College students in Lakshadweep have temporarily suspended a strike that had been called on the weekend, raising a host of issues that had allegedly crippled the Union Territory's higher education sector.
The decision was made after the Lakshadweep Administration offered a respite to the faculty members by re-engaging them on a contract basis till November 30. The entire faculty of the government colleges in Lakshadweep had been out of contract since August 31.
However, the students and teachers have said the temporary contract deal is nothing more than just window dressing as the larger issues remain unaddressed.
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"We have decided to pause our strike until the given deadline. However, we have not completely called off the strike. If new teachers are not appointed after this period, we will resume our protest," said a final year B.Voc student of the Government College of Arts & Science in Kadmath.
The teachers are also sceptical of the temporary contract, and feel it doesn't solve the crisis. "We honestly don't know what their intention is. Maybe they plan to call an interview to the posts once they fall vacant after November 30.
But that would be strange as interviews are usually held every three years or so and there was one last year," said a senior member of the faculty at the Kadmath College.
The other demands of the students, which were highlighted by Reporter World in an earlier report, include restarting the courses that were discontinued abruptly and to begin those to which provisional admissions were given.
Deputy Collector Kuldip Singh Thakur, who holds charge in the absence of Administrator Praful Patel, did not return a call after agreeing to do so when queried about the ongoing educational crisis in Lakshadweep.
Aboo Androth, an activist of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) said a meeting of the PTA and people's representatives will be held in the coming days to chalk out the course of action, including extending the protest to the capital of Kavaratti.
Lakshadweep has four government-run colleges, including two Arts & Science institutions, situated in the islands of Kadmath and Androth.
