Sacked teachers start relay hunger strike over job loss, police action

Kolkata: A group of teachers who lost their jobs following a Supreme Court verdict that invalidated their appointments have begun a relay hunger strike, protesting both the loss of employment and alleged police action against their fellow demonstrators.

The protest follows the apex court's April 3 decision to uphold a 2024 Calcutta High Court order that cancelled the recruitment of 25,753 teaching and non-teaching staff selected through a 2016 School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment drive, deeming the entire selection process "vitiated and tainted."

Teachers and staff affected by the ruling gathered outside the West Bengal School Service Commission office in Salt Lake’s Acharya Sadan, where they launched a sit-in demonstration on Wednesday night. One of the protesters told reporters that they have begun a relay hunger strike with a single teacher and plan to intensify their agitation in the coming days.

The demonstrators also condemned the alleged police action against their peers during a protest held at the district inspector (DI) of schools’ office in Kasba, South Kolkata, on Wednesday. They claimed law enforcement personnel resorted to baton-charging, and several of them were kicked and pushed during the agitation.

According to the jobless teachers, the SSC failed to distinguish between those who gained employment through fraudulent means and those who followed due process, leading to the blanket cancellation of appointments and their subsequent dismissal.

The protesters have vowed to continue their demonstration until a resolution is reached.

With PTI inputs