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The Punjab Education Department on Wednesday issued showcause notices to two temporary teachers for “protesting against the state government via social media, issuing anti-government statements and instigating others to protest against the government.”
The notices issued by the office of director of school education (elementary) have asked both teachers to “submit an explanation” within five days or face termination.
One of the teachers who has been issued notice is Manpreet Kaur, an education provider working at Government Primary School, Kanoi, of Sunam block in Sangrur district.
Recently, a video of Manpreet shot inside a classroom had gone viral on social media in which she was seen telling her students that the AAP government in Punjab wasn’t regularising temporary teachers like her. She was also seen showing her injured foot to the students, saying that she got injuries during a recent protest when the teachers were lathi-charged by police. She is further heard telling students that governments are always anti-people and when they will grow up, governments will be against them too so they should study hard to earn good positions.
The notice issued to Manpreet Kaur reads that she “defamed the education department” by going live on social media during a class and issuing statements to instigate children against the government.
Kaur said that she shot the video inside a classroom in selfie mode after her students enquired about her injured foot. “I wanted to tell them that the injury was due to lathi charge done by police during our protest,” she said, adding that she has been working for 15 years now for 11k a month only. “Except announcements and assurances we have got nothing from the AAP government which made tall promises before coming to power,” she said.
Another notice has been issued to Inderjit Singh, also a temporary education provider from government primary school, Lakhmirwala village of Jhunir block in Mansa district. The notice says that he “made an anti-government video go viral on social media, issued anti-government statements and instigated people.” The notice further claims that Inderjit allegedly made a minor climb on top of a 100-feet water tank during a protest, went live on social media and instigated others to protest against the government. He too has been asked to reply within five days or face termination.
Inderjit Singh, the teacher who has been issued notice for making a child climb a 100-ft tank, said that several teachers along with their children climb up the tank to “meet him.”
“I also encourage other teachers to protest against the government, which made false promises to us. We haven’t been regularized till now. I run a channel on social media in which I expose government through my speeches,” he said. He added that he has been working for Rs 11,000 per month for the last 15 years.
Manpreet Singh, president of 8736 Kachhe Adhyaapak Union, said that the AAP government has only announced salary increments for them which they have “rejected”. “They are not even talking about regularization which was promised earlier,” she said.
Condemning the AAP government for its “dictatorial behavior”, Vikram Dev, president, Democratic Teachers Front (DTF), in a statement issued on Thursday said that now the so-called “Aam Aadmi’ government was failing to tolerate its criticism on social media and resorting to steps like the previous governments. “They are doing fake publicity that they have regularised contractual teachers. The truth is most of them are still waiting for regularisation. We will intensify our protests if the government doesn’t stop taking such dictatorial steps against teachers,” Dev said.
Senior Congress leader and MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira, while tweeting Manpreet’s video shot inside the classroom, wrote: “My salute to this lady teacher for speaking out the truth in public about the brutal assault of teachers by @BhagwantMann police in Sangrur recently. Her video exposes the fake Badlav of @AamAadmiParty besides their false claims on employment in Punjab.” “Bhagwant Mann government is now behaving like the Modi government for threatening to fire teachers for protesting on social media,” wrote former AAP MP, Dr Dharamvira Gandhi. Recently, the AAP government announced increments and salary hikes for contractual teachers in Punjab.
My salute to this lady teacher for speaking out the truth in public about brutal assault of teachers by @BhagwantMann police in Sangrur recently. Her video exposes the fake Badlav of @AamAadmiParty besides their false claims on employment in Punjab-Khaira @INCIndia pic.twitter.com/OTBBkPLYln
— Sukhpal Singh Khaira (@SukhpalKhaira) July 6, 2023
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Protest continues near CM residence
For 24 days now, a protest by temporary Sikhya providers has been ongoing at Khurana village of Sangrur, near CM Mann’s residence. A group of teachers, who are part of this protest, climb on top of a water tank nearby on a rotational basis to make the government pay heed to their demands.
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