Uniformed Police Enters Classroom, Commandos Beat Up Journalist

On 5 Aug, a police team entered a pre-primary classroom at a government school in Bathinda to prevent a teacher from participating in a protest for regularization of services to be held 150 km away in Ludhiana. Despite the presence of three to six-year-old children, the uniformed officers remained in the classroom for six hours, from 8 am until the school's closing at 2 pm. The teacher Veerpal Kaur Sidhana said she had no plans to attend the protest where Panjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann was addressing a public meeting. Sidhana is the state president of the Shaheed Kiranjit Kaur Pre-Primary Associate Adhyapak (Teachers) Union, Panjab. Calling the presence of police personnel in uniform in her classroom a direct attack on her rights, Sidhana said, 'The real face of the so-called Sikhiya Kranti (Education Revolution) of the Aam Admi Party govt has been unmasked.' The Democratic Teacher Front state president, Digvijay Pal Sharma, said, ‘It is an unthinkable act of the police.’ After school hours, teachers lodged a formal protest with the Bathinda Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Amneet Kondal who said, ‘No order was issued to go to the school.’ In another incident, in a video gone viral, a police officer and another person in civilian clothes (also a policeman) in Batala can be seen repeatedly punching and kicking a journalist Balwinder Singh. The assault takes place in full public view. During the assault, Balwinder collapses into a water-filled pothole and lies motionless as the attackers walk away. The man in civilian clothing returns to kick the victim again. Moments later, the uniformed officer also returns, seemingly to check on the victim, before walking away. Balwinder remains motionless on the road while passersby continue to look on. Eventually, a group of locals rush to his aid, but the journalist appears unresponsive. Senior Superintendent of Police, Batala Suhail Qasim Mir said that the two attackers have been identified as Sub-Inspectors Mandeep Singh and Surjit Kumar from the 5th Battalion of the Punjab Police Commandos stationed in Bathinda.