The ongoing agitation by thousands of West Bengal teachers, whose appointments were cancelled following a Supreme Court order, continues to intensify, with protestors now planning to expand their movement beyond the state and take it to the national capital. These teachers and non-teaching staff were among the 25,753 individuals whose recruitment through the 2016 School Service Commission (SSC) was declared “vitiated and tainted” by the apex court on April 3.
According to PTI, the teachers remain resolute in their refusal to appear for fresh recruitment tests and have accused the state government of failing to protect the interests of candidates who had cleared the exams fairly and were employed for years in state-aided schools.
“We want the nation to know the injustice done to thousands of meritorious candidates who cleared the 2016 SSC exams through sheer effort and dedication,” said Brindaban Ghosh, a member of the Deserving Teachers’ Rights Forum. “We are not ready for any fresh tests. We served for years — it is inhuman to make us reappear now.”
A six-member delegation from the Forum met with Principal Education Secretary Vinod Kumar and Secretary Subhra Chakraborty at Bikash Bhavan on Monday to seek redressal. While the officials conveyed their sympathy and assured the delegation that the state was exploring all legal avenues, the protestors said they would only issue an official response after internal discussions, as the talks were not immediately deemed positive.
According to PTI, the delegation urged the state to present the available mirror OMR answer sheets of all candidates to the court in order to distinguish between “tainted” and “untainted” appointments. They argued that only a small percentage of the recruitment had been compromised due to irregularities and questioned why every selected candidate should be penalised.
“If a small percentage was involved in illegalities, why should every eligible candidate be victimised?” Ghosh asked. “With all humility, we again urge the state government to ensure that the tainted ones are singled out by checking every OMR sheet of about 26,000 candidates.”
Forum member Habibur Rahman also appealed to the Supreme Court to consider the protestors’ situation from a humanitarian perspective. “Even if there was miscommunication between the SC bench and the state over the issue in previous hearings, we now humbly urge the apex court to consider our situation. Many of us are struggling — some are suffering from chronic illnesses like cancer, and others are facing severe personal and financial crises,” he said.
The protestors expressed disappointment over the lack of engagement from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Education Minister Bratya Basu, despite the ongoing demonstrations. “The two top education officials voiced their sympathy and said they would communicate our demands to the government. But certain issues require direct intervention at the ministerial level,” Rahman said, adding that they would send a fresh request for a face-to-face meeting with the Education Minister.
Meanwhile, the protest at Bikash Bhavan, which has now entered its third week, has seen rising tensions. On May 15, nearly 1,000 demonstrators entered the premises of the education department and refused to allow state employees to exit until they were given assurances that no fresh recruitment test would be conducted. The standoff escalated when police resorted to a lathi-charge to disperse the crowd, injuring several protestors.
Following a Calcutta High Court directive, the protest site is now being shifted to Central Park in Salt Lake to avoid traffic disruptions and public inconvenience.
As per the Supreme Court’s order, the SSC is expected to issue a fresh recruitment notification by May 31. However, the protesting teachers have categorically rejected this directive. “We don’t want any new notification. Let the government consult legal experts and present our situation to the honourable judges. We are asking for a new panel of untainted candidates, not new exams,” Ghosh said.
Education Minister Bratya Basu addressed the issue on Sunday, urging protestors to maintain peace and trust the government. He reassured them that all legal options were being considered and reiterated that those deemed “untainted” would remain on the payroll and continue working until the new recruitment cycle concludes by December 31. However, he also cautioned the protestors against allowing political motivations to co-opt their movement.
Despite these assurances, the teachers remain firm in their stand. “We are exploring all legal options and will take this protest across the country if necessary,” Ghosh told reporters. “The ball is now in the Supreme Court’s court.”
With the May 31 deadline drawing closer and no visible resolution, the standoff between the terminated teachers and the state government shows signs of deepening, even as the crisis edges closer to becoming a national flashpoint
