On way to protest, work education instructors detained

Chandigarh: Work education instructors on their way to stage a peaceful protest in front of Shiksha Sadan in Panchkula were on Monday detained by the Haryana Police, taken to Yamunanagar highway and released at an unknown location, about 60km away from the city. During detention, health of a female instructor, Sangeeta Devi from Hisar, deteriorated and she had to be admitted to the Mullana community health centre. The education instructors, working in various government schools of Haryana since August 2014 under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, had been protesting in Panchkula’s Sector 5 since June 22, demanding to be covered under the 2013 bylaws and grade pay. They teach music, singing, art, drama and dance. On August 2, four protesters had gone on a fast unto death, prompting additional chief secretary Rajesh Khullar considering their demands and assuring a quick solution. Though they ended their fast, no further action was taken by the government. The distressed work education instructors had on Monday planned to get their heads tonsured in front of the Shiksha Sadan and as they reached there, the police detained them, put them in a bus and left them on the way to Yamunanagar. Rajat Bhatt, president of Work Education Instructors’ Association, said the administration was not allowing them to present their demands in front of the chief minister. “Where will we go if the government also ignores us like this? Now, anger is brewing among the work education instructors. If any untoward incident happens to any of our partners, the education department will be fully responsible for it. We want that like other employees under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, work education instructors should also be covered under the under the 2013 bylaws and grade pay,” he added.