Teachers’ union demands suspended DAV professors be reinstated

The Chandigarh District Council of Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers’ Union (PCCTU) organised a dharna in Sector 17 on Saturday in support of the suspended office-bearers of the DAV College Teachers’ Union: president A Taneja,secretary Anil Sarwal and staff secretary Avanindra Chopra.

Teachers from seven aided colleges of Chandigarh took part in the dharna to express solidarity with their colleagues and demanded that they be reinstated. Professor Rakesh Mehta and Professor Rupinder Chatha,president and secretary of the council respectively,condemned the victimisation of their colleagues and demanded that the DAV management reviews its decision and not be “misled by the information provided by principal B C Josan”. The teachers also appealed Director,Higher Education and the Vice-Chancellor of Panjab University to intervene in the matter in the larger interest of the teaching fraternity. Another rally is scheduled to be held in Sector 17 on March 18.

Professor Jagwant Singh,general secretary of PCCTU,said: “The PCCTU general body will deliberate on the matter tomorrow in its meeting at SGGS College,Sector 26,and take appropriate steps to get the suspensions revoked at the earliest.” He also added that all DAV colleges in Punjab were observing a two-hour strike on a daily basis in support of their colleagues and would send delegations to Delhi soon to press for their demands.