Punjab: Amid curbs, protesters take to writing slogans

BATHINDA: As the government has issued restrictions for holding protests due to Covid-19, the unemployed youth have devised another way of protest — writing slogans at various places in towns and villages.
Unemployed Multipurpose Health Workers’ (MHW) Union and Unemployed Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) Pass BEd Teachers Union, who are demanding jobs and increase in the numbers of already advertised posts for various categories, have asked their activists to write slogans in bright colours at places that catch people’s attention.
The state government had in the recent past advertised 200 posts of male health workers and 600 female health workers, including auxiliary nursing midwives (ANMs), and 3,282 posts of master cadre. Both unions have termed these posts as much less than needed in the state and also claimed that most of the unemployed are getting overage for the jobs.
The MHW union had tried to march towards the residence of Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh at Patiala on July 13 but were stopped midway. The TET-pass union had also given a call to march towards the residence of education minister Vijay Inder Singla at Sangrur on July 17, but later took the call back after the district administration advised them against it due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Sukhwinder Singh Dhilwan, the joint president of both organisations, on Saturday told TOI that they have been raising voice for jobs, but they are not being heard. “So, from Friday evening, we have launched the campaign to write slogans at various places across the state. We started it from Bathinda, Mansa and Fazilka district and have nearly 600 activists doing the work.”
Activist Randeep Sangatpura said nearly 6,000 male and female health workers are needed in Punjab, but the government is recruiting only 800.
Similarly, there are over 40,000 posts of teachers lying vacant in government schools, and with around 2.5 lakh more students taking admission in these schools, still more teachers would be needed. But, the government is going to recruit only 3,282 teachers, which is injustice with students as well as the unemployed, as most of them are getting over age for the jobs, he added.