Not just SIR: Why CJP is taking on UDF and previous regimes over teacher recruitment in Kerala

The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), which is organising a protest march and public meeting in Kochi on Saturday against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, has also raised concerns over the Congress-led UDF government’s failure to appoint teachers to government schools.

The Gen Z-led party recently supported the Congress-led INDIA bloc’s campaign against the Chief Election Commissioner at the Centre. However, it has now extended support to Lower Primary School Teacher (LPST) rank holders protesting against the delay in appointments.

CJP leaders joined rank holders of LPST examination who have been protesting outside the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram. The agitation has raised serious questions about public sector recruitment, alleged cash-for-job corruption, and government accountability. 

Why the Gen Z party has turned against the UDF

The CJP's decision to challenge Chief Minister V D Satheesan's government stems directly from what it calls broken political promises. During the election campaign, Satheesan had pledged that grievances concerning LPST rank holders would be resolved within 24 hours of the UDF assuming office. However, nearly six months have passed since the Chief Minister was sworn in, and qualified candidates remain on the streets without appointment orders.

CJP South India in-charge Vijay Reddy Mallangi highlighted this contradiction when he joined a 12-hour hunger strike alongside the job seekers outside the Secretariat on Thursday, November 5. "The protesters have remained very peaceful and very hopeful that he will live up to his word. But after close to six months have passed by since the CM was sworn in, this issue has not been solved," Mallangi told reporters.

The CJP argues that the delay is not merely an administrative oversight but evidence of deeper systemic flaws. By siding with the rank holders, the young party aims to position itself as a defender of merit-based employment against institutional inertia.

Four key demands of the job-seeking teachers

The rank holders, led by Action Council secretary and protest committee convenor Valarmathi S, have been demonstrating outside the state headquarters for 120 days. Their campaign centers on four primary demands aimed at restructuring primary school recruitment across Keralam:

• Immediate PSC appointments: Issuing official appointment orders for all qualified candidates on the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) rank list before the list expires.
• Centralised hiring for aided schools: Transferring all teacher recruitment in government-aided private schools to the PSC to ensure transparency and equal opportunity.
• An end to cash-for-job practices: Eliminating alleged corruption and illegal money collection in school appointments.
• Reduction of teacher-student ratio: Lowering the official teacher-student ratio to 1:25 in response to declining student enrolment in government schools and a surplus of qualified educators.

Protesters point out that despite holding extensive district-wise and school-wise data showing division vacancies and Class 1 enrolment figures, the government has refused to issue recruitment orders. Valarmathi noted that the committee had scientifically collected details across the state, asking: "If candidates can gather such data, why cannot the authorities examine the figures available with the Education Department?"

Social media posts

On social media platform X, Vijay Reddy Mallangi raised sharp questions regarding recruitment practices in government-aided schools, which are privately managed but funded by public money.

"There are allegations that if you pay ₹30 lakh, ₹40 lakh, or even ₹50 lakh, you can secure a teaching position in an aided school," Mallangi posted on X. He emphasised that such irregularities have persisted under successive administrations regardless of which party held power, making a complete overhaul of the hiring mechanism essential.

Mallangi also pointed out the paradox of aided schools offering lavish private incentives while the state claims to face budget shortages. "How is it that some aided schools are advertising free smartwatches, bicycles, and other incentives to attract student admissions? Where is this money coming from?" he asked. He further questioned why separate hiring systems should exist when the state treasury pays the salaries of teachers in both government and government-aided schools: "When the government pays teachers’ salaries in both government and government-aided schools, why have different recruitment mechanisms?"

These posts have resonated widely with young job seekers, amplifying the CJP's demand to bring all aided-school appointments under the PSC. Speaking to reporters at the protest site, Mallangi reiterated: "There's a lot of irregularity, a lot of corruption. So to come clean, we demand to have a uniform recruitment process through PSC for all schools."

Government cites financial limits as police drag away fast leader

The state government maintains that it cannot fulfil the protesters' core demand regarding class sizes due to severe fiscal constraints. Following a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Chief Minister V D Satheesan explained that lowering the teacher-student ratio to 1:25 would force the state to create new LPST posts and mirror the changes in aided schools, which the treasury currently cannot afford.

"The present financial position of the government does not permit us to do this. We have deferred the demand to a more favourable time. We have not denied their aspirations but only explained our limitations," Satheesan stated, noting that the government had held eight rounds of discussions led by General Education Minister N Samsudheen.

The Chief Minister also expressed sorrow over the extreme measures taken by demonstrators, specifically referencing Valarmathi's decision to tonsure her head on October 26 before commencing an indefinite hunger strike. "When I saw her tonsuring her head, I felt very sad. My eyes filled with tears," Satheesan said.

However, the human cost of the standoff escalated on Saturday, October 31, when police forcibly removed Valarmathi from the protest site to a hospital after six days of fasting. Valarmathi alleged that police used unnecessary force, dragging her by her hands and legs, causing body pain and swelling, and seizing her mobile phone. She also accused General Education Minister N Samsudheen of misleading the Assembly by claiming four of five demands had been met, asserting that no demands were actually fulfilled. "I was dragged away by the police. They pulled me by my hands and legs, causing swelling and severe pain throughout my body. Is this the way the police should treat a person who has been fasting for six days?" she asked upon returning to the Secretariat on Sunday, vowing that the struggle would continue even if it cost her life.

Statewide protest march in Kochi on Saturday

On Saturday, November 7, the party is organising a massive protest march and public meeting in Kochi, titled 'Jantar Mantar at Kochi', demanding the withdrawal of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The march is scheduled to start at 4 pm from Marine Drive and proceed to Rajendra Maidan. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and actor Prakash Raj released video appeals on social media on Friday, encouraging youngsters from across the state to join the rally. CJP national leader Afreen Nawaz and South India in-charge Vijay Reddy Mallangi will also address the gathering.

This event comes amidst nationwide friction between CJP activists and law enforcement. Recently, CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were arrested in New Delhi for entering Jantar Mantar after it was denotified as a protest site, while Dipke was detained ahead of a planned Tiranga March in the national capital. CJP leaders were also questioned by the Delhi Police Crime Branch.

Despite police questioning and heightened security around the Kochi event, CJP organisers say the movement is gaining momentum.