Police on Wednesday, 21 January 2026, detained 890 primary school teachers who attempted to march towards Fort St George as part of an ongoing protest demanding “equal pay for equal work”.
The protest, now in its 27th day, is being organised by the Intermediate Registered Seniority Teachers’ Association, representing intermediate-level teachers working in Tamil Nadu government primary schools. The teachers have been staging demonstrations since the 26th of last month, laying siege to various government offices in Chennai to press their demand for pay parity.
The protesters assembled at Chennai Fort railway station and began a march towards Fort St George. Police stopped the procession, following which arguments broke out between the teachers and the police personnel on duty. When the teachers attempted to proceed despite the restriction, police detained 890 participants.
During the detention, protesting teachers alleged that food and drinking water were not provided to them. This led to further arguments with the police. According to the teachers, police personnel responded by stating that they had not been given funds by the government to arrange food for the detainees.
The protestors reiterated that they would continue their agitation until their demand for equal pay for equal work is met by the state government.
Source: Dinamalar
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