The issue of alleged suicide by assistant professor Balwinder Kaur is refusing to die down, with the farmer unions also now joining hands with the family and the 1158 Assistant Professors and Librarians Front in the struggle to get justice for her. Kaur's body was fished out from Sirhind canal in Rupnagar district on Monday afternoon, but it has not been cremated yet. The family hasn't allowed the authorities to do postmortem till now. Apart from the action already taken by police against the husband and father-in-law of Kaur, the family of Kaur is also seeking action as per the suicide note in which Kaur had purportedly highlighted her struggles to secure employment and named Education Minister Harjot Bains. While the 1158 Assistant Professors and Librarians Front has been camping near the house of Bains in his native village of Gambhirpur from the past 56 days now, demanding jobs, police case against the minister – now a new dharna has also been launched outside the Rupnagar civil hospital, where Kaur's body has been kept in the mortuary. “The 1158 Assistant Professors and Librarians Front and the farmer unions have joined hands with the family in this struggle. Balwinder Kaur ended her life after a long wait for job, and now we want action as per law,” said Pritpal Singh, member of the 1158 Assistant Professors and Librarians Front, while speaking to The Indian Express. BKU Ugrahan, the largest farmer union of Punjab, has also extended support to the family of Kaur. Talking to The Indian Express, BKU Ugrahan general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan said, “We are standing by the protesting family and are extending our full support to the struggling teachers. It is a matter of shame that in a country like India, highly qualified people have to sit on roads seeking a posting for their appointment.” Kaur was among the candidates who were protesting as part of the 1158 Assistant Professors and Librarians Front. As per Kaur’s purported suicide note, the Congress government had issued appointment letters to several people, including her, in December 2021 for the post of assistant professor. However, before she could get the posting order, the matter reached a court, where it is pending. Political parties have been rallying behind the 1158 Assistant Professors and Librarians Front and the family of Kaur from day one of the incident (October 21) and have been demanding action against the minister. A family member said that they were given assurance on Monday by the authorities that action would also be taken as per suicide note on Tuesday, but nothing has been done till now. Meanwhile, the protesting teachers burnt effigies of Bains and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in the evening to mark their protest on Dussehra. Samyukta Kisan Morcha – Punjab unit, and five other kisan organisations have also extended their support to the teachers and Kaur's family. On Wednesday, farmers are expected to gather in large numbers outside the Rupnagar civil hospital and at Gambhirpur village too. Balbir Singh Rajewal from BKU Rajewal and Prem Singh Bhangu from All India Kisan Federation said, “From the suicide note written by Balwinder Kaur, a case of abetment to suicide under Section 306 of the IPC is clear against Minister Harjot Bains whose name figures more than once in the note. Kaur categorically wrote that Bains was responsible for her death because he did not even meet them, let alone conceding to their demands. We are demanding registration of a case and immediate arrest of the minister. Also, the demands of the protesting teachers should be immediately met. The 1158 Assistant Professors and Librarians Front has been protesting for joining duty and release of salaries from the date of receiving appointment letters in December 21,” they said. Though the appointments were stayed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the government failed to plead their case properly in the court, they alleged. Meanwhile on Tuesday BJP state president Sunil Jakhar visited the civil hospital and met the family at their home. He also went to the dharna site at Gambhirpur village in Rupnagar where he addressed the protesters. Blaming the ruling AAP government’s “haughtiness” for the death of Kaur, the Punjab BJP president urged all Punjabis to “come together as one to force this callous regime into submission”. “It is astonishing that they have already named the deceased's husband and father-in-law for abetment to suicide without any proof – ostensibly to save the state education minister whose name is mentioned in the suicide note – and as alleged has mocked and ridiculed the struggle of teachers sitting on dharna. By manufacturing other reasons for the suicide, (the government is) typically trying to distract and divert the attention of people,” Jakhar said. Sharing his condolences with the family of the deceased woman, the veteran leader assured them of “taking their fight for justice for their daughter to the logical end”. Jakhar added, “I am here to share your grief, anguish and frustration. Parents do so much for the studies of their children to make them self-reliant.” Slamming the AAP leadership, he said, “These are the same leaders who had promised that Punjab would be dharna-free and that there would be no farmer suicides. Thanks to them, Punjab today has dharna in every district and besides farmers, our students and teachers are also up in arms against this inept and incompetent government. Punjabis are known to not tolerate injustice and this government must not test their patience anymore.” Kaur’s husband Supreet Singh and father-in-law Bagh Singh were nabbed and remanded in police custody after an alleged examination of her phone revealed messages in which she claimed to be upset over the daily disputes at home and her intention to take the extreme step.
