Jakhar in firefighting mode as teachers plan protest

Ravi Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Gurdaspur, April 25

The decision of government schoolteachers to resume protest against the Congress government is likely to pose a challenge for party’s Gurdaspur candidate Sunil Jakhar.

There are nearly 10,000 teachers in this parliamentary constituency. With BJP fielding Bollywood star Sunny Deol from the constituency, the sitting MP is pulling out all stops to ensure the issue doesn’t harm his campaign. The teachers have already announced to hold a protest in the city on May 5.

A Cabinet minister said, “All seven sitting MLAs have been asked to cooperate with the teaching community in their respective segments. We cannot afford to lose their votes.”

The MP has taken a round of each of the nine Assembly segments and has listened to the teachers’ grievances. Jakhar says he has already spoken to union leaders and has assured them that the government is looking into all their problems. “I have met two delegations of unionists and given them assurance. They will never go against me,” he claimed.

Amarjit Shastri, president, Teachers’ Democratic Front, Punjab, said, “We had protested throughout last year, urging the government to revoke the decision to slash our wages from Rs 42,500 to Rs 15,300. This resentment will now come out in the open against the government. We have decided to hold a rally on May 5 in Gurdaspur.”