Either be a teacher or a leader, minister tells protesters
Says govt has already communicated it decision to protesters that there’ll be no changes in regularisation norms
:Maintaining his stiff stand on the ongoing dispute between Punjab government and contractual teachers of Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) protesting under the banner of Sanjha Adhyapak Morcha, state school education minister OP Soni on Sunday said that those protesting can either work as a teacher or become leaders.
Soni, who was here to attend a function to felicitate the Ramleela committees from across the state organised by Sri Ram Navami Utsav Committee, said the state government has no plan of adhering to any ‘illogical’ demand of the protesting teachers.
"Either be a teacher or a leader. You can't be both. We have already communicated our decision to the protesting union that there will be no changes in the regularisation. There is no need to hold any meeting," said Soni on his refusal to meet the leaders of the Sanjha Morcha after they requested him for a meeting.
On November 18, the Sanjha Morcha, supported by farmer unions and youth organisations, had protested in front of Soni’s residence in Amritsar following which his political secretary had said that a meeting would take place.
Speaking about the school education getting affected due to the ongoing protest, the minister said that the studies are going on as per the schedule and majority of the teachers are continuing with their duties.
"Majority of those who are carrying out strikes are not teachers. Those people belong to different organisations and have their own set agendas, while the ones who were supporting them are getting back to work,” he said.
The minister also said, “I have got the information that around 4,000 protesting contractual teachers have already accepted our regularisation condition."
Jalandhar members of legislative assembly (MLA) Rajinder Beri (centre), Sushil Kumar Rinku (west) and former mayor Jai Kishan Saini also attended the function.
› Majority of those who are carrying out strikes are not teachers. Those people belong to different organisations and have their own set agendas OP SONI, school education minister