Why thousands of Himachal teachers are doing hunger strike after a 15-day march across the state

Thousands of primary school teachers are on an indefinite relay hunger strike in Shimla, demanding that the Himachal Pradesh government withdraw its School Complex System, a policy that has placed several schools under one administrative head, a TOI report stated. The strike began on Sunday outside the directorate of school education, right after the teachers completed a 15-day march across the state. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu told the protesters that most of their demands had been accepted and that the policy would be amended.

What triggered the Himachal teachers' protest

The Himachal Pradesh Primary Teachers Federation organised the march and rally. The event brought together serving and retired teachers, mid-day meal workers, multi-task workers and other education department staff. Federation leaders said teachers from remote areas such as Pangi and Dodra Kwar also joined the protest.

The school complex system was introduced by the state government in September 2025. Under this system, several primary, middle and senior secondary schools function under a single administrative head instead of having separate school-level leadership.


Federation president Ramesh Sharma explained why the union opposes the system:

"The new complex system implemented by the Himachal Pradesh government is destroying the primary education system that has existed for decades. Earlier, one principal was responsible for one school, but now 15 to 20 schools have been placed under a single principal. This has adversely affected primary education and several categories of staff, including JBT teachers, nursery teachers and other employees," Sharma said.

He said close to 200 primary schools in the state often run without teachers because of how staff are being deployed under the new arrangement.

How the march led to the teachers' hunger strike

The federation's "Save Primary Education" march began on July 11 and ended in Shimla on Sunday. Federation office-bearers began an indefinite relay hunger strike outside the directorate of school education the same day.

Sharma said the strike would not end until the government meets the teachers' demands:

"This relay hunger strike will continue until the Himachal Pradesh government accepts our legitimate demands, withdraws the new complex system and addresses our other pending demands. If our concerns are ignored, the federation will further intensify its statewide agitation," he said.

He said the federation had called off earlier protests after the education minister and the chief minister had given assurances, but claimed those assurances were not kept.

The federation scheduled Sunday's rally deliberately to avoid disrupting classes: "We have started this movement during the summer vacation and organised today's protest on a Sunday so that students' education is not suffer. We do not want children's studies to be affected, but we are determined to save primary education," he added.

Sharma said more than 15,000 people attended the Shimla rally and thanked panchayat representatives, local residents, media and other employee groups for backing the march. The federation put the total number of teachers, retired staff, Anganwadi workers and other supporters at close to one lakh.

Prakash, a teacher from Karsog in Mandi district who uses a wheelchair, also took part in the march:

"Our foot march began on July 11 and concluded in Shimla today. Our principal demand is the complete withdrawal of the School Complex System because it is adversely affecting primary education," Prakash said.

"We had a meeting with the CM, who assured us that he would come and address our concerns. We hope he will visit the protest site and announce the withdrawal of the complex system," he added.

How the Himachal government has responded

Sukhu addressed the gathering and said the government had accepted most of the teachers' demands:

"Most of their major demands have been accepted. We have decided to amend the School Complex System, and a committee will be constituted to recommend the necessary changes. I had promised that I would meet them, and today I came to their gathering," Sukhu said.

He did not rule out withdrawing the policy entirely: "The Complex System will be improved based on their concerns, and if there is a need to withdraw it, that decision will also be taken at the appropriate time. All their demands have been accepted," the chief minister said.

Sukhu also said FIRs filed against teachers during the protests would be withdrawn: "I have given them this assurance and announced it from their stage," he said.

Teachers at the protest said they would continue their agitation until the government issues a formal notification on the changes and addresses their remaining demands. The federation has not announced a date for ending the hunger strike.

(Source: TOI)