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Journalism of Courage
Several teachers’ associations in Bihar have been up in arms against state education department against the education department’s gag order against teachers. CPI MLC Sanjay Kumar Singh, who is also general secretary of the Federation of University Teachers of Bihar (FUTAB), protested against the education department’s additional chief secretary KK Pathak for stopping his pension in his capacity as a former university teacher.
The education department, which has invited sharp criticism for issuing separate holiday calendars for Urdu and Hindu schools for the first time and also removing several Hindu festivals from the holiday list, has issued showcause notice against over 150 teachers for airing their views on social media against the government order. The education department, through district education officers, has asked teachers to stay away from any association and not to post their views on any government decision on social media or with mainstream media.
FUTAB general secretary and CPI MLC Sanjay Kumar Singh said: “We want to bring the matter to CM Nitish Kumar’s attention about education department’s some of arbitrary decisions taken at behest of education department’s principal secretary KK Pathak. How can he stop pension and salary just because we exercise freeedom of expression? We are planning to stage a dharna outside CM House”.
Bihar Teachers Eligibility Test (BTET) Association president Amit Vikram told The Indian Express: “Even as teachers are nor violating any service code of conduct, several teachers from across the state have been issued showcause notices in last two days for airing their views of new school holiday calendar. Even those who press Like button on Facebook have been issued notice”.
Vikram said delegates of all associations of teachers would meet on 3 December to decide the future course of action against the education department’s attempt to “muzzle one’s freedom of expression”. Vikram referred to a 2020 judgement by a Tripura High Court upholding freedom of expression of government servant. In case of Lipika Pual versus versus state of Tripura and others, the court of chief justice Akil Kureshi said in his order on 9 January, 2020: “As a Government servant the petitioner (a government employee) is not devoid of her right of free speech, a fundamental right which can be curtailed only by a valid law. She was entitled to hold her own beliefs and express them in the manner she desired of course subject to not crossing the borders laid down in sub-rule (4) of Rule 5 of the Conduct Rules”. The court had set aside charge-sheet issued against the petitioner, accused of canvassing for a political party and also revoked her suspension.
Additional chief secretary education KK Pathak, however, has not reacted on the matter.
Pathak has been in eye of storm ever since he joined the education department as its additional chief secretary this June. While his sundry initiatives of effecting education reforms including stoppint truancy of teachers and students were widely appreciated, he also invited criticism for taking measures such as multy-level inspection of schools, taking on education minister Chandrashekhar by preventing his private secreary from entering secretariat and of late removing several Hindu festivals from 2024 school holiday list.
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