Jobless teachers’ protest outside Bengal education dept hqs continue for 3rd day

School teachers, who lost their jobs following a Supreme Court order last month, continued their demonstration outside the West Bengal education department headquarters in Salt Lake, for the third day on Saturday, 17 May.

Around 1,000 teachers continued their sit-in outside the Bikash Bhavan throughout Friday night-Saturday morning peacefully as police personnel kept watch from a distance.

The teachers, who had cleared the 2016 School Service Commission (SSC) examination but lost their jobs after a Supreme Court order last month, are demanding that the state government take legal steps to reinstate them in their services.

The Supreme Court had invalidated the appointment of 25,753 teachers and other staff in state-aided schools and termed the entire selection process "vitiated and tainted".

Several protesters claimed that many members of the forum continued a sit-in outside the Bikash Bhavan throughout the night.

"We have urged thousands of teachers, civil society members and others to assemble outside the Bikash Bhavan at 3 pm on Friday to intensify our protest. We demand immediate talks with the chief minister," said Chinmoy Mondal, a forum leader and protesting teacher.

Senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari visited protesting jobless teachers on Friday to express his solidarity with their demands. During his visit, he made a strong political statement, declaring that the BJP will not allow the upcoming assembly session (scheduled next month) to proceed unless the issue of these teachers is formally discussed.

Adhikari, the leader of the Opposition, said he and other leaders of the party would extend all support to the eligible teachers in their battle.

"Our state president Sukanta Majumdar will also turn up at your protest site in a day or two. I will stay with you for the entire night one day. We will not allow the assembly session slated to be held in June if the ruling party attempts to scuttle our bid to raise your issue in the House. You lost your jobs for no fault of your part. You paid the price for the huge corruption by this state government," Adhikari said.