Mohali (March 12) – Today was a 'black day' for teachers in Punjab, as for the second time in a week, teachers who had reached Chandigarh to raise their legitimate and valid demands were subjected to water cannons, lathicharges, and tear gas shells. Former Press Secretary of the Government Teachers' Union, Harnek Singh Mavi, and employee leader Gurbinder Singh said that when children are in examination halls, it is most important for teachers to be present in schools.
However, by imposing an unnecessary TET condition without finding a solution, the Punjab government has forced teachers to take to the streets. It is important to note that a recent decision by the Honorable Supreme Court has robbed the teaching community of their peace during the day and teachers of their sleep at night.
To resolve this issue, teacher organizations, under the banner of the "Samyukt Shikshak Morcha," met repeatedly with the Education Minister, and he even assured them of exemption from the unnecessary TET exam by introducing a special resolution in the Assembly. However, to date, no action has been taken regarding the TET exam during the session.
When a large number of teachers and employees arrived in Chandigarh on March 8th with these demands, instead of engaging with them, they were subjected to indiscriminate violence and were subjected to water cannons, lathicharges, and countless tear gas shells, injuring many colleagues.
Today, when teachers, under the banner of the "Samyukt Shikshak Morcha," attempted to submit a memorandum, they were subjected to water cannons, lathicharges, and tear gas shells without any provocation. This has sparked a wave of protest across the entire workforce, laying the foundation for a major movement in the coming days.
For which the Punjab government will have to pay a heavy price. On this occasion, Dr. Hazara Singh Cheema, Ram Kishan Dhunkia, Ajmer Singh Longia, Amandeep Singh Chhatbir, Sulakhan Singh Siswan and Kulwinder Kaur Andheri also strongly condemned the violence.