Ludhiana, February 2
The police arrested 58 teachers, including six women, during a peaceful protest at the grain market on the Jalandhar bypass today. The protest was held in support of their demand for the regularisation of their services. The teachers have been serving on contract under the Centre-sponsored Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan. The police released the women teachers late in the evening.
The police tried to stop the teachers from gathering at the grain market and stopped some buses carrying teachers at Ladhowal. Despite the hurdles, more than 1,000 teachers gathered managed to gather at the grain market. The teachers organised a rally and raised slogans against the Punjab government. Senior police officials, along with a heavy police force, reached the rally venue.
On a call given by Didar Singh Mudki, president of the SSA/RMSA Teachers Union, the protesters started heading for the GT Road for the proposed protest march. The police announced that the teachers did not have permission for the protest and started arresting them.
The police also arrested Mudki and Manraj Singh, district president of the union.
Harmohan Singh, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, said they had arrested 58 teachers under Sections 107 and 151 of the CrPC in apprehension of breach of peace and tranquillity in the area. “The women teachers were released soon after their arrest,” he said.
Sunita, a teacher from Jalandhar, said, “It is illegal to arrest peacefully protesting teachers. We did not block any road or disrupt traffic. It is our democratic right to protest for our rights.”
The teachers have been serving in government schools for the past five years on a contract basis.
Mudki said they had been struggling to get their services regularised. The protesters alleged that the "anti-education policies" of the government would ruin the education sector in the state.
“Our jobs are not secure under the contract system. We will intensify our struggle to get our demand met,” said Mudki.
The police arrested 58 teachers, including six women, during a peaceful protest at the grain market on the Jalandhar bypass today. The protest was held in support of their demand for the regularisation of their services. The teachers have been serving on contract under the Centre-sponsored Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan. The police released the women teachers late in the evening.
The police tried to stop the teachers from gathering at the grain market and stopped some buses carrying teachers at Ladhowal. Despite the hurdles, more than 1,000 teachers gathered managed to gather at the grain market. The teachers organised a rally and raised slogans against the Punjab government. Senior police officials, along with a heavy police force, reached the rally venue.
On a call given by Didar Singh Mudki, president of the SSA/RMSA Teachers Union, the protesters started heading for the GT Road for the proposed protest march. The police announced that the teachers did not have permission for the protest and started arresting them.
The police also arrested Mudki and Manraj Singh, district president of the union.
Harmohan Singh, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, said they had arrested 58 teachers under Sections 107 and 151 of the CrPC in apprehension of breach of peace and tranquillity in the area. “The women teachers were released soon after their arrest,” he said.
Sunita, a teacher from Jalandhar, said, “It is illegal to arrest peacefully protesting teachers. We did not block any road or disrupt traffic. It is our democratic right to protest for our rights.”
The teachers have been serving in government schools for the past five years on a contract basis.
Mudki said they had been struggling to get their services regularised. The protesters alleged that the "anti-education policies" of the government would ruin the education sector in the state.
“Our jobs are not secure under the contract system. We will intensify our struggle to get our demand met,” said Mudki.
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