Several street demonstrations of people from various walks of life are being staged in many parts of the island demanding their lost rights, privileges, salary anomalies, fertilizers and several other social problems for which they require immediate solutions.
The demands are being insisted by the aggrieved parties at a time when the country is waging a war against the pandemic which has taken a toll of more than 4,000 lives and has affected 324223 people.
Of all the demonstrations on the streets, the teachers strike has become the talk of the town by way of the respect Sri Lankans have for their own teachers and they still remain grateful to what they are today.
A true Sri Lankan will not be happy to see the members of this noble profession who have moulded their life, to be on the streets shouting slogans.
They taught us tolerance, compromise, peace, unity and peaceful existence among people in the fair isle. They are an esteemed community in our society.
It was reported that they demand 57 percent salary increase which would amount to Rs 69.8 billion from the national budget.
The question here is that although the government is willing to consider their request favourably, the current financial strength of the country will hinder them to do so.
A time like this, demands a mutual understanding between the aggrieved and the state and the willingness to cooperate with each other to arrive at a mutually agreed decision.
Let us not allow this to grow further, the higher echelons of the state should intervene in this matter to resolve this issue amicably for the greater good of those teachers who guide the destiny of our children.
Let it not be said that Sri Lanka failed to respect its own teachers who had given their best for the betterment of the nation.
