5 union leaders sacked, teachers to intensify stir

Karam Prakash

Tribune News Service

Patiala, January 15

Cracking the whip on protesting teachers, the Education Department on Tuesday terminated the services of five leaders of the Sanjha Adhyapak Morcha for participating in a protest last year.

They are morcha convener Hardeep Toderpur, Bharat Kumar, Harjeet Singh, Harvinder Singh and Didar Singh Mudki.

As per the order, the teachers were terminated from service for participating in an indefinite strike in Patiala. They had misinformed their respective District Education Officers by mentioning false reasons for their emergency leave, it read.

The move came two days after the Morcha restarted its protest over the lackadaisical approach of the government in fulfilling the promises reportedly made by Education Minister OP Soni on December 1.

The department maintained that the teachers were given show-cause notice, but they couldn’t defend their participation in the protest. The action had been taken on the report submitted by the DEOs concerned, it said.

Meanwhile, the Morcha members and the SSA/RMSA teachers held a protest march in Patiala. Talking to The Tribune, Toderpur, said: “The termination of Morcha leaders is a proof of the government’s bid to deflect our protest. We won’t give up until our demands are met. We will now intensify the protest in the coming days.”

Bharat Kumar said: “Instead of cancelling the transfer of hundreds of teachers, the government snatched our jobs. The Chief Minister should rather terminate the Education Minister for his arbitrary decisions.”

Late in the evening, the school staff and students of Government Senior Secondary School Kakarala, where Hardeep Toderpur was posted, burnt the termination order copies and protested outside the school.