Teachers Group Demands Probe Into Police Crackdown on Tripura Job Seekers

Agartala: The Tripura Government Teachers' Association marched to the Tripura Human Rights Commission on September 30. They want action against police officers for using excessive force during a September 24 protest. Hundreds of Teacher Eligibility Test qualifiers gathered outside Shiksha Bhavan in Agartala that day. They demanded the state release a merit list and finalize their long-delayed appointments.

Police used water cannons to scatter the crowd. Officers allegedly dragged protesters into vans. TGTA general secretary Asish Chowdhury spoke to the press after meeting THRC Chairman Justice Arindam Lodh. "We are shocked by the way cops used force on the TET-qualified job aspirants in front of Shiksha Bhavan on September 24," Chowdhury said.

Chowdhury noted that only 4 to 5 percent of candidates pass the exam. These people earned their spots. The recruitment process started two years ago. The government has failed to finish the hiring process. Justice Lodh promised to look into the complaint. Chowdhury warned that the group will file a public interest litigation in the Tripura High Court if the commission stalls. He also condemned the handling of the crowd. "No person who believes in democracy will support the way male policemen charged batons on female TET-qualified job aspirants during the peaceful protest rally," he added.