Demonstrating teachers without employment, numbering around fifty, were apprehended while marching towards the state secretariat in Bengal.
In Kolkata, West Bengal, nearly 50 teachers who lost their positions due to a Supreme Court ruling annulling 25,753 school appointments, marched in protest on Tuesday. Led by the Deserving Teachers' Rights Forum, the educators aimed to reach the state secretariat (Nabanna) to demand their reinstatement and oppose fresh recruitment exams.
The demonstrators, many baring their torsos as a symbol of the education department's current state, were met with police action. About 50 protesters were detained for holding an unauthorized rally and allegedly displaying obscenity in public, according to law enforcement sources. Teachers and supporters criticized the police for using aggressive tactics, accusing them of rough handling amidst peaceful protests.
Large crowds gathered at Sealdah Station and Esplanade, approximately 2 kilometers apart, preparing to begin their march. However, police personnel deployed at the sites prevented their progress, citing potential disruptions to public order. The teachers voiced frustration, explaining they continued their teaching assignments until the end of the current academic year, but remain uncertain about their future job prospects.
In a symbolic act of protest, some demonstrators removed their shirts, further fueling the debate. The Deputy Commissioner, Indira Mukherjee, confirmed one protester sustained a leg injury during a scuffle with female officers in the Esplanade area. The injured individual was immediately admitted to the nearby state-run medical college hospital for treatment. Mukherjee stated that police was unable to comment on the teachers' demands or movement but had received warnings about potential law and order issues.
Police conducted ID checks in the surrounding area and boarded public buses to search for hidden protesters. The teachers have been staging an indefinite sit-in for the past 22 days outside the West Bengal Education Department headquarters, continuing their quest for job security following the Supreme Court's April 3 decision.
In a separate development, the state government on Wednesday night issued a recruitment notification for over 40,000 teachers. The recent decision offers additional marks to candidates with prior teaching experience in government and government-aided schools.
The teachers' efforts echo the tragic case of 35-year-old Prabin Karmakar, an ailing teacher from Murshidabad who reportedly succumbed to the stress caused by the uncertainty surrounding his future. Forum Spokesperson Chinmoy Mondal urged the state government to seek an early hearing of its review petition in the Supreme Court, voicing concerns for deserving and untainted teachers who should not be compelled to retake exams due to the School Service Commission's mistakes.
- The teachers' protest, led by the Deserving Teachers' Rights Forum, aimed to reach the state secretariat (Nabanna) in Kolkata, India, to demand reinstatement and oppose fresh recruitment exams, sparking general-news discussions.
- Police action was taken when the educators, many baring their torsos as a symbol, marched towards Nabanna, resulting in the detention of about 50 protesters for alleged obscenity and holding an unauthorized rally.
- Crime-and-justice reports indicated that one protester sustained a leg injury during a scuffle with female officers, adding fuel to the teachers' claims of police aggression in peaceful protests.
- In a move that may further intensify the debate, the West Bengal government issued a recruitment notification for over 40,000 teachers on Wednesday night, offering additional marks to candidates with prior teaching experience, raising questions about the future job prospects of the protesters.
