Two jobless women teachers jump from water tank in Punjab

BATHINDA - Frustrated at the apathy of state authorities to their demands, two unemployed women teachers in Punjab jumped Tuesday from a 90-foot tall water tank. They were part of a dozen-odd group of teachers agitating — so far without success — for jobs as elementary teachers.

The two teachers were seriously injured and rushed to the civil hospital in Bathinda, 250 km from Chandigarh, where they were said to be out of danger

The teachers are among those recruited under the Alternative Innovative Education (AIE) scheme which provides primary education to children residing in tribal and far-flung villages. They were agitating for the last few months for admission to the Elementary Teachers Training (ETT) programme.

The district administration and state authorities, they say, have failed to respond to their demands for jobs.

Police officials said that some 10-odd teachers, including women, were still atop the water tank and were threatening to immolate themselves if the state government did not agree to their demands.

“They have threatened to pour kerosene and set themselves on fire,” a police official said.

Earlier this year, a woman teacher from the Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS) died after setting herself on fire in Kapurthala town, after the state government failed to honour a promise to fulfil the demands of EGS teachers.