Jobless teachers begin relay hunger strike over SC order & police action

A section of teachers who lost their jobs following a Supreme Court verdict has launched a relay hunger strike in Salt Lake, Kolkata, in protest against the decision and the recent police crackdown on their fellow protestors. The apex court upheld a 2024 Calcutta High Court ruling that annulled the recruitment of over 25,000 teaching and non-teaching staff due to a flawed selection process by the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC).

The teachers, joined by some staff members, initiated the hunger strike on Thursday, with one teacher starting the protest and others expected to join in rotation. They are also protesting the alleged police brutality at the District Inspector of Schools' office in Kasba, where a demonstration turned violent on Wednesday.

“We started a relay hunger strike agitation with one teacher at the beginning and will soon chalk out further programs,” said one of the protesters stationed outside the SSC office at Acharya Sadan in Salt Lake. Protesters have been camping there since Wednesday night.

The teachers alleged that during the Kasba agitation, police used batons, pushed, and even kicked protestors, leaving several injured. Many have condemned the force used against those who were peacefully demanding justice and clarity on their employment status.

The Supreme Court, on April 3, upheld a Calcutta High Court ruling that had declared the 2016 SSC recruitment drive as tainted, leading to the cancellation of 25,753 appointments. While the court acknowledged large-scale irregularities, the affected teachers argued that not all candidates were fraudulent, and many were caught in the crossfire due to SSC’s failure to separate the genuine from the undeserving.