LPST rankholders resume stir in front of Keralam Secretariat after police remove protesters on hunger strike

Thiruvananthapuram Dramatic scenes unfolded in front of the Secretariat on Thursday noon, where the All Kerala Lower Primary School Teachers (LPST) Rankholders’ Association is on the 130th day of its agitation, with S. Valarmathi, the association secretary, returning to resume her fast-unto-death protest after being forcibly removed from the protest site by the police on Wednesday night citing her deteriorating health.

The protest reached a flashpoint on Wednesday night when the Cantonment police forcibly removed Ms. Valarmathi and dismantled the protesters’ shed and flex boards. Ms. Valarmathi, who was on the 16th day of her fast-unto-death when the police shifted her to the General Hospital, told reporters on Thursday that she would not give up until the government met their demands. If the government was concerned about her health, it should take the initiative to resolve the strike, she said.

M. Jayakrishnan, another rankholder who launched a hunger strike in Ms. Valarmathi’s place on Wednesday night, will also continue his fast-unto-death. Police action triggers protests The police action late on Wednesday night triggered widespread protests, with Yuva Morcha and DYFI workers, along with CPI(M) leaders P.K. Biju and C.S. Sujatha, reaching the spot. DYFI leaders then swiftly moved in to put up replacement sheds after the police had removed the original ones.

The police maintained that they had served a notice to the protesters earlier in the day regarding the removal of the shed and flex boards. They also said they had removed only the permanent shed put up by the protesters at the site where the fast was being held. The strike appeared to have gained considerable political traction following the police action on Wednesday night, with the Opposition closing ranks on Thursday and extending its support to the protesters while condemning the government’s attempts to “put down” the agitation.

Chennithala’s response Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, speaking to reporters on Thursday morning, said the government had no animosity towards the protesters and that the police had been forced to remove the protesters’ shed to avoid contempt of court proceedings, following the Supreme Court’s recent decision against the indefinite occupation of public roads and spaces for protests and its directive that authorities clear obstructions to public ways.

He added that the police were facing constant flak from courts over non-compliance with court directives on issues such as this. Mr. Chennithala said the government had accepted four of the five main demands raised by the protesters and appealed to them to end the strike. The LPST rankholders began their protest over the delay in appointing candidates from the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) rank list to lower primary school teacher (LPST) posts, along with demands for changes to the teacher-recruitment system and the teacher-student ratio.

The agitation, which began as a demand for appointment orders, has now expanded into a broader dispute over how teaching vacancies are calculated, reported and filled. The LPST rank list came into effect in all 14 districts on May 31, 2025. The list reportedly has around 11,758 candidates, but fewer than 500 appointments had been made by August, according to reports. The rankholders maintain that recruitment has been slower than usual and that thousands of qualified aspirants face uncertainty over whether they will secure government jobs before the list expires.

The rankholders are demanding immediate appointment orders from the PSC list, a reduction in the teacher-student ratio from 1:30 to 1:25, timely reporting of vacancies and recruitment to head teacher posts. They also want appointments in government-aided schools to be brought under the PSC, alleging that recruitment by school managements is based on money and favouritism. They have also demanded an extension of the rank list and protection of teaching posts affected by declining student enrolment.

Though the agitation was called off in August following discussions with General Education Minister N. Samsudeen, who sought 45 days to examine issues such as the revision of the teacher-student ratio, the protesters resumed their agitation over unresolved demands. Ms. Valarmathi tonsured her head in protest on October 26 and resumed her hunger strike. The government had indicated that it would initiate steps to extend the rank list’s validity and examine demands concerning head teacher vacancies and the proposed 1:25 teacher-student ratio.

It also assured candidates that those appointed through the PSC list would not lose their jobs because of a subsequent reduction in school divisions owing to falling enrolment. However, it said that improving the teacher-student ratio depended on the actual number of existing vacancies and the impact of a change in the staffing norm on public expenditure.