25,000 Teachers and Staff Protest for Justice after SC Cancels Appointments in Kolkata

Over 25,000 teachers and non-teaching staff of West Bengal have planned a collective protest in Kolkata following the cancellation of their appointments by the Supreme Court on the basis of mass malpractices and irregularities that occurred during the recruitment process under the 2016 School Service Commission (SSC) selection process. The Supreme Court, drawing inspiration from massive malpractices and irregularities in the recruitment, had directed the cancellation of these posts—leaving the individuals concerned in shock and dismay.

The protesters, consisting of clerks, group-D employees of government-aided schools and assistant teachers, claim that they had been selected in a clean manner and were now being held guilty for others' mistakes. The majority claim that they had cleared the interview and SSC examination stages in fair ways and were serving in the positions for more than five years.

The protest, going on currently at Shahid Minar in Kolkata and other well-known places, is a relay hunger strike and sit-in demonstration. Protestors are holding banners that read "We are not cheats," and "Don't punish the innocent," and requesting the state government and judiciary scrutinize individual cases and reinstate those who were appointed fairly.

Some of the protestors have accused the police of manhandling them during recent crackdowns, and reports of rough handling and forcible removals during the sit-in have caused an uproar. Footage of elderly teachers being dragged around and others collapsing in tears has gone viral, causing public outrage and igniting political controversy.

Protest leaders are demanding a middle path from the state and central governments that doesn't endanger the very existence of thousands of families. "We are not asking for charity," said one protestor. "We want what we deserved."

While the Supreme Court has directed the SSC to reopen a new selection process, what happens to the terminated staff has yet to be decided. West Bengal's state government has pleaded for calm and promised legal counseling, but tensions continue to seethe.

As the protests mount, all now hold their breath to witness how both the judiciary and the state shall respond to this administrative and human crisis shaking the very foundations of trust within public recruitment processes.