Meghalaya home minister Lahkmen Rymbui on October 7 said that he has sought a report from the district administration on the “excessive use” of force and lobbing of tear gas shells by police on the agitating contractual school teachers on October 6.
“I have sought a report from the district authorities on the excessive use of force and lobbing of tear gas shells on the agitating teachers and the government will take action based on the report,” Rymbui said.
The home minister said that the district administration has clamped Section 144 CrPC in and around the secretariat prohibiting the assembly of more than five people and the teachers did not seek prior permission from the district authorities to march towards the state secretariat.
On October 6, Meghalaya police lobbed tear gas shells and used force to disperse the agitating lower primary contractual teachers and their family members who were marching towards the state secretariat to mount pressure on the government to be reinstated in their jobs.
The incident took place in the afternoon when the group of teachers under the banner of Meghalaya Government Lower Primary School Contractual Teachers’ Association (MGLPSCTA) together with their families, including pregnant women and children, began their march from the Kiang Nangbah monument to the secretariat.
District police chief of East Khasi Hills, Sylvester Nongtnger had said the police had to fire tear gas because they turned violent.
“The police were left with no option to fire tear gas as the teachers suddenly turned violent,” Nongtnger said.
