Act against those responsible for assistant professor Balwinder Kaur's suicide: DTF

Amritsar, October 27

Expressing grief and resentment following the suicide by Prof Balwinder Kaur, who was selected but did not join the Department of Higher Education in Punjab, the Democratic Teachers’ Front and the Punjab & Chandigarh College Teachers’ Union on Friday offered condolences and raised issues ailing educators in the state.

In separate events, the DTF burnt an effigy of Education Minister Harjot Bains during a demonstration held outside the administrative building and launched a protest against the delayed appointment of teachers in higher education institutes in the state.

PCCTU president Dr Vinay Sophat and general secretary Dr Gurdas Singh Sekhon said the suicide of a teacher reflected a comprehensive failure on the part of the Punjab Government, specifically within the realm of higher education in the state. “The incident sheds light on the deep-seated issues within the education sector and calls for urgent attention of the authorities, especially the Punjab Government and Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains,” said Sophat.

The DTF also condemned the failure of the state government to ensure jobs for qualified teachers. “The Education Minister and other representatives of the government have refused and failed to negotiate even in the case of 1,158 assistant professors sitting on a permanent sit-in at Gambhirpur. Instead of finding a reasonable solution, the government representatives are busy giving speeches,” shared Ashwani Awasthi, district unit head of the DTF. They also demanded justice for the family of the teacher who committed suicide and a reasonable solution to the issue by talking to the struggling 1,158 assistant professors.

The PCCTU also raised the need for reforms in higher education system in the state. “There is a need to review the failures, especially when it is connected to systemic issues within our education system. We believe that this incident underscores the need for a thorough examination of the prevailing challenges faced by educators and reforms,” said Dr Sekhon.

They demanded that the government should conduct a transparent and impartial investigation into the circumstances surrounding Balwinder Kaur’s suicide, address the systemic issues that hinder the smooth on boarding of selected candidates in the education sector, take measures to streamline administrative processes and ensure a conducive environment for newly selected educators.