Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Govt. of West Bengal assures the terms of the ensuing G.O on 25th August,2010

The much anticipated meeting between Elora Biswas, Dr. Asim Dasgupta, & Sudarshan Roy Chowdhury
Elora Biswas, the Convenor of West Bengal College & University Part Time Teachers' Association, had a joint meeting with the State HE Minister & the Finance Minister at Writers Building on 25th August , 2010 on the forthcoming G.O anticipated to secure the service of thousands of  part time lecturers in the colleges & universities of the State. According to the decision of the meeting Elora Biswas declared to the members at Esplanade, Kolkata that the Govt. has strictly committed that:  1.All the part time lecturers, serving till date, irrespective of their date of joining, will be entitled to serve in their respective colleges till the age of 60.(This point has been rigorously committed by & strictly emphasised upon by the Govt.)  2.All the part time teachers retrenched till date will be reinstated.  3.A part time teacher will be allowed to serve in only one college.  4.Remuneration will stand at a 35% hike to the existing salary(as already declared in the State Budget 2010-2011)  5.Remuneration will be send every month, by name of the teachers, to the respective colleges, by cheque.
6.The Govt. will issue an order with immediate effect, instructing all the college authorities in the State to stop any further recruitment of part time teachers.  7.The new pay offer will come into effect from the 1st of September, 2010.  8.All the part time teachers will attend college two days per week, taking eight classes.  9.The Govt. has ensured to think in positive terms about the Contractual teachers too, about providing them the same service security like that of the part time teachers.10.The Finance minister has sympathetically assured to redress some other grievances of the part time teachers & has declared that the G.O is now expected any day to see the light of the day, after this meeting with Elora Biswas.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Elora Biswas meets the HE Minister & DPI

On 3rd August, 2010, Elora Biswas along with her associates met the HE Minister at Bikash Bhavan & their nearly two hours' discussion regarding the termination of part-time, guest & contractual lecturers all around the state and other issues regarding the ensuing G.O may be said to be fruitful. Later, Mrs. Biswas also had a lengthy discussion with DPI regarding the problem of the Govt. Colleges in the State, when the latter re-assured Mrs. Biswas that all such problems will be solved very soon.
The association members also had a chance meeting with Prof. Anjan Sengupta,(Gen. Secretary, W.B Principals' Association) who also assured that he would raise the question of termination to the concerned college Principals and added that the G.O under process is expected to solve all these problems.

Friday, July 30, 2010

The new State Office of the Association

All the members of the association are requested to present themselves at the new State Office at Shovabazar, Kolkata, at 3pm on 3rd August,2010, The new office is situated at 30/2, Grey St. , near Anjali Jewellers Showroom, & Satadal Club. It is about 4 minutes walk from Shovabazar Metro Station, towards Ultadanga. Elora Biswas & other State-level  leaders will be present at the venue, and a detailed discussion is expected to be held on the much anticipated G.O. This is going to be the inaugural meeting of the association at the new office.

Monday, July 19, 2010

The State-Level Conference at Mahajati Sadan- A Grand Success

Members of the part-time lecturers' association from all around the state including Guest & Contractual Lecturers thronged the auditorium of Mahajati Sadan on the 19th of July, 2010, at a State-Level Conference. They all exchanged views regarding the present & the future course of movement of the association & were eager to know about the much anticipated G.O expected by the 3rd week of August. Elora Biswas,assured the members, based on the assurance given to the association by the Govt. itself, that all the part-time teachers terminated till date will be reinstated with full dignity, without any break of service.
Fruitful discussions have been held with the Govt. regarding the miserable present state of the part-time lecturers all around the state, and quite a positive solution to this problem would come out in the ensuing G.O, she further added. Members present at the occassion, about 500 in number, were over enthusiastic to learn that probably their long, dark nights of turmoil, agony & sufferings is going to end soon. Prof. Habibur Biswas from Murshidabad, presided at the occassion, with other State-Level leaders, including Elora Biswas, on stage.

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Know more about our Movement: Buy the DVD "Byatha O Pratibaad"

Dear friends & Colleagues, to know the miraculous progress of our association under the able & dedicated leadership of Elora Biswas, in only five months, to know the true story, behind the fruitful G.O expected by the 3rd week of August, 2010, watch the documentary movie, entitled "Byatha O Pratibaad" planned, directed & funded by our association. The documentary is available in a DVD which may be procured from selected members of our association at a price of Rs.200/-. Buy this DVD,show it to your friends & family, spread the news of our movement to the world around & even encourage others to buy it.
This film would further bring to light the inner story of our uncompromising struggle against injustice & exploitation, under Elora Biswas, which has compelled the Govt. to think in positive terms about us. The production team of this movie led by Gourango Debnath & Netai Debnath have relentlessly spent precious hours & sleepless nights over it, to make the movie see the light of day. A huge sum of money have been spent in its production, which has caused the association a financial strain.Moreover our bulletin published under the same title as our DVD, would give you a full analytical coverage of our story of misfortune. Buy this bulletin & DVD to know us fully, to realize what struggle for survival actually means.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Mahajati Sadan Chalo

