GORKHA: The Dashain festival brings joys to many. But not for the schoolteachers working in the Gorkha schools.

The teachers' plan to revel in this Dashain celebration has been dampened after cadres of Unified CPN-Maoist started collecting forceful donation recently. The Maoists have also issued threats saying that the teachers who failed to comply with their diktat would face their "action".

Such a "donation drive", which was commonplace during the Dashain in insurgency period, is yet to be shunned by the Maoists although their party already joined the mainstream politics.

According to the victimised teachers, the Maoists have asked them to cough up as much as 25 per cent of their Dashain allowance. Other teachers appointed in relief quota and from local resources have also been asked to pay some amount "voluntarily".

"The Maoist cadres are threatening the teachers who deny submitting the donation," a teacher said. "So much so, some of our colleagues have also been asked to leave the school or village as they protested against the extortion drive."

"The Maoist had threatened to leave the school within 15 days," a teacher who arrived in the district headquarters said. "As we told them that we were yet to get our salary and bonus due to the cash shortage in banks, the Maoists are instead handing over the party's receipt on condition that we give them the money later," a teacher said.

The teachers aligned to the Maoist's techers' body -- All Nepal Revolutionary Teachers' Organisation -- are helping the Maoists collect the sum.

The teachers said the Maoists imposed the same rule of donation as they are collecting from the teachers affiliated with them. The teachers of the Maoists' body have been submitting a levy equal to 25 per cent of Dashain allowance.

The Maoist district secretary Chudamani Khadka 'Prakash' admitted the collection of donation from teachers. "We've asked for financial and physical support from teachers to help in our agitation," he said. He, however, denied any "forceful donation".

There are 1,554 permanent teachers in primary level, 276 in lower secondary and 238 in secondary level in the Gorkha schools.