Kolkata, 22 April (H.S.): After losing their jobs following the Supreme Court’s verdict declaring the 2016 teacher recruitment process illegal, nearly 2,000 dismissed teachers launched an indefinite sit-in protest outside the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) headquarters on Monday night. Their demand: immediate release of the revised list of eligible candidates — a promise yet unfulfilled even weeks after the top court's ruling.

The protesting teachers, many of whom had been serving in government schools for years, say they have lost patience. The WBSSC had set a deadline of 6 PM on Monday for releasing the list, but when the commission failed to comply, protesters surrounded the office, attempted to breach police barricades, and clashed with security forces.

What triggered further outrage was the commission’s internal communication indicating it would recognize only the first three rounds of counselling out of the 12 rounds held in total. This means those who were appointed after the third round will be excluded from the new list of “eligible candidates,” potentially leaving thousands ineligible for reinstatement.

A tense meeting took place at the protest site between WBSSC Chairman Siddhartha Majumdar and a 13-member delegation representing the agitating teachers. The meeting began at 4:30 PM and continued late into the night. In a statement following the discussions, Majumdar assured that the commission would comply with the Supreme Court’s order and that all teachers who had worked would receive their due salaries. However, he gave no timeline for when the lists distinguishing between “tainted” and “untainted” candidates would be released.

The protesting teachers are now demanding not only the immediate release of the revised list but also the resignation of WBSSC Chairman Siddhartha Majumdar and State Education Minister Bratya Basu. In an escalated move, they also surrounded the adjacent Derozio Bhavan to prevent Board of Secondary Education Chairman Ramanuj Ganguly from leaving his office.

The protest began with a march from Karunamoyee Central Park to Acharya Sadan, the WBSSC headquarters, echoing with slogans demanding justice and transparency.

The demonstration has also received support from the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front, which had earlier taken to the streets demanding justice in the RG Kar Hospital rape and murder case.

The backdrop of this turmoil lies in the Supreme Court’s April 3 verdict, which highlighted massive irregularities in the 2016 recruitment drive and scrapped the entire selection list. As a result, over 26,000 teachers and non-teaching staff employed in government-aided schools have lost their jobs — many of whom had served for nearly a decade.

The teachers say this protest will not end until their demands are met and their dignity restored.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh