And all this because the junior college teachers want a hike in salary and the government does not have the money to fulfil their demand. After going on an indefinite strike for over a month-and-a-half, the junior college teachers are now on a `go slow' agitation and have threatened to stop assessment of HSC papers altogether from March 15. The point here is not whether the teachers' demand is justified, or whether the government's stand is wrong. What needs a little careful examination is who's suffering from this stalemate. Is it right to subject students to so much of uncertainty when they are on thethreshold of taking what probably is one of the most important examinations in their life? Who will be responsible if some of them miss their chance to appear for entrance examinations to professional courses due to a delay in declaration of results (which seems very likely)?

Isn't it wrong to expose them to the risk of their papers being assessed by people who haven't dealt with the syllabus recently as teachers?Though answers to all these questions will reveal that both the sides have not thought of students, the fault primarily lies with the government which has been unashamedly lethargic in its response to junior college teachers' demand for parity in pay-scales with secondary teachers.

The teachers had approached the education department as soon secondary teachers got a massive hike in their salaries under the Fifth Pay Commission. They had given a notice to the government in which the threat to go on an indefinite strike was spelt out. This was followed by a one-day token strike in November. Buttill date the government has not even offered a compromise formula to them. It's time the government initiated a meaningful dialogue with the striking teachers.