West Bengal Teachers Rally: A March for Justice Amid Job Cancellations

Security Measures Heightened for Teacher Protest in Kolkata

Kolkata: The area surrounding the West Bengal secretariat, Nabanna, located in Howrah district near Kolkata, was placed under tight security on Monday. This was in response to a rally organized by the 'Jogyo Shikshak-Shikshika Adhikar Mancha' (Untainted Teachers’ Rights Forum), representing teachers who lost their jobs following a Supreme Court ruling that annulled 25,753 school appointments in the state.

Participants of the rally are expected to gather near Howrah station around noon before marching towards the state secretariat. Authorities have implemented strict measures to ensure that the protesters do not approach the secretariat.

Barricades have been erected at all entry points leading to the state secretariat, and roads from nearby railway stations have also been secured.

In addition, extra CCTV cameras have been installed throughout the vicinity of the secretariat, and more police personnel have been deployed in and around the area to maintain order.

Coincidentally, a significant meeting of the West Bengal cabinet is scheduled to take place at the secretariat later in the afternoon. Representatives from the forum have expressed frustration, stating that neither the state government nor the West Bengal School Service Commission has addressed their request for the publication of separate lists identifying 'untainted' and 'tainted' teachers.

"If the segregated lists had been made public, we would not have endured such hardships. Instead, the state government seems to be favoring the 'tainted' teachers. Thus, we have no choice but to organize this march to the secretariat," a representative from the forum stated.

On April 3, a Supreme Court bench led by then Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna upheld a prior ruling from the Calcutta High Court that invalidated 25,753 school appointments made by the WBSSC.

The Supreme Court noted that the entire panel needed to be dissolved due to the authorities' inability to differentiate between 'tainted' and 'untainted' candidates.

Following this, both the state government and the WBSSC have filed petitions for a review of the Supreme Court's decision.