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Unemployed teachers cane-charged in Patiala, 150 detained
Around 150 unemployed teachers were detained while over a dozen received minor injuries as police cane-charged them twice during an agitation near Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh’s residence in Patiala on Tuesday
Around 150 unemployed teachers were detained while over a dozen received minor injuries as police cane-charged them twice during an agitation near Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh’s residence in Patiala on Tuesday.
Demanding jobs, the ETT (elementary teacher training) and TET (teacher eligibility test) qualified teachers were marching towards the CM’s residence when police restricted their movement near YPS Chowk. The protestors clashed with police before blocking the Patiala-Sangrur road near Passiana village, where police dispersed them again.
“We were holding a peaceful protest when police used force to remove us,” said union state president Deepak Kumar, adding that despite multiple assurances, the government has failed to provide them jobs in government schools.
The unemployed TET-ETT teachers are demanding a notification for recruitment on all 12,000 vacant posts and an increase in the upper age limit to 42 years.
Jobless youths to boycott Cong leaders
In the neighbouring Sangrur district, jobless youths under the banner of Unemployed Joint Front have given a call to boycott the ruling Congress during the upcoming state elections.
Associated with various unemployed teachers, health workers and other unions, they had been protesting outside education minister Vijay Inder Singla’s residence in Sangrur for over five months.
With the government failing to listen to their demands, they have installed banners outside their houses, seeking answers on the status of their jobs and unemployment allowances. They had also opposed Congress candidates in the last Lok Sabha elections while raising the slogan of “no employment, no vote”.
Sukhwinder Singh Dhilwan, a senior leader of the front, said: “We have decided to boycott Congress ministers and leaders. All unemployed youths are installing banners seeking answers from Capt Amarinder Singh. We will not allow entry of Congress leaders in our houses during elections.”
Such banners have been installed at Harigarh, Jagjitpura, Gumti, Thuliwal, Dhilwan, Bhattlan, Dirba and Bhawanigarh besides the district headquarters in Sangrur and Barnala.
