In a defiant mood, protesting teachers have called for a bandh of all city schools on October 5, during which a delegation of teachers will embark upon a fast unto death outside the Sachivalaya in Gandhinagar.

According to a statement issued by the Surat Shahar Manya Kahangi Prathamik Shikshak Sangh (SSMKPSS) on Monday, the non-teaching staff association of schools and the Acharya Mandal had expressed solidarity with the agitating teachers. They will also join the teachers in their protest march from Dandi to Surat on September 20.

Sitting on a token dharna outside the collectorate for almost a month now, a delegation of teachers submitted a memorandum to the district collector on Monday, listing the protest activities they have planned over the next week. Stating that they had given a week's time to District Education Officer Natwar Parmar to end the impasse, they warned that they would resort to more drastic protests.

After boycotting internal tests in schools during the past week, the teachers have stated in the memorandum that they would not evaluate papers and provide results.

The teachers also plan to gherao State Education Minister Anandi Patel, on her visit to the city.

Talking to Express Newsline, president of SSMKPSS Deepak Patel said he along with other teachers would embark upon a fast-unto-death in Gandhinagar. Alleging that there was total anarchy in 318 schools of the city, he accused government officials, the DEO, the collector and the education minister of apathetic attitude towards them.

He also alleged that the leaders were corrupt and working hand in glove with private school managements.