Hundreds of teachers Monday protested in front of the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) office in Kolkata, and said they would not stop until the state government issues the list of eligible and ineligible teachers, as they called a mega rally Tuesday.
Shouting the slogan “we want justice” in front of Acharya Sadan, the teachers also called upon all sections of society to show solidarity with their movement. While a section of junior doctors, who were involved in the protest after RG Kar rape and murder case, went to SSC office to show solidarity with the teachers, Abhaya Mancha said it would support them.
At midnight, a huge contingent of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) was deployed in front of the SSC office. However, protesting teachers said they are afraid of the police or facing bullets, and will continue their agitation.
After WBSSC failed to release the list Monday evening of those who cleared 2016 SSC, and whose jobs were annulled by the Supreme Court earlier this month, leading to the termination of the services of over 25,000 teaching and non-teaching staff from state-run and aided schools, the teachers launched an indefinite sit-in outside Acharya Sadan.
Siddhartha Majumdar, Chairman, SS,C said he would speak to lawyers before making any statement on the issue after a meeting with a 13-member delegation of the protesting teachers ended in a deadlock Monday night.
SSC sources said the government would follow the Supreme Court’s order of April 17 extending the services of “untainted” candidates until December 31, and directing it to complete fresh recruitments by then.
West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu, who said they would publish a list of “tainted” and “untainted candidates” by 6 pm on April 21, also confirmed Majumdar’s stance. “SSC said they will publish a list and a mirror image of the OMR sheet after consulting a legal expert. But they did not give positive feedback, and so, SSC decided not to publish that list. We will file a review petition very soon. They (protesting teachers) should have faith in us. Now, what they will do is their decision.”
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