SHIMLA: The Himachal Pradesh Primary Teachers Association will hold a massive demonstration at Chaura Maidan in Shimla on Sunday to press for their 26-point charter of demands. A day ahead of the scheduled protest, the state government invited union representatives for formal talks.
The association stated that its future course of action will depend entirely on the outcome of these negotiations. The primary teachers have been protesting primarily to demand the withdrawal of the newly introduced complex system.
As part of their ongoing stir, teachers took out a Nyay Padyatra (march for justice) starting from Bankhandi in Kangra district, which recently reached the state capital. Union leaders said the march was organized to draw the government’s attention to their grievances.
Addressing a press conference on Saturday, Association President Ramesh Sharma recalled that teachers had staged demonstrations across all district headquarters on March 1, 2026, submitting memorandums to the Chief Minister through respective Deputy Commissioners. However, Sharma pointed out that the state government failed to invite them for talks over the past eight months.
While a meeting with the Chief Minister was finally scheduled for Saturday evening, union leaders confirmed that the Sunday protest at Chaura Maidan would proceed as planned. They stated that any decision to alter or call off the agitation will only be taken if the government agrees to their demands and revokes the controversial notification.
Sharma noted that over the last eight months, union delegates met the Chief Minister, Education Minister, several MLAs, and ruling party leaders to urge a review of the old administrative framework. Furthermore, a request for dialogue was formally submitted after the association’s general house meeting on July 1, but received no response from authorities.
The union warned that if their demands are not met, the agitation will continue until 2027, with full responsibility resting on the state government and the Education Department. Highlighting additional grievances, the association claimed that benefits under the Sixth Pay Commission since 2016, along with pending Dearness Allowance (DA) and arrears, remain unpaid.
Although the government previously accepted a few demands during earlier protests, union representatives alleged that those decisions were never fully implemented. They added that eight office-bearers currently face suspension and ongoing departmental inquiries.
Reiterating their commitment to a peaceful, Gandhian form of protest, the association emphasized that the Nyay Padyatra was deliberately scheduled during summer vacations so that students’ studies would not be disrupted. The union alleged that administrative arrangements originally granted to teachers in 1984 under then-Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh are being systematically dismantled by the current administration, vowing to persist with their movement until justice is served.
