Teachers hold protest against govt over ‘anti-people’ policies

Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, October 18

The district unit of the Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF) today organised a black flag ‘insaaf’ march in several villages lying in the Dakha assembly segment to highlight the ‘anti-people’ and ‘anti-teacher’ policies of the Congress government in Punjab. A byelection is to be held for Dakha assembly seat on October 21.

The protesting teachers marched through Dakha, village Mullanpur, Waraich, Kailpur, Gahaur and Daitwal. They flayed the government for suspension of headmistress of Government Primary School, Gahaur, in a well-thought-out conspiracy by leaders of the ruling party.

Members of SSA RAMSA Teachers’ Union, 5,178 Teachers’ Union, ETT Teachers’ Union, Model and Adarsh School Employees’ Association, BEd Teachers’ Front, Sikhya Provider Adhyapak Union and Senior Teachers’ Forum took part in the protest march.

In a rally at Mullanpur where the march concluded, leaders of various teacher unions — Manjit Singh Budhel, Bhavandeep Singh Gurhe, Kuljinder Singh Baddowal and others — charged the Congress government with highhandedness against the teachers and said the ruling party would have to pay the price of this gross injustice in the byelections.

The union leaders maintained that a resident of the village had levelled false and unfounded allegations against the headmistress and the District Education Officer, Elementary Education, had suspended her without holding a proper inquiry. They announced that the agitation would continue till the suspended headmistress was not reinstated and charges against her dropped.

“The teaching fraternity would further intensify the stir if the government did not relent,” they added.