Assam Teachers' Hunger Strike Enters Day 9 Amid Demand Deadlock

Over a thousand teachers across Assam are on the verge of walking away from classrooms, accusing the state government of betrayal and apathy. The protest, led by members of the Jyoti Kendra Shiksha Karmi Santha, entered its ninth day on Thursday, with teachers staging an indefinite hunger strike at Chachal in Guwahati.

Despite nine days of fasting under the open sky, there has been no official communication from the government—a silence that has only deepened the resentment brewing among the protestors.

“We’ve been here for nine days, starving and pleading, yet the government hasn’t even sent a representative,” said one teacher, visibly weakened by the hunger strike. “During elections, they promised the world. Today, they’ve turned their backs on us.”

The protesting educators are demanding: A hike in salaries, Extension of the retirement age to 60, and Permanent appointments for contractual teachers.

Many of them have served in temporary positions for years, receiving minimal pay with no benefits or job security.

“We’re not asking for luxury. We’re asking for dignity,” said another protestor. “We teach the children of Assam, but our own futures are left hanging by a thread.”

The strike began on July 23, and frustration is now turning into defiance. Teachers have announced that if the government fails to respond, they will begin a complete work boycott from August 1. Over 1,000 teachers are expected to participate, potentially affecting hundreds of schools across the state.

The educators say they will shift their teaching activities to the protest site if their demands continue to be ignored—a symbolic yet powerful gesture aimed at drawing public attention.

Their anger is directed squarely at the ruling BJP government, which they accuse of making empty promises during elections and abandoning teachers once in power.

“They used us as a vote bank. They said they’d solve our issues if elected. That was years ago. Nothing has changed. Now they won’t even look us in the eye,” said a protestor.

What began as a quiet sit-in has now become a statewide flashpoint. With the academic calendar set to resume, the looming boycott could severely disrupt learning across Assam.

The state education department has so far remained silent. But as the hunger strike stretches into its tenth day, the pressure is mounting—not just from teachers, but from concerned parents and civil society groups watching the standoff unfold.

For now, the question hangs heavy in the air: How long can a government ignore the voices of those it once promised to uplift?

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