few of them and we intend do work towards resolving all
of them with the help of the state government and the GTA authorities,"
he said.
There are around 120 high schools in the Darjeeling hills.
The Telegraph
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