USA warns of more strikes
Laden threatens to retaliate

WASHINGTON, Aug 22 (PTI) — The USA warned of more strikes against terrorist bases, even as Saudi billionaire Osama bin Laden, prime suspect in the bombings at American Embassies in Tanzania and Kenya, today threatened retaliation against missile attacks on Afghanistan and Sudan which have attracted the wrath of the Muslim world.

An Italian national working with the UN in Kabul became the first casualty of the reprisal of Thursday’s Tomahawk cruise missiles’ strike on suspected terrorist bases in Afghanistan and Sudan when he succumbed to his bullet injuries sustained during an attack yesterday.

Lieut Colonel Carmine Calo died in a Kabul hospital 24 hours after his UN vehicle was shot at in the city centre in the Taliban militia-held capital.

The USA, fearing terrorist strikes, tightened security across the country and its Missions abroad.

"We have contingency plans that we are developing and there may be more strikes in future," Defence Secretary William Cohen told mediapersons here.

Expressing similar views, US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said, "I think it is very important for the American people to understand that we are involved in a long-term struggle."

Laden, in a message published by a leading Pakistani daily, said: "The war has just started and the Americans should wait for the answer. We are not afraid of bombardment, threats and acts of aggression."

"We suffered and survived Soviet bombings for 10 years in Afghanistan and we are ready for more sacrifices," Laden said in his message conveyed through his close Egyptian aide Ayman Al-Zawahiri.

Laden’s statement came as Taliban’s supreme spiritual leader Mullah Mohammad Omar vowed never to hand him over to the Americans.

Taliban’s so-called Foreign Ministry in a statement broadcast over Radio Shariat said that US strikes were to show "their enmity against Islam and the Muslim world" and not against Laden.

Sudan, whose complaint against the US attack would be taken up for hearing by the UN on Monday, warned that any fresh strike against it would bring swift retaliation.

"The USA should rest assured that it will not escape justice from the Sudanese people, Arab and African peoples, and the international community if it repeats this action," said Sudanese Foreign Minister Osman Ismail, who is in Iraq.

"We are ready to forgo even September, December holidays"
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 22 — "University and college teachers have been forced to go on strike. We served a notice and did our best to persuade the union government to accept and implement the recommendations of the University Grants Commission.

"In fact, on the last two occasions also, we had to go on an indefinite strike to get the grades released to us. Last time, the strike continued for more than a month. We are not happy to be away from our students. But then we have no choice.

"We are committed to our students to make up for their loss of studies by taking special classes on Sundays, holidays. We are even prepared to forego our September and December holidays. But the government must accept the recommendations of its own body, the UGC. We are not asking for anything other than the UGC recommendations," are the views expressed by a section of university and college teachers in support of their 12-day-old indefinite strike.

The Tribune today interviewed a cross section of teachers and Principals from government and private colleges besides Panjab University here to ascertain their views on the issue.

Mr P.S. Sangha, Principal of the SGGS College, Sector 26, pointed out that since the UGC has accepted the recommendations of the Rastogi Committee the government should gracefully implement the same. The government should see reason and accept the genuine demands of the teaching community so that they are not forced to tread the path of confrontation.

He, however, said the teachers would have to find an alternative mode of protest so that the interests they have to protect, that of the students,are not harmed and the teachers get their due. The aim is to focus attention on their grievances and not harm the interests of the students.

The Association of the Principals of Non-Government Affiliated Colleges, Panjab University, of which he is the president, had written to the Prime Minister to break the impasse. A meeting of the association was held in the college to discuss the fallout of the strike yesterday, he added.

The convener of the pay revision committee of the Punjab Federation of University Teachers Association, Prof S.P. Gautam, said that it was not a "wild cat" strike. The teachers unions all over the country had been petitioning the government to accept their due since 1997.

There is a pressing need to make major structural changes in the field of education and focus proper attention on higher education. The present tendency of making faulty appointments, dubious promotions and very poor working conditions should be given the go by. "Do not give the good teacher a bad name and hang him," an attitude which would alienate the teaching community further, he added.

The disparities in pay were such that if the teachers were to accept what the government has to offer, a teacher on an average would stand to lose lakhs in the course of his career, he said.

Mr D.P. Singh, Principal, Government College, Sector 46, said though the admission process had been handled by the ad hoc and part-time staff, the attendance was very poor. "A few students turn up every day but even they do not prefer to attend classes, even though these teachers were willing to take the class".

