West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee interacts with teachers who lost their jobs as the Supreme Court upholds the Calcutta High Court’s order cancelling the appointment of over 25,000 staff in Bengal’s schools by the SSC, in Kolkata on Monday. (ANI Photo) |
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said that ‘she can go to jail’ while speaking with the sacked teachers at Netaji Indoor Stadium.
“In will not allow any eligible person to lose their jobs. I didn’t accept this decision of the Supreme Court. We will again move the court and will ask for the list of eligible and non-eligible candidates from them,” said Mamata.
Assuring the sacked teachers that she is with them, Mamata added, “Our heart is also aching because of your grief. We are all humans and our hearts are not made of stone. It is because of this, they might put me in jail for saying this, but I don’t care. When someone is in trouble, we don’t need to see who is red, white, yellow, or green. We are supposed to stand by their side. We cannot deny the responsibility to restore their dignity and respect that they deserve. Till any notice is served I would tell the teachers to give voluntary services in the school.”
Notably, after the meeting the Chief Minister formed a task force comprising Education Secretary, legal experts, representatives of teachers, and other concerned individuals.
Mamata also alleged that a ‘dirty game’ is being played to collapse the education system of West Bengal.
“I know how to fight challenges. This is not the court’s fault but of those who did politics with the teachers. For as long as I am alive, I will not let anyone snatch the jobs of eligible candidates. It is my commitment,” further mentioned the West Bengal Chief Minister.
Incidentally, the Supreme Court last Thursday upheld an order by the Calcutta High Court that invalidated the appointment of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staffers in Bengal’s state-run and state-aided schools in 2016.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari has asked the teachers not to do any ‘voluntary and civic services’.
“We cannot insult the eligible teachers with proper degrees. We will ask the teachers not to give voluntary or civic services. We demand that Mamata Banerjee should move to SC herself and give the list of eligible teachers to the Supreme Court by April 15 or else if the teachers want will join them in the march at Nabanna on April 21,” added Adhikari.
However, a section of the sacked teachers mentioned their dissatisfaction over the meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Suman Biswas, a sacked teacher said that whatever the Chief Minister said is just a ‘lolipop’ to them.
Swarnalata Mondal mentioned that a section of teachers were not allowed to enter the venue and questioned who had decided that who all are eligible and who all are not for which many teachers were denied pass to enter Netaji Indoor Stadium.