All the members of our association are requested to present themselves on 19th July 2010 at Mahajati Sadan, Central Avenue, Kolkata, for a State-Level Conference positively by 12 Noon. This is extremely urgent.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Recent Developments

Members of our association from nearly all the districts of West Bengal assembled for an emergency meeting in a convocation Hall at Moulali, Kolkata, on the 8th of July, 2010, to discuss in details about the various proposals to be placed in front of the State Government, on the face of its assurance that it is thinking seriously about solving our problems very soon. All  our members unanimously agreed that that no dishonourable clause in the ensuing G.O would be accepted. Members discussed in details about the various problems they were facing in their respective colleges and pleaded to the association for help.
Govt Colleges like Lady Brabourne, Hoogly Mohosin, or Krishnanagar Govt. & many others have already terminated the services of their part-time lecturers on 31st March, 2010. The Principals of these colleges rigidly stick to their points that on the face of an absence of a Govt.Order directing them to reinstate their part time teachers, they can't do anything about it. Some said that without such a G.O pertaining strictly to the Govt Colleges, (as issued on 29th June, for Govt-aided Colleges) they are not even ready to give ears, to the appeal of the terminated teachers.We hope to reach to a positive solution in this regard very soon. In the meanwhile we have come to know about the unsympathetic stand of WEBCUTA regarding our cause. The association is also greatly concerned about condition of the Guest & Contrctual lecturers in the State. The State Govt is trying to solve this problem soon, but any decision will have to be taken in consultation with our association. No one-sided & unjustified imposition of the Govt decision will be accepted. The HE Minister has given us an appointment again on the 19th July, 2010 at Bikash Bhavan. All the members of our association are requested to present themselves at the venue by 12 Noon without fail.

Monday, July 5, 2010

SHAME, SHAME, SHAME, Khidderpore College Authorities Challenge Govt. Order!!!

The 3rd of July saw yet another shameful & unprecedented event in the history of Higher Education Department, West Bengal. The members of the part-time teachers' association led by Elora Biswas, reached Khidderpore College , Kolkata, in the morning, in order to reinstate the already terminated part time teachers of the college to service. Surprisingly enough, in spite of citing the Govt. Order of 29th June, 2010,  which clearly stated that no existing teacher can be terminated, the Principal of the college sternly informed the association that she can take back the terminated teachers for the time being, but such a decision has to legitimized by the G.B!!! She helplessly stated that she has no power over the G.B President, who cares a fig for such Govt. Orders. She also stated that if these teachers are taken back to service their salaries may be withheld by the G.B. Just Imagine!!! The G.B President after having fled the locality for all throughout the day, finally returned to the college at night & haughtily declared that such Govt decisions cannot be complied with. Who gave him the audacity to say so? Is it unwise to wonder that he is backed by a powerful faction of the State Higher Education Deptt, or of a political party, which empowers him to rule over the decision of the State Govt.?. At that very moment we felt by his impudence that he was was actually seated in the chair of the HE Minister. What a state are we living in, where an ordinary college G.B President needs to scan and scrutinize a Govt. order before taking the decision if such an Order can be at all implemented or not? Who rules the state's higher education department then, the College G.B Presidents all over the State or the HE Minister sitting comfortably in his cozy suit at Bikash Bhavan, who inspite of knowing everything pretends at every single instance to know nothing about such impudent college authorities??? Or it is a purely got-up game between the HE Minister, the Principals' Council & the College Authorities, a harmful & malignant nexus for the entire society, on the alter of which , hundreds of dedicated & qualified teachers are being sacrificed everyday & who eventually find themselves in the streets? The HE Minister assures us at every eyewash meeting that "all is well", & that he cares a lot about the temporary teachers, he cannot sleep for nights thinking of their sufferings, while in reality he encourages the college authorities, behind us, to do as they please, with their part-time teachers. One should learn from him the art of shedding "crocodile tears". This is probably the real story behind the screen. Otherwise wherefrom does such college authorities get such power to overrule & nullify a Govt. decision? It is high time for the HE Ministry of Bengal to realize that the teachers are not fools, who can be betrayed, manhandled & harassed by them & their allied college authorities in such fashion, repeatedly, over sustained period of time.Such treachery should stop immediately, or the Govt. would have to pay heavily for it. Teachers who have the might of pen in their hands, do have the power to spread the fire of revolution with their mighty hands too. Playing false with them can have bitter & disastrous consequences.