Protest: ‘Slap on the face of teaching community’

Teachers spell Waheeda Shah’s action as humiliation, signs of an unfair society.

ISLAMABAD:

Teachers of the twin cities held a protest on Tuesday over the recent incident of a political candidate slapping a school teacher at a polling station during by-elections in Sindh.

They gathered under an umbrella of Muttahida Mahaz-i-Asataza Pakistan (MMAP), an alliance of teachers, in front of the National Press Club to hold a demonstration over the issue.

Condemning the action of the Pakistan Peoples Party candidate Waheeda Shah, they termed it ‘unacceptable behaviour’ on the part of the politicians. The protesters were holding banners and placards inscribed with slogans like “Give respect to teachers” and “Stop torturing teachers”.

MMAP General Secretary Azhar Awan, who was leading the protest, equated the incident with mass humiliation of teachers, saying, “It’s not the slap on the face of one individual, rather its an attack on the whole teaching community.”

“People across the world respect the teachers’ community. However in Pakistan, they are being humiliated at the hands of the feudals,” said Javeria Hassan, another school teacher.

The protesting teachers appreciated that Supreme Court took suo motu notice of the issue.

However, they demanded a punishment for Shah so as to discourage such incidents in future.

Moreover, they also urged the media to highlight their issues, especially in far-flung areas where teachers are performing duties in tough conditions.

“The good thing is that the mind set of the people is changing and such things are not longer acceptable,” said another protester.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 7^th, 2012.