Ludhiana: A large group of assistant professors and librarians in Ludhiana burned an effigy of Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann and education minister Harjot Singh Bains to protest the govt’s handling of a recruitment dispute.

The demonstrators, members of the 1158 Assistant Professors and Librarians Front, performed a symbolic “last rites” ritual for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) govt, accusing it of betraying the teaching community.

Postponed Meeting Sparks Outrage

The protest, which started with a march from SCD Govt College to Fountain Chowk, was a response to the government’s sudden postponement of a meeting to discuss the long-pending recruitment of 1,158 members of the faculty . According to Jaspreet Sivia, the meeting was promised last week after the teachers held a protest outside the chief minister’s residence in Sangrur.

“Last Monday, after our protest, we were assured of a meeting with three cabinet ministers,” Sivia said. “But it was postponed without any valid reason. The govt has already wasted two crucial months in filing a review petition to safeguard the 1,158 recruitments. Its lack of seriousness exposes its ill intentions.”

Police Action

Protesters from several colleges, including SCD Govt College and Govt College for Girls (GCG) Ludhiana, carried placards and chanted slogans, accusing the government of “sabotaging higher education” in Punjab. Prof. Baljinder Kumar called the AAP’s claims of an “education revolution” hollow, saying the state was instead “dismantling the very foundations of higher education.”

Protester Gurjant Singh highlighted that during a prior protest in Sangrur, police had detained 16 members, including key leaders. He claimed that female members were manhandled and had their scarves pulled. The detained faculty were only released after they were promised a meeting with three ministers, which has now been postponed.

Future Action

The teachers’ front has vowed to escalate its protest if its demands are not met. Protester Paramjit Singh called the issue “a matter of life and death” for the teaching community. “If the govt does not immediately hold talks and file a review petition in the Supreme Court to protect the rights of the 1,158 assistant professors and librarians, we will be left with no choice but to escalate our struggle,” he said. The group plans to once again protest outside the chief minister’s residence on Sunday, Sept 21.

Student organisations have also shown their support for the protesting faculty, stating that the delay in appointments is directly affecting the academic future of thousands of students by depriving colleges of qualified staff.