BHOPAL: A female guest teacher tonsured her head on Wednesday as part of an agitation launched by ad hoc teachers in Madhya Pradesh to demand regularisation of their services.
The protesting teacher, identified only as Shaheen, sitting on a dharna along with other college guest teachers at Shahjahani Park here since the past 72 days, tonsured her head to press for their demand for regularisation.
The opposition BJP latched on to the incident to attack the Congress government in the state.
Earlier last week, addressing a rally in Tikamgarh, Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia had warned of an agitation if the state government failed to meet the demands of protesting guest teachers.
Talking to reporters after tonsuring her head, Shaheen said they are sitting on a dharna since the past 72 days, but the government has not yet responded to their demands, the main among them being regularisation of services.
She claimed some of the guest teachers have committed suicide due to poor financial condition.
"I have taught students as a guest teacher for the last 15 years and ensured their bright future. But, there is no future of our own children."
"We are not being regularised as promised by the present government (the promise was made by the Congress during the 2018 assembly polls), she said.
BJP vice-president and former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan took to Twitter to express his anguish over the incident.
Chouhan also quoted an old tweet of Chief Minister Kamal Nath, posted on February 12, 2018, when the BJP was in power in the state.
In the February 2018 tweet, Nath had slammed the BJP government for not protecting the "honour" of women guest teachers who had then tonsured their heads to demand permanent status for their jobs.
Chief Minister, even today the hair of women is a symbol of respect.
Guest teacher sisters tonsured their head to awaken your sleeping government, do you have any idea of their suffering today? "Do you feel that state is ashamed today? Will you take any action for their betterment?, Chouhan asked in a tweet.
On the other hand, state Congress spokesman Narendra Saluja said none of the guest teachers will be removed from their job.
Asked about Chouhans tweet and tonsuring of the head by the woman guest teacher, Saluja said, It was sad during the BJP regime.
It is still sad.
"We have already made our stand clear that none of the guest teachers in colleges will be removed from their post. They will also be considered for vacant posts."