• Source:JND
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Bengal teachers, who lost their jobs after Supreme Court orders over allegations of irregularities in their recruitment in the state, clashed with the police and broke during a protest on Thursday. The demonstrators broke open the main door of Bikash Bhavan, the headquarters of the West Bengal Education Department in Salt Lake, Kolkata.  

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Over 1,000 dismissed teachers, classified as “not specifically tainted” and permitted to continue teaching until December, have been staging a sit-in outside Bikash Bhavan since Wednesday afternoon. The protest, part of the “Bikash Bhawan Abhijan,” targets the School Education Department and the School Service Commission (SSC) for allegedly filing a Supreme Court review petition without consulting them.

A large contingent of police, along with personnel from the Rapid Action Force (RAF), was deployed at the protest site, with tear gas vehicles kept on standby.

The protesters, who had been shouting slogans outside the building since noon, are refusing to disperse. They are demanding that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee personally assure them that they will not be required to sit for recruitment tests again.

Mehaboob Mondol, spokesperson of the protesting sacked teachers, said, “They did not consult us or our lawyers before filing the review petition. Never before had anyone seen teachers breaking gates like this. But now our patience has run out. Surprisingly, an elected public representative (Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation chairman Sabyasachi Dutta) along with his supporters assaulted the protesting teachers with helmets. The Chief Minister has to intervene immediately as only she can resolve the matter. We are tired of speaking to the Education Minister. We will not allow any notification to be published.”

“The state is not taking any initiative. Why should we take responsibility for the wrongs done by others?” she added. 

Another protester said, “Why should we suffer when we gave no bribes? Why should we appear in the examination again? We got the job only after taking the exam.”

Later, some protesters tore down the barricades and forced open the building's main gates. When police attempted to push them back, the crowd responded with retaliation.

Why Are Bengal Teachers Protesting?

The Supreme Court ordered on April 7, the dismissal of 25,000 teachers and non-teaching staff recruited through the West Bengal School Service Commission in 2016, citing widespread irregularities in the selection process. 

"In our opinion, this is a case wherein the entire selection process has been vitiated and tainted beyond resolution. Manipulations and frauds on a large scale, coupled with the attempted cover-up, have dented the selection process beyond repair and partial redemption. The credibility and legitimacy of the selection are denied," the court had said.

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However, later the court granted relief to 'untainted' teachers, those not found linked to any irregularities during the investigation, taking into account the impact on students. This relief is limited to teachers instructing classes 9 to 12.