The government should take measures to defuse the crisis so that the loss of studies at the very outset of the present session could be somehow tackled. The government should not dither in granting what they had done in for other employees.

A retired teacher, Prof H.S. Mehta, said invoking harsh measures like ESMA would fail to serve the purpose as one could make the horse go to the pond, but cannot make it drink water. It was really sad that the government had accorded the lowest priority to education and the results of following this policy would be evident in the coming years.

It was distressing to note that while the government acceded to an anti- national demand of withdrawing 'inspector raj' to enable the business community to carry on with book dodging, teachers were being forced to take to the streets to get their rightful dues.

Teachers had exhausted all options before calling the stir despite the matter being raised in Parliament, says Mr Charanjit Chawla, a member of the Syndicate. Reacting to the loss in studies, he said they had completed their course when the teachers had to resort to a 32-day strike in 1987. At that time all holidays were used to coach students and even Sundays were not spared, he claimed.

He said that the teachers were engaged in nation building and were responsible citizens but the government had pushed them to a corner and were forcing them to retaliate.

Apparently concerned over the teachers' strike and its adverse fallout on the future of thousands of students, principals of different city colleges are feeling that the strike is against the ethics of one of the "noble" professions of the world. While on the one hand they have some soft corner for the teachers on the issue of demands, and on the other a majority of the principals are anguished over the way adopted by the teachers to force the government to concede their demands.

They are of the view that the teachers, should keep in view the dignity the profession draws from society and should not resort to an act in a manner which results in erosion of respect, especially by students. "Whatever, their grievance are the act of boycotting classes and harming the interests of students is simply unacceptable", quipped a principal saying that in order to retain public sympathy with their cause teachers must adapt themselves to the basic requirements and responsibilities given to them by society.

While suggesting that the teachers should change the mode of protest to save the students from loss of studies, Mrs Vijay Lakshmi, Principal of Government College, Sector 11, said that no one would justify such a form of protest which poses a danger to the future of the nation. "Aise kaam adhiayapakon ko kisi tarah shobha nahin dete". She was of the opinion that the teachers should try their best to put an end to the agony being faced by students and their parents.

Mrs S. Dhillon, Principal of Dev Samaj College of Education, observed that though the cause of the teachers were genuine, she did not favour the strike which has caused mental and financial loss to innocent students. She said it was better if the teachers would have gone in for a strike during holidays instead of at the beginning of the academic session.

She said by resorting to such an act, the teachers would soon lose the respect of students. She advocated that the "No work, no pay" rule should be introduced in the field of education. "If we people go on strike, how could we prevent students from indulging in such acts?" she asked.

On the other hand, Principal of the local S.D. College, Dr A.C. Vaid, said loud protest was the only way, which could draw the attention of the authorities these days and that was why teachers had resorted to strike. However, he urged the government to initiate a dialogue with the teachers so that classes could be restarted at the earliest.

While, Mrs Sneh Mahajan, Principal of the MCM DAV College of Education, who was initially a bit hesitant to express her views on the issue, said the teachers could not hold the nation to ransom by spoiling the future of the nation. She questioned as to why the teachers did not resort to strikes during the Gujral regime when the Fifth Pay Commission was introduced. She said the trouble had arisen due to a handful of Leftists among teachers, who were acting as "stooges of their political bosses".

Teachers’ economics

The minimum teaching days in an academic year, according to UGC norms, are 181 days and not 180 lectures as reported in these columns yesterday. Accordingly, a lecturer gets about Rs 150 per lecture. The Panjab University calendar in its volume III specifies the teaching load for college teachers. On an average, as per the calendar, a lecturer delivers 720 lectures in an academic year.It requires that teachers for B.Sc. take 20 periods a week while those teaching B.Com to take 24 periods a week.

Similarly, for BA, B.Sc. (Practical) and a few other courses, a lecturer is required to deliver 24 lectures a week. Teachers of B.Sc (Honours) are to take 18 lectures a week.

Mr Charanjit Chawla, a syndic and former general secretary and President of the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers' Union, says that the average teaching days in a college of Panjab University is 130.

"Besides teaching for 130 days, a lecturer spends 10 to 15 days on admissions at the beginning of an academic session, about 10 days on the conduct of the supplementary examinations in September, 20 days on December tests, seven to 10 days on February tests, 10 to 15 days on science practical examinations in March, 30 days on annual examinations and about 45 days on evaluation of answersheets. So a lecturer works for 270 to 280 days a year," he adds.

"We are ready to teach students for 181 days as per the UGC norms provided the whole system is changed accordingly," says Mr Chawla.