Teachers Resume Protest in Kolkata After Supreme Court Job Termination Ruling

GG News Bureau
Kolkata, 16th May: Protesting teachers in West Bengal reignited their agitation outside the state’s Education Department headquarters in Salt Lake on Friday, a day after violent clashes erupted between demonstrators and police. The ongoing protest follows a recent Supreme Court verdict that nullified the appointments of over 25,000 teaching and non-teaching staff recruited through the 2016 School Service Commission (SSC) process.

The apex court cited widespread irregularities and corruption in the recruitment procedure as the basis for the sweeping decision, which upheld an earlier Calcutta High Court ruling. Despite the legal setback, affected teachers have refused to relent, demanding permanent reinstatement without having to sit for a fresh recruitment examination.

“We demand immediate talks with the chief minister,” said Chinmoy Mondal, a forum leader from the Deserving Teachers’ Rights Forum. “We’ve called on thousands of teachers, civil society members, and supporters to assemble outside Bikash Bhavan at 3 PM to intensify our movement.”

The atmosphere outside Bikash Bhavan remained tense, as several injured teachers returned to continue their sit-in. Many protestors, including women, reportedly spent the night camped outside the building. One protester, Mehboob Mondal, claimed that around 100 teachers were injured during Thursday’s police crackdown.

Despite police requests to clear the area and allow Education Department employees to leave, the demonstrators stood firm. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Bidhannagar) Anish Sarkar confirmed the standoff, attributing it to the protesters’ refusal to disperse.

The Supreme Court bench, headed by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar, delivered its verdict on April 3, backing the Calcutta High Court’s April 22, 2024, order that invalidated the recruitment of 25,752 staff in over 19,000 government-run schools. The judiciary criticized the West Bengal School Service Commission and the state government for their failure to separate tainted candidates from those who may have been recruited fairly.

The mass termination has sparked fears over potential disruption in the functioning of schools across the state, even as the protest outside Bikash Bhavan continues to grow in strength and urgency.