Ultimatum to striking teachers

By Our Special Correspondent

GANDHINAGAR, SEPT. 11. The Gujarat Government has issued an ultimatum to the striking teachers of the grant-in-aided secondary and higher secondary schools to return to work by 12 noon tomorrow or lose their jobs.

The ultimatum was issued by the Education Minister, Ms. Anandiben Patel, after a high-level meeting chaired by the Chief Minister, Mr. Keshubhai Patel. The meeting decided against bowing to the ``undue pressures'' from the teachers, particularly when the students and the parents and the people in general were expressing strong reservations against the 14-day-old indefinite strike by the teachers.

Talking to media persons here, Ms. Patel claimed that more than 3,200 of the 5,500 odd grant-in-aided schools had resumed normal functioning with large number of teachers returning to their classes. She said the strike would be declared illegal from tomorrow under the Essential Services Maintenance Act and those who fail to resume work by noon would be sacked from their schools.

Undeterred, the agitating teachers, however, ridiculed the government's claim of a large number of schools having resumed teaching activities and said the strike would continue till the government conceded their demands.

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