Govt cracks down on dismissed teachers’ protest; Issues show-cause notices to several ‘innocent’ teachers

The West Bengal government has issued show-cause notices to several dismissed teachers who have been protesting outside the state education department headquarters, Bikash Bhavan, in Salt Lake. These teachers were among the 25,753 whose appointments were cancelled following a Supreme Court order dated April 3, which upheld a Calcutta High Court verdict citing recruitment irregularities.

The notices, issued by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE), allege that on May 15, some teachers engaged in vandalism within the Bikash Bhavan premises and forcefully stayed inside the building until late night. The notices direct the recipients to submit written explanations within seven days of receipt. These teachers have been participating in a sit-in demonstration demanding a review of the dismissals.

On the evening of May 15, a confrontation took place when police took action against the demonstrators. Several teachers reportedly sustained injuries during the incident. The matter has since been taken up in the Calcutta High Court, where a single bench led by Justice Tirthankar Ghosh conducted a hearing on Wednesday.

During the hearing, Justice Ghosh directed that teachers who have received summons from Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate in connection with the protest must cooperate with the investigation process. At the same time, the court instructed police authorities not to arrest or harass any of the teachers at this stage of the proceedings.

The protestors have been demanding that the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) and the state government release a list that clearly separates ‘guilty’ and ‘innocent’ candidates. They argue that only those whose appointments were fraudulent should be removed, and others who were selected on merit should be reinstated. The Supreme Court’s April 3 order noted that since the authorities were unable to identify fraudulent candidates individually, the entire list of 25,753 appointments was cancelled.