BHOPAL: Guest scholars protesting at Shahjehani Park for past more than two months were enraged on seeing mortal remains of Sanjay Kumar, the guest sports officer, who committed suicide few days ago.
Wife of Sanjay Kumar, Lalsa Devi came along with ‘Asthi Kalash’ of Sanjay from her native place Balia in Uttar Pradesh. Guest scholars placed the Kalash along with a photograph at dais and then paid tributes to the departed soul.
‘Future of my children and I are dark. We don’t know where to go and what to do,’ said Lalsa Devi. He was the sole bread earner of the family. He used to remain in stress as he was not getting his honorarium for past more than six months, said Lalsa Devi as tears rolled down her cheeks.
Talking to media persons, she said that condition of most of the guest scholars and their family members is the same. First the government threw them out of the jobs and then stopped their payments for more than six months, she lamented.
President of guest scholars association, Devraj Singh said that it seems that government is least concerned about guest scholars. Thousands of guest scholars have ‘fallen out’ after recruitment of PSC selected candidates. Adding insult to injury, their dues haven’t been paid yet, he added.
Issue of guest scholars has been raised by several leaders from the Congress and BJP alike but it hasn’t been resolved despite 70 days of protest. Higher education minister Jitu Patwari has given assurance several times that not a single guest scholar will lose his job.
