Teachers threaten suicide

Tribune News Service

Mohali, August 5

High drama was witnessed near a water tank opposite Gurdwara Singh Shaheedan. Members of the BEd Unemployed Teachers Union today threatened to commit suicide in front of senior officials of the state government.

Under the ongoing protest, which entered into 53rd day today, some of the members had climbed atop the overhead water tank on the first day and refused to come down till date.

This afternoon, two of the protestors threatened to commit suicide when the state government’s senior officials, including Capt Sandeep Singh, OSD to Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, DIG BL Meena, Mohali Deputy Commissioner Gupreet Kaur Sapra and Mohali SSP Kuldeep Singh Chahal went to pacify the agitators and appealed to them to end their protest.

A protestor, Varinderjit Kaur, poured petrol on her while Vijay Kumar tied a rope around his neck. Both the protestors threatened to commit suicide, claiming that they would return to their homes only after getting appointment letters. Both the protestors were atop the overhead water tank that time.

The senior officials repeatedly appealed to them to come down as the state government was considering their case sympathetically.

“We are here to assure you that your demands will be met soon. You just come down and end your protest,” said the officials to the agitators.

Mohali DC Gurpreet Kaur Sapra said their demand would be met soon but they should shun their protest and come down to talk to the government officials.

“Threats and protests are not the right way,” said the DC. Earlier, the police had cordoned-off the area. Finally, the officials returned empty handed as the protestors refused to budge in.

A total of nine teachers were atop the overhead water tank. They refused to come down despite repeated appeals by the senior officials.

Poonam Rani, president of the union, said: “We will end our protest only after getting the appointment letters. Earlier also the previous government had befooled us. This time, it’s ‘do or die’ for us.” She added that five times meeting with current Education Minister had proved futile.

She said despite having proper qualification and passing the eligibility and subject tests, they all were jobless.

Fact file

Two of the protestors threatened to commit suicide when the state government’s senior officials, including Capt Sandeep Singh, OSD to Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, DIG BL Meena, Mohali Deputy Commissioner Gupreet Kaur Sapra and Mohali SSP Kuldeep Singh Chahal, went to pacify the agitators and appealed to them to end their protest.