Unique protest: ETT teachers seek ration to support dharna in Jalandhar

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 9

Protesting against the non-fulfilment of their long-pending demands in a unique way, members of the ETT TET Pass Teachers’ Union on Thursday visited Education Minister Pargat Singh’s constituency to seek rations and supplies to support their dharna. Villagers also lent support by giving them rations. Notably, teachers had been claiming they would go door to door soon in protest if the government refused to listen to them. Today, was the first day of their taking their fight to the minister’s constituency.

Going door to door at Pholariwal village in Jalandhar (which falls in Pargat Singh’s constituency of Jalandhar Cantt), teachers also spoke on the unfair treatment meted out to 180 ETT teachers. They also spoke on teacher Sohan Singh from Barnala, who has been sitting atop a tower in the MLA hostel in Chandigarh for the last 15 days.

To strengthen their dharna and to feed teachers, they collected rations for food from the village and exhorted villagers to support their cause. They collected atta and dal, which was donated by villagers. There were some heated verbal exchanges with the police as teachers claimed that policemen tried to stop them from going to the village. They were also given assurances by the Pholariwal village sarpanch that their demands were genuine.

Union member Gurmukh Singh said, “In 2016, the state government had released advertisements for the posts of 4,500 ETT (primary) teachers of whom only 180 were hired. These 180 began receiving reduced salaries (from Rs 45,000 to Rs 25,000) about five months ago. We were given new joining letters forcefully, according to which our salaries were reduced to Rs 25,000. Our question is under what rule the government can do this? We require additional posts and Rs 45,000 in salary.”

The teachers have been sitting on a dharna under a tent outside the residence of Education Minister Pargat Singh for the last three days. They collected rations to cook food for those camping at the same site. Union president Kamal Thakur said the matter of 180 ETT teachers was far from being resolved. They said they would go to other villages too as long as their demands were not met.

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