Mamata vows to stand by ‘untainted’ recruits, says ‘will fight till last breath’

Kolkata: Extending her support to the thousands of teaching and non-teaching staff who lost their jobs in state-run and aided schools following the Supreme Court’s verdict in the SSC recruitment case, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday pledged to uphold the rights of “eligible candidates” affected by the decision.

She asserted her commitment to continue advocating for them, stating that she would persist in her efforts for justice as long as she is alive, even if it entails facing imprisonment. The Apex Court on April 3 upheld a Calcutta High Court order that invalidated the appointment of 25,753 teachers and staffers recruited by the West Bengal School Service Commission in 2016.

She instructed the teachers to continue their work at the schools where they were appointed.

“The government has not sent you termination letters. You can continue to teach the students,” she said, adding that nobody can stop them from doing “voluntary service” while the legal process unfolds.Banerjee said that she would first try to secure jobs for the “genuine teachers” and then review the evidence against the accused tainted teachers.

“If the evidence is (factual), we cannot help but if we find any loopholes, we will look into it,” she added.She advised formation of a small group of teachers who can meet state Education minister Bratya Basu for further clarifications.

“I will stand by those who have lost their jobs in an unjust manner. I don’t care what others think. I will do everything to restore your dignity. We have separate plans to ensure eligible candidates don’t become jobless or suffer a break in service,” she assured.

She said: “We will seek a clarification from the SC. We will ask the court what those persons would do who are engaged in duty presently. The Apex Court has directed fresh appointments. But if the ones who are teaching suddenly go then who will run the schools and do the work?”

Banerjee said: “We have plans A, B, C, D and E ready. If they have not been able to prove corruption against you then there is nothing to stop you from teaching. As per the SC’s directive, in two months the process will be completed. There will be no service break. If you suffer for two months now, you won’t have to suffer for the next 20 years. I will compensate for those two months too. You won’t have to beg,” she said.Banerjee said the state administration is exploring all possible legal avenues, including seeking modifications of the judgement, and other reliefs to give justice to affected individuals. She informed that the state is preparing to challenge the Supreme Court verdict. She announced that a legal team including prominent apex court lawyers, such as Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Kapil Sibal, Rakesh Dwivedi, Kalyan Banerjee, Prashant Bhushan, among others, will fight the teachers’ case.Citing the example of the all-India medical entrance exam NEET, Banerjee said: “The Supreme Court must clarify who is deserving and who is not. Give us the list. No one has the right to break the education system. In the Vyapam case in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh, 89 people were killed. They have not got justice till today. In NEET, many allegations surfaced but the Supreme Court did not cancel the examination. Why is Bengal being targeted? We want to know.”

In a clear message to the Opposition, Banerjee alleged that a “dirty game” was being played to destroy the state’s education system.“A dirty game is being played by some people. One should figure out the real faces behind the masks. Many are trying to mislead people with false information,” she said.

“I have never knowingly taken job away from anyone, not even from those associated with the CPI(M). My slogan back then was ‘No Revenge, Only Change’. Yet, lawyers of the CPI(M) like Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya moved court to ensure so many people lose jobs. He must answer. They do not have the power to give jobs, but are taking away jobs. Shame on them,” she remarked.