Teachers protesting in front of Bikash Bhavan in Kolkata’s Salt Lake have refused to vacate the site despite the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate sending them a notice seeking the same, citing the “war-like situation” in the country in the wake of the India-Pakistan conflict.
Teachers under the banner of Jogya Shikshak Shikshika Adhikar Mancha (JSSAM) have been protesting their job losses with a sit-in since May 7 outside Bikash Bhavan, the headquarters of the state education department. This was after the Supreme Court in April annulled the appointments of over 25,000 teaching and non-teaching staff recruited through the 2016 West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) examinations.
On Friday, May 9, the Bidhannagar North police station sent a notice to the teachers which read, “This has been noticed that your organisation is holding a sit-in demonstration in front of Bikash Bhawan under Bidhannagar North police station. But considering the present war-like situation that our country is engaged in, in the interest of the country and to ensure that public services of different government departments, including emergency services, can function unhindered, you are directed to disperse from the said place immediately.”
Speaking to The Indian Express, Mehabub Mondol, spokesperson for JSSAM, said the police had sent them an email and tried to give them a hard copy of the letter but they did not accept it.
“We replied via mail asking if the home ministry had issued any such directive (to evict protesters). We are doing a peaceful protest which will not cause any threat to anyone or compromise any national security. Let them show us any order from the home ministry, we will vacate the place immediately.”
The reply mail sent by the protesting teachers read, “We, the untainted teachers of JSSAM, are informed from your side that we have to quit our sit-in movement in front of Bikash Bhaban due to the present situation of the ongoing war. But we didn’t get any kind of order stating that we can’t continue our constitutional, peaceful sitting protest or peaceful rally from the Ministry of Home Affairs of India. Also, we did not get any kind of notice or court order regarding this matter. So we want to know from your side why you are asking us to quit our peaceful sitting protest.”
The protesting teachers claim that their sit-in protest dharna is to save their livelihood, and thus they will continue it until their demands are met. The teachers demand that those responsible for their current issues provide a permanent solution and reinstate them. Additionally, they want clarification on the state government’s position regarding the review petition. They also insist that no exams or notifications should be issued during this period.
The agitating teachers said that after the summer vacation, they will return to schools to teach classes, ensuring that students’ future is not affected. However, they said they will continue their protests until their demands are met.
On April 3, the Supreme Court upheld a Calcutta High Court verdict that invalidated the appointments of 25,752 teaching and non-teaching staff, saying the WBSSC selection process was “vitiated by manipulation and fraud”. It then ordered a fresh selection process to fill the vacancies.
Later, on April 17, the Supreme Court held that assistant teacher candidates found “untainted” in the recruitment process can continue teaching, provided the West Bengal government completes fresh recruitments by December 31.