1,158 assistant profs, librarians again assemble at Barnala to challenge Punjab govt

BATHINDA: Six days after facing the police batons while asking Punjab government to file appeal before the double bench of Punjab and Haryana high court against quashing of their appointments, 1,158 assistant professor and librarian union activists again assembled at Barnala to Sunday to further raise the issue.
The activists held a challenge rally asking the state government to again indulge in lathi charge if their demand is not genuine.The activists got support from various farmer and social organisations including BKU Ekta Ugrahan and BKU Ekta Dakaunda. The assistant professors organised rally just close to the residence of higher education minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer where they had faced cane charge by police on September 19.
The state government in October 2021 had made appointments of 1,091 assistant professors and 67 librarians taking total of 1,158 teachers in various colleges. The 124 professors had joined the colleges on December 21, 2021 while 483 had got appointments but the stations were not allotted.
The 484 assistant professors and 67 librarians had got their names in the list of selected candidates but could not be appointed. A score of petitions were filed against these appointments on various technical issues including process for appointments. A single bench of Punjab and Haryana High court on August 8, 2022 quashed the appointments.
The professors now wanted the state government to challenge the order before double bench and make foolproof case to get stay on the single bench order.
"We were making representations to the government to file appeal to save the appointments but government is doing nothing for long. We were going to lodge protest that police used lathi charge and not even spared women. They took the protesters to different police stations. Today we had again assembled at Barnala to challenge the state government to again indulge in repression if we are demand is not consideration", association president Karamjit Singh.
Many of those who faced lathis on Monday are from poor backgrounds who to take care of their poor families and are on the verge of getting over age, said the protesters.