Teacher unions demand Rs 2 crore compensation after Gurdaspur teacher's suicide
Two days after Gurpreet Singh, a government school teacher deputed for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Gurdaspur, allegedly died by suicide, teachers' organisations have demanded compensation for his family. The Democratic Teachers' Front (DTF) has sought monetary compensation of Rs 2 crore for the deceased's family, condemning the incident and seeking accountability from authorities.
Gurpreet Singh was a teacher at Government Primary School, Bhaini Mian Khan, and had been assigned the role of Booth Level Officer (BLO) for the SIR exercise. His wife is also a government school teacher.
DTF alleges double duties led to stress
According to the DTF, Gurpreet was performing double duties. “Apart from SIR, he was also engaged in the Drug Social Survey. Many teachers in Gurdaspur are performing multiple non-academic duties, while single-teacher schools, especially in rural border areas, remain shut because there are no teachers available to conduct classes,” alleged Harjinder Singh Wadala, district president of the DTF (Gurdaspur).
Harjinder Singh Wadala said, “He died while performing his duty. Besides, it was the stress of carrying out non-academic work that allegedly drove him to take the extreme step. The authorities concerned must take responsibility.”
Teacher unions plan protest meeting with Deputy Commissioner
The Democratic Teachers’ Front (Punjab) and other joint teachers’ organisations have decided to meet the Gurdaspur Deputy Commissioner on July 13 to submit a written memorandum of protest. They demand that the government investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident, provide adequate support to the bereaved family, and reduce the burden of non-teaching duties on teachers.
Before the SIR exercise began in Punjab, several teachers had objected to being assigned Booth Level Officer duties, arguing that the exercise would disrupt classroom teaching and add to the burden of non-academic work. Teacher unions are now describing Gurpreet’s death as a tragic consequence of excessive administrative pressure on teachers.
