Day after, 50 teachers booked

Sanjeev Singh Bariana & Karam Prakash

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh/Patiala, Feb 11

The police on Monday booked 50 teachers, including 10 union leaders of the Adhyapak Sangarsh Committee for clashing with cops during a protest in Patiala on Sunday.

The police said teachers were booked after they clashed with the police on Sunday, wherein 25 people, including 10 officers, were injured. A case has been filed under Sections 353, 332, 333, 148, 149, 120B and 188 IPC.

The union leaders who have been booked are state co-convener of the Sanjha Adhyapak Morcha Hardeep Toderpur, Davinder Punia, Sukhwinder Chahal, Harjeet Singh, Balkar Singh, Baaj Singh Khaira, Didar Singh Mudki, Amritpal Singh Sidhu, Sukhraj Singh and Harvinder Singh.

Condemning the police action, Punia said, “Instead of regularising the teachers, the government has registered cases against them. We will continue our protest against injustice.”

Meanwhile, a section of teachers’ unions affiliated to the Sanjha Adhyapak Morcha has refused to meet Education Minister OP Soni on Thursday to discuss their demands. The morcha, comprising around 25 such unions, have been seeking the regularisation of over 34,000 teachers.

The unions alleged that Soni had failed to keep his word during previous meetings with them in December and January. Those who refused to meet the minister are Democratic Teachers’ Front state unit general secretary Davinder Punia, SSA/RMSA Teachers’ Union (Toderpur) and Model Adarsh School Teachers’ Union.

SSA/RMSA Teachers’ Association president Didar Singh Mudki said: “The minister cannot deny that he has failed to keep his word. Despite appointments in December and February, even the CM has failed to give us time. But we are hopeful that he will listen to our grievances now.”

President of the Government Teachers’ UnionSukhwinder Singh Chahal said: “We will meet the Education Minister and ask him about the action taken on his assurances to the teachers. The Education Department officials are forcing teachers to join on nearly one-third of the salary. “

Talking to The Tribune, Soni said: “As far as the regularisation of 5,178 teachers recruited in 2014 was concerned, I had taken up the matter with the Cabinet. However, it is stuck in procedural rigmarole. In case of 8,886 SSA/RMSA teachers, more than 7,000 have accepted the government offer. All other genuine demands are being pursued with the sections concerned.”