Desperate cry for jobs: LP school rank holders eat soil outside Secretariat

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a dramatic escalation of their ongoing agitation, Lower Primary (LP) school teacher rank holders staged a symbolic protest by eating soil in front of the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday. The demonstrators, led by the Rank Holders Association, accused the government of failing to initiate appointments from the existing rank list.

The protesters placed soil on plantain leaves on the ground and consumed it to highlight their desperate situation. Following the daytime demonstration, the group also conducted a torchlight protest at night. The candidates have been staging a day-and-night protest in front of the Secretariat for the past nine days to press their demands.

The association alleges that despite the rank list for LP school teachers coming into effect on May 31 last year, the government has failed to make any appointments. They further highlighted the severity of the delay by pointing out that even candidates who secured the first rank in five different districts are yet to receive appointment orders.

The rank holders have put forward specific demands, including an extension of the current rank list’s validity and the transfer of recruitment for aided school vacancies to the Kerala Public Service Commission. The protesters have warned that if the government does not take immediate action to address their grievances, they will intensify their agitation, including by shaving their heads.