In a growing protest against the fallout of the Supreme Court’s April 3 verdict that invalidated the jobs of over 26,000 candidates recruited through the 2016 School Service Commission (SSC) exams, three teachers have launched an indefinite hunger strike outside the West Bengal SSC Bhavan. The teachers—Pankaj Roy, Suman Biswas, and Pratap Kumar Saha—are demanding the immediate release of the Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheets and a clear distinction between “tainted” and “untainted” candidates.
The protest began on Thursday and entered its second day on Friday, with the teachers vowing not to withdraw until the SSC publishes the complete OMR list and formally identifies those whose appointments were free of irregularities.
“I am a political science teacher at Salaidanga High School in Malda with six years of service. I am not tainted,” said Pankaj Roy, one of the protesting teachers. He expressed frustration at the authorities, stating, “It is better to die than live in the current situation thrust upon us by the ineptitude of this council. Why can’t they inform the Supreme Court that we are not tainted?”
Echoing his sentiments, Suman Biswas of Nakasipara High School said, “This agitation won’t end until the SSC officially announces us as untainted. Whose interests are they serving?”
Adding to the emotional weight of the protest is the story of Rabindranath Saha, a visually challenged teacher from the Sagardighi block, who also lost his job after six years of service. “Though the Supreme Court made some concessions for candidates like us, that’s only temporary relief,” said Saha, a topper in school exams and a first-class postgraduate from Visva-Bharati University. He admitted that he hasn’t had the courage to inform his parents about the job loss, saying, “They think I’ve gone to school today like every other day. If I tell them the truth, I don’t know if they can bear the shock.”
Another teacher, Sanjoy Dango, who taught Life Science in Asansol, shared his regret about leaving his previous teaching post in Burnpur in 2016 for the SSC recruitment. “I was among the top five. Now we are facing an uncertain future. The SSC has not given me any assurance or a way to return to my previous job,” he said. Dango, who supports ailing parents, a child, and a brother, said he had chosen the new posting to be closer to home.
Despite the Supreme Court’s ruling offering limited temporary protection to some affected candidates, the teachers say they remain in limbo without clear communication from the SSC or the state’s School Education Department.
With the hunger strike intensifying, the pressure is mounting on the West Bengal government and SSC officials to address the grievances of these educators and provide transparency in the selection process that has upended thousands of lives.
Sources By Agencies
