Sacked Bengal Teachers Head to Delhi, Demand Reinstatement on Martyrs’ Day

Over 200 dismissed school teachers from West Bengal, who were declared “untainted” but lost their jobs following the 2016 SSC recruitment scam, began a four-day protest journey to Delhi on Sunday, coinciding with the Trinamool Congress’s Martyrs’ Day rally.

Organised under the banner of Joggo Shikshak Shikika Adhikar Manch, the group boarded trains from Howrah, Sealdah, and Malda, aiming to raise national attention about their plight. Their plan includes submitting memoranda to the President, Prime Minister, and key Parliament leaders, followed by a mass convention in Delhi.

Mehboob Mandal, a protesting teacher, accused the state government of punishing innocent candidates due to systemic corruption. “They are observing Martyrs’ Day, but we are the real martyrs of their misdeeds,” he said.

Following a Supreme Court ruling on April 17, nearly 26,000 teacher appointments were scrapped over recruitment irregularities. While 15,403 were later deemed “untainted,” they too remain unemployed. Recent Calcutta High Court directives barred “tainted” candidates from fresh applications, adding to the tension.

Dissatisfied with a limited meeting with the state’s Chief Secretary last week, the teachers now seek central intervention for direct reinstatement without reappearing for exams.