Ludhiana: Seeking reinstatement of agriculture teachers’ cadre PAU students’ body starts indefinite stir on campus

Before starting the protest, student leaders held a meeting with the PAU authorities, during which the authorities assured that the demands would be presented to the government.

The Punjab Agricultural Students’ Association on Monday set off their indefinite sit-in protest at the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) here to press for reinstatement of agriculture teachers’ cadre, making agriculture mandatory in schools and other demands.

PAU students’ association members during a protest in Ludhiana on Monday. (Gurpreet Singh/Hindustan Times)

The students claimed that for the last two years they were repeatedly forced to endure hardships to make their demands known to the people concerned. This, they said, has now led them to a continuous sit-in protest that will carry on day and night until the demands are met.

Before starting the protest, student leaders held a meeting with the PAU authorities, during which the authorities assured that the demands would be presented to the government.

Student leader Angrej Singh stated that education minister Harjot Bains personally came to meet them at PAU, which was also shared on Facebook. He further mentioned that in 2014, when chief minister Bhagwant Mann was an MP, he used to join students in protests, but today, the students are finding it hard to bring their demands in front of the CM.

Besides the reinstatement of teachers’ cadre and making agriculture mandatory in schools, the students have also asked the CM to fulfill promises regarding appointment of field masters and granting the rightful entitlements to BSc agriculture students so that justice can be done to the farming community.