Jammu & Kashmir Teachers Protest Stray Dog Directive
Srinagar: Teachers and political parties in Jammu & Kashmir are expressing their outrage over a recent directive from the education department requiring educators to report on stray dog populations and aid in their management. They are demanding that these orders be revoked and that those who issued them face consequences.
A top official from the education department stated that the directive aligns with recent Supreme Court guidelines concerning stray dogs. However, Abdul Qayoom Wani, president of the Jammu & Kashmir Civil Society Forum, found the orders “shocking,” claiming they undermine the dignity of teachers in the region. Wani, a former leader of the Jammu & Kashmir Teachers’ Forum, argued that teachers should not be tasked with duties unrelated to education.
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) criticized the orders as “atrocious,” emphasizing that teaching is the primary role of educators and that they should not be burdened with jobs that do not fit their profession. PDP spokesperson Syed Tajamul stated, “The government must respect educators and refrain from issuing unreasonable directives.”
The Jammu & Kashmir General Line Teachers Forum also condemned the orders, labeling them “insulting, irrelevant, and an affront to the dignity of teachers.”
In the last few days, various chief education officers in the region have instructed government and private school heads to appoint a nodal officer responsible for monitoring stray dogs on school grounds. This officer will report any stray dog sightings and coordinate with local authorities to manage their removal effectively. They are also tasked with ensuring the safety of students and staff.
The issue of stray dogs has become significant, with Jammu & Kashmir recording over 210,000 dog-bite cases since 2022. The districts of Jammu and Srinagar are particularly affected, seeing the highest daily average of bites at 24.9 and 37.6, respectively.
