In the Eye of the Storm: Soma Das Points to Education System Failures in Face of Mass Teacher Job Cancellations

During ordinary times, Soma Das would have been thrilled and relieved by the SSC ruling of the Supreme Court. She is not.

The cancer survivor is the sole one (among the 25,753) whose career is not at risk following the apex court on Thursday sanctioning the Calcutta High Court order to cancel the appointments of 25,752 teachers. Das was exempted on "humanitarian grounds" both by the HC and the SC. It might be a personal victory for her, but she doesn't celebrate as two of her fellow panel members are going to lose their jobs. Both, like her, are members of the 2016 SSC panel.

"How can I celebrate while I was one of the ones struggling against the job racket?" Das, now a teacher at Modhura High School in Birbhum, told TOI over phone.

"I cleared the exam on merit, and my name figured in the merit list. But I was appointed on the merit of the HC order passed by then HC judge Abhijit Ganguly, which, on humanitarian grounds, was upheld by the Supreme Court," she added. "I am aware of the fact that there are plenty of deserving teachers who had for years worked hard to get this appointment. They do not deserve such a death. It's a pure failure of the SSC, which did not prepare decent documents despite getting enough time to do so," Das added.

"I never wanted people to lose their jobs. Their fight was my fight as well. This decision is not acceptable to me because many others who were on the panel were also qualified. Owing to some carelessness on the part of the govt and SSC, it was not feasible to distinguish between the qualified and the ineligible," Das said.

Das was admitted to the Birbhum school following an April 18, 2022, order passed by the then HC judge Ganguly. She has to spend a lot of money on her follow-up treatment, which is still going on. "This is the only work for me and my family to live because my brother is still studying for govt jobs. Being a lower middle-class family, a govt job is the only way for us to live," she added further.

"Among us, there are two teachers who are listed here. Between them, the physical science teacher is the sole teacher in school teaching that subject. In such a case, the school will be faced with challenges in undertaking science classes."