Primary teachers celebrate, break down in tears outside Calcutta HC courtroom after order reinstates 32,000 jobs in Bengal
They had been fearful that their fate would mirror that of almost 26,000 SSC candidates, whose jobs were terminated by the SC this year on grounds that the 2016 recruitment process of the WBSSC was ‘tainted’
Many teachers broke down in tears, some touched the courtroom door the way devotees touch temple entrances. A night of sleepless anxiety and uncertainty finally ended on Wednesday for thousands of primary teachers, after the Calcutta High Court set aside the single-bench order scrapping the appointments of 32,000 teachers.
Courtroom 11 of the Calcutta High Court was packed with lawyers and interns who had gathered to hear the judgment. Heavy police security stood outside, and no one beyond those permitted was allowed in.
Waiting anxiously outside were the primary teachers whose livelihoods were at stake — all of them fearful that their fate would mirror that of almost 26,000 SSC candidates, whose jobs were terminated by the Supreme Court in April this year on grounds that the 2016 recruitment process of the WBSSC was “tainted”.
When the order for primary teachers who were recruited through the Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) 2014 was finally announced shortly after 2:30 pm, a wave of relief swept across the corridor. Many teachers broke down in tears, some touched the courtroom door the way devotees touch temple entrances. Outside the “B” Gate, hundreds of teachers who had assembled hugged one another, exchanged congratulations, and distributed sweets.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Soumik Kumar Bandopadhyay said, “I am very happy. There are no words to express what I am feeling. I knew the truth would win, and that is exactly what happened today.” Arpita Ganguli, another primary teacher, said, “Today, finally, I can sleