After teacher suicide, stand-off intensifies

JALANDHAR: Post the issuance of over 100 notices, a suicide by a teacher at Ferozepur and a spat of teachers with the Director, Public Instructions (DPI), the stand-off between teachers (primarily activists of the Sarkari School Sikhiya Bachao Manch, Punjab) and the Education Department, has intensified.

Aparna Banerji

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, April 19

Post the issuance of over 100 notices, a suicide by a teacher at Ferozepur and a spat of teachers with the Director, Public Instructions (DPI), the stand-off between teachers (primarily activists of the Sarkari School Sikhiya Bachao Manch, Punjab) and the Education Department, has intensified.

Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh had decided to meet to teachers on April 17 but the meeting failed to douse the tempers within the department.

In all, over 100 teachers in the state were issued notices by the Education Department after teachers prevented teams of the department from visiting their schools. While not relenting to notices, the teachers continued with the boycott. However, the Education Department also continued with the visits which have now resulted in a direct confrontation between the two.

On the top of it, the suicide by a teacher in Ferozepur on Wednesday has further angered the teachers, who are blaming it on the Education Department.

The department’s view, however, remains that the teachers were indulging in hooliganism and preventing the normal course of education in schools.

When questioned why they continued with protests despite having a meeting with the CM, the manch members said they had just been holding peaceful protests but by repeatedly sending teams to inspect the already ‘boycotted’ Parho Punjab project, the government was aggravating the situation.

Nishant, a state committee member of the Sarkari School Sikhiya Bachao Manch, Punjab, said, “We have made our stance clear to the department. During various dharnas during the Akali government, the present CM assured us that our demands shall be heeded. The department is responsible for the death of the teacher. It is expecting us to make do with a salary of Rs 5,000. Despite the announcement of the boycott, teams continue to inspect schools. This is leading to direct confrontations. We will only be in a position to stand down after a meeting with the CM on April 27, if he pays heed to our demands.”

Union condemns Ferozepur incident

The Sikhiya Provider Union also condemned the sorry state of affairs which caused the suicide of a Ferozepur-based teacher on Wednesday. They said the teacher committed suicide because he hadn't received his salary for the past over five months. Sikhiya Provider Union state general secretary Jinder Pilot and state committee member Harjinder Khaira, releasing a press statement on Thursday, said, "The deceased teacher, Channa Singh, who joined the Education Department in 2009, was BEd pass. Being the sole breadwinner of his family, he has left behind a family of five — his father, mother, wife and two children."