Punjab: Teachers hold protest over deaths, injuries during election duty
Babushahi Bureau
Mansa (Punjab), December 16, 2025: Various teachers’ unions on Tuesday staged a district-level protest in Mansa demanding justice for teachers who lost their lives or were injured while performing Zila Parishad and Block Samiti election duties.
After holding a sit-in, the protesting teachers also carried out a symbolic effigy-burning demonstration against the Punjab government and the State Election Commission and submitted a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister of Punjab.
The protest was triggered by the tragic deaths of teacher Jaskaran Bhullar and his wife, teacher Kamaljit Kaur, who lost their lives on December 14 while travelling for election duty in Moga district when their car fell into a water canal. In a similar incident, associate teacher Rajveer Kaur was injured in Munak (Sangrur district) after her car also plunged into a canal.
Another teacher, education provider Parmjit Kaur, was injured in an accident in Patran, Patiala district. Teachers alleged that such incidents were the result of arbitrary duty allotments and negligence by the Election Commission and the Punjab government.
Addressing the protest, teachers’ leaders Narinder Makha, Amolak Delauna, Karamjit Tamkot, Darshan Alisher, Vijay Budhlada and Rajwinder Meer demanded that the families of the deceased teachers be provided ₹2 crore compensation each, to be deposited in the names of their children. They further demanded that the government bear the full cost of the children’s education and reserve government jobs for them.
For teachers injured in Munak, Patran and other places, the unions demanded ₹20 lakh compensation, full government-funded medical treatment, and that the recovery period be treated as on-duty service. They also called for withdrawal of FIRs allegedly registered against teachers during election duties.
The protesting unions demanded that in future, election duties be assigned only within teachers’ residential or working blocks, that BLO duties and other non-teaching responsibilities be withdrawn, and that small children’s mothers and seriously ill teachers be exempted from poll duty. They also urged the government to ensure proper arrangements for food, stay and safety at polling booths.
Union leaders Harjinder Singh, Lakhwinder Mann, Sukhvir Singh Babbi, Rajwinder Singh Behniwal and Mela Singh, among others, alleged that repeated representations to the government and the Election Commission had been ignored. They termed the deaths as a result of “administrative failure” and warned that if justice is not delivered soon, the agitation will be intensified further.
A large number of teachers from across the district participated in the protest.