By Faisal Fareed, TwoCircles.net,
Lucknow: The Moallim-e-Urdu degree holders can now become teachers in government schools. The Uttar Pradesh government in a late night decision on Wednesday decided to withdraw the SLP filed by it in the Supreme Court.
As per official spokesperson of the state government, Chief Minister Mayawati has decided to withdraw the SLP and follow the orders of the High Court which has cleared the appointment of Moallim-e-Urdu degree holders in government service treating their degree at par with BTC training of the government. Till 1997 they were treated at par with BTC training but state government had scrapped this through a government order. The High Court restored it but state government filed a SLP in Supreme Court against the High Court order. The Moallim-e-Urdu degree holders will now be appointed as Urdu teachers in government schools and there are nearly 7500 such aspirants in the state. They fought their battle and even staged dharna in Lucknow.
Once they climbed the overhead tank in Lucknow only to be thrashed brutally by the police. Several political parties in the state have extended their support to the Moallim-e-Urdu degree holders.
The Mayawati government finally accepted their demand and the degree is now at par with BTC paving the way for their appointment in government schools as Urdu teachers. The step is viewed as an effort to woo the Muslim votebank which is presently maintaining stoic silence over support to the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in the state. With assembly elections due in 2012, Mayawati seems to have played the Muslim card with an eye on the Muslim votes.