Kolkata: Teachers and non-teaching staff who lost their jobs following a recent Supreme Court verdict have announced a month-long agitation, set to begin on Monday. The protestors, under the banner of Jogyo Shikshak Shikshika Adhikar Mancha, have outlined a series of protests including a march to Raj Bhavan, a sit-in at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar and hunger strike programmes.
Chinmoy Mondal, one of the affected teachers, said the movement would intensify from Monday. “We are inviting retired judges and legal experts to discuss the crisis and seek their opinions on the matter,” he said. Also on Monday, a group of 50-60 protestors will leave Kolkata for Delhi by bus to participate in a sit-in at Jantar Mantar on April 16. The delegation plans to distribute awareness leaflets in the states they pass through.
Among the major events scheduled is the Raj Bhavan Abhijan on April 22, during which a large rally will start from Sealdah and proceed towards the Y-Channel in Dharmatala at noon. Protestors will seek the intervention of the President of India through the Governor. From April 17, teachers and supportive government employees will wear badges reading “Qualified Teacher” as a mark of protest. State-wide signature campaigns and roadside conventions will also be held. The agitation is expected to escalate in May, with a relay hunger strike planned from May 1 to 7, followed by an indefinite hunger strike beginning May 8 if their demands remain unmet. A small group had earlier staged a hunger strike in front of the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) office, which they called off on Sunday.
The teachers have appealed to all political parties not to politicise their movement. “We do not want our cause to be used for political mileage. We only seek justice and we want it with dignity,” Mondal said.
Responding to reports of some teachers returning to school, the protestors alleged that they were being made to sign blank sheets instead of the official attendance register. “This is deeply humiliating. We will not return to schools unless it is with dignity. We seek honour, not charity,” they declared.