Cops charge at protesting women with cannons, lathi

PANCHKULA: There were fireworks outside

Shiksha Sadan

in Sector 5 on Monday as several teachers, including women, were battered during a protest of computer teachers and lab assistants. As a result, some of them also sustained injuries in the police entangle.

The teachers marched to the venue seeking a meeting with the Haryana chief minister to table their long-pending demands of a raise in salary. The police first used water cannons and subsequently lashed out with a lathis on the demonstrators at housing board light point when they were trying to enter the Chandigarh border marching towards Haryana CM’s residence. The dharna also affected traffic for some time as the path was blocked by the crowd.

The protestors raised slogans against the Haryana government and Haryana education department for failing to meet their long-pending requests. The teachers are demanding a hike in their salaries which the government had promised to them. They have also sought remuneration during their winter and summer vacation and pay to women staffers who take maternity leave.

Suresh Nain, spokesperson, computer teachers association, said, “Firstly, the government is not paying any heed to our requests and on top of that they are using lathicharge and water cannons to curb the peaceful procession.”

While, vocational teachers also took to the roads against the state government pressing for their demand of equal pay similar to that of the government teachers.

Mukesh Kumar, president of vocational teachers, said, “We only demand that government provide us equal salary similar to that of a government employee.”

The protest was peaceful and the teachers dispersed after meeting the officials of Shiksha Sadan.