Protesting teachers’ family members share traumatic experiences

Aakanksha N Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, July 7

“The news of use of water cannons on teachers flashed all day and I kept on getting calls from my family members. They wanted to ask me about my wellbeing and if I was all right. They just wanted to hear my voice,” said an education provider who teaches in a government primary school in Jalandhar.

He said Tuesday was tough for all those teachers who had gone to Chandigarh for a meeting, but when the meeting could not happen, they had to protest.

The teacher said he had seen something like this for the first time. “What have we done? We are just demanding our money. We earn a meagre salary of Rs 6,000-Rs 10,000. Can anyone run their families with this amount,” he said.

Notably, several pictures and videos were being circulated on social media showing visuals of a tussle between cops and teachers during the protest. Kulwinder Singh, president of the Democratic Teachers’ Front, had gone to support these education providers. “I remember that such a tussle was witnessed by me in the year 1997 when we were protesting against the government. After that, I experienced something like this yesterday,” he said.

Another education provider requesting anonymity said they saw their colleagues getting injured during the protest.

Kuldeep Singh, district president of the education providers’ union, said most of the protesters had gone with their families. “It is an old battle that we are fighting. But till date, no solution has been found by the government,” the president said.

He has been working as an education provider for the last 13 years and when he joined, he was earning merely Rs 3,000 and now he earns Rs 10,000. “Can you believe a person, who has done MA and BEd, is earning a mere Rs 10,000?” he said.

“The family members were so worried. It was a difficult day for all of us,” he said.

Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.