Exclusive: Demanding salary, 62 teachers die in Bihar in last three months

As many as 62 panchayat, primary and middle school teachers have died in the last three months — between February and April — in Bihar, NH has learned.

A list comprising the name of the deceased, cause of the death with the name of the blocks which teachers belonged to, and districts accessed by the NH shows that most of the “poor” teachers died due to financial crisis, anxiety and illness.

Some of them died due to COVID-19 infection also, the list which has been prepared by an organisation of the teachers reveals.

It is relevant to note here that nearly four lakh primary and middle school teachers of Bihar have been on strike since February 17.

The secondary and higher secondary teachers joined the strike from February 25 in support of their demand for “equal pay for equal work” and proper service conditions.

Confirming the number of deaths, President of the Bihar Secondary School Teacher’s Association, Kedar Pandey told National Herald that some of the teachers died due to hunger also.

“Some of them died due to hypertension and anxiety caused by the financial crisis that they have been facing for the last six months,” said Kedar over the phone from Patna.

With no salary and no response from Nitish Kumar government to end the impasse, the teachers had earlier sought the intervention of the President and Prime Minister, also.

Narrating their ordeal during the unprecedented situation, teachers had written to them in the past. “Our appeals to the PM and the President went unheard,” said Kedar.

After knocking every possible door at Patna, seeking justice, the teacher’s association has approached National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Monday.

Saying that the teachers’ community is appalled at the insensitivity shown by the state government, Pandey added, “Teachers had been appointed during the Nitish government (since 2006). We have been demanding to be treated on par with old teachers to avail the same benefits and salary”.

Expressing his solidarity with the protesting teachers, head of the Bihar Congress Madan Mohan Jha slammed Nitish Kumar government for “not paying heed to the demands of the teachers.”

Blaming Nitish Kumar for leaving lakhs of teachers in the lurch, the Congress leader told NH that Nitish government had made a pact with the teachers some years back, promising them to pay all the benefits.

“But Nitish Kumar seems to have closed his eyes. We have raised the issue in the assembly several times. Many leaders supported the cause of the teaches even going beyond their party line ,” said Jha, an MLC from the Upper House of the Bihar assembly.

The matter went up to the apex court of the country, where the teachers lost but “instead of retreating we want to fight for justice as long as we can,” said a teacher on phone from Bihar on the condition of anonymity.