The Crossbill News Desk
Around 500 teachers whose appointments were recently annulled by the Supreme Court marched through the streets of Kolkata on Thursday (April 10), demanding justice and clarity from the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC).
Claiming they were “eligible” and not involved in the recruitment scam, these teachers voiced their opposition to being unfairly grouped with “tainted” candidates from the controversial 2016 recruitment process, which has since been invalidated.
The demonstration, led by the Jogyo Sikshak Manch (Eligible Teachers’ Forum), followed a Supreme Court verdict on April 3 that upheld a 2024 Calcutta High Court order cancelling the appointment of 25,753 teaching and non-teaching staff. The apex court termed the recruitment process “vitiated and tainted.”
The massive rally was also organised as an expression of solidarity and protest, following Wednesday’s incident in Kasba where several protestors were injured in a police crackdown.
“We hit the streets to voice the demands of deserving teachers that they should not be penalised for the failure of the School Service Commission (SSC) to differentiate between the deserving and tainted candidates who sat for the recruitment tests in 2016 and got appointment letters,” said Mehboob Mondal, a spokesperson for the forum, told news agency PTI.
Mondal also alleged that police resorted to lathicharge and physical assault when the group tried to submit a deputation to the District Inspector of Schools' office.
“We can’t even protest democratically against the snatching of our jobs due to large-scale corruption by the state government. So where should we go now? We are on the roads finding no other alternative” he asked.
Also read: SSC Scam Fallout: Protesting Jobless Teachers Face Police Lathi-Charge in Bengal
The rally moving towards Esplanade. Image by arrangement.
Starting from Sealdah and converging at Dharmatala and Esplanade, the rally drew participation from education workers, doctors, professionals from other fields, and public figures.
Actor Badshah Moitra, who joined the march, said, “These teachers have lost their jobs because of the government’s incompetence. This isn’t just their loss—it’s a blow to the entire education system. The student-teacher ratio is already poor.”
Marchers carried placards demanding the publication of a clear list distinguishing “tainted” and “untainted” candidates. Many wore black badges to signify their protest and demanded accountability for police personnel involved in the Kasba incident.
A report on the police action in Kasba is expected to be submitted to Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma by DC (South Suburbs) Bidisha Kalita.
Despite the tense backdrop, Thursday’s rallies proceeded peacefully under heavy police deployment. Protestors stressed that their fight was not just for reinstatement, but also to expose corruption within the SSC and demand a transparent review of appointments.
Meanwhile, the CBI and Enforcement Directorate continue to investigate the 2016 recruitment scam, which has already led to the arrests of former education minister Partha Chatterjee and other senior officials.
Claiming they were “eligible” and not involved in the recruitment scam, these teachers voiced their opposition to being unfairly grouped with “tainted” candidates from the controversial 2016 recruitment process, which has since been invalidated.
The demonstration, led by the Jogyo Sikshak Manch (Eligible Teachers’ Forum), followed a Supreme Court verdict on April 3 that upheld a 2024 Calcutta High Court order cancelling the appointment of 25,753 teaching and non-teaching staff. The apex court termed the recruitment process “vitiated and tainted.”
The massive rally was also organised as an expression of solidarity and protest, following Wednesday’s incident in Kasba where several protestors were injured in a police crackdown.
“We hit the streets to voice the demands of deserving teachers that they should not be penalised for the failure of the School Service Commission (SSC) to differentiate between the deserving and tainted candidates who sat for the recruitment tests in 2016 and got appointment letters,” said Mehboob Mondal, a spokesperson for the forum, told news agency PTI.
Mondal also alleged that police resorted to lathicharge and physical assault when the group tried to submit a deputation to the District Inspector of Schools' office.
“We can’t even protest democratically against the snatching of our jobs due to large-scale corruption by the state government. So where should we go now? We are on the roads finding no other alternative” he asked.
Also read: SSC Scam Fallout: Protesting Jobless Teachers Face Police Lathi-Charge in Bengal
The rally moving towards Esplanade. Image by arrangement.Starting from Sealdah and converging at Dharmatala and Esplanade, the rally drew participation from education workers, doctors, professionals from other fields, and public figures.
Actor Badshah Moitra, who joined the march, said, “These teachers have lost their jobs because of the government’s incompetence. This isn’t just their loss—it’s a blow to the entire education system. The student-teacher ratio is already poor.”
Marchers carried placards demanding the publication of a clear list distinguishing “tainted” and “untainted” candidates. Many wore black badges to signify their protest and demanded accountability for police personnel involved in the Kasba incident.
A report on the police action in Kasba is expected to be submitted to Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma by DC (South Suburbs) Bidisha Kalita.
Despite the tense backdrop, Thursday’s rallies proceeded peacefully under heavy police deployment. Protestors stressed that their fight was not just for reinstatement, but also to expose corruption within the SSC and demand a transparent review of appointments.
Meanwhile, the CBI and Enforcement Directorate continue to investigate the 2016 recruitment scam, which has already led to the arrests of former education minister Partha Chatterjee and other senior officials.
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