Guwahati, May 8: Eleven members of the All-Assam Sanyogi Siksha Karmi Union were injured when police caned them during a demonstration at Last Gate here.
The protesters were trying to break through a barrier put up by the police and block the entrance to the secretariat.
The members of the union comprise teachers who had worked on a contractual basis under the state education department and lost their jobs last year. They staged the protest demanding reappointment.
Musaraf Alam from Biswanath Chariali was critically injured in the caning and is undergoing treatment at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital.
The other 10 injured persons are Pinu Nath from Lakhimpur, Dipsikha Borpatra Gohain from Golaghat, Umar Ali from Kamrup, Kamaleswar Saikia from Nagaon, Noor Jamal Haque from Dhekiajuli, Seniram Patiri from Sonitpur, Thakur Das from Baksa, Gopal Rajbangshi from Barpeta, Sujit Barman from Morigaon and Biki Ahmed from Barpeta.
After the incident, the teachers announced that if the government did not fulfil their demand, they would commit suicide in front of Raj Bhavan on May 24, the day the BJP-led government in Assam will complete a year in office.
Members of the Hindustan Paper Corporation Ltd Employees' Federation also gathered at Last Gate and urged chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal to revive the industry. Production at this mill was suspended for many days because of a lack of working capital.
The All Assam Retired Officers, Teachers and Employees' Committee also demanded an increase in pension according to revised payscale as well as a proper insurance plan.
Several other organisations staged a demonstration at Dighalipukhuri today on the first day of the special Assembly session on the GST Bill. State finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tabled the Assam Goods and Services Tax Bill, 2017 today. The bill will be taken up for consideration and passage on Thursday.
In another incident, three members of the All Assam Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Association were injured when police used water cannons on them during a protest at Dighalipukhuri.
The association was demanding extra honorarium, infrastructure development of Anganwadi centres, retirement benefits and supply of medicine and sports kits. Around 10,000 members of the association from 22 districts participated in the protest that began at 10am. Around 1pm, when no government official turned up to listen to their grievances, they blocked the busy GNB Road.
After the three were injured, Bibhas Chandra Modi, the joint secretary of the state social welfare department, visited the site and assured the protesters that the state government would look into their grievances.
