Anbumani Ramadoss has condemned the arrest and detention of part-time special teachers, who have been staging a protest in Chennai for the past week, on Pongal day, demanding permanent employment and other long-pending benefits.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Anbumani said police action against the teachers, who were protesting near the Directorate of School Education, was “reprehensible,” especially as they were detained in separate locations despite raising what he described as legitimate demands. Around 12,000 part-time special teachers have been protesting in Chennai since 8 January 2026, seeking regularisation of service and improved pay conditions.
He pointed out that the teachers were appointed over a decade ago with a monthly salary of ₹5,000 and have not been granted permanent status even after 13 years of service. During this period, he said, they have received only a marginal pay increase, which reflects the prolonged neglect of their demands. According to Anbumani, repeated appeals and protests by the teachers had failed to yield results, forcing them to intensify their agitation.
Criticising the handling of the issue by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government, Anbumani said the School Education Minister had attempted to resolve the protest by offering a limited salary hike instead of addressing the core demand of permanent employment. When the teachers declined the offer and continued their protest, police action was taken against them, which he termed an act of repression.
Anbumani further recalled that the DMK had assured permanent employment for part-time teachers in its election manifesto and urged the government to honour that commitment. He also demanded that all disciplinary or retaliatory measures initiated against the protesting teachers be withdrawn immediately, stating that denying their demands amounted to a betrayal of the assurances given to them.
Source: Dinamalar
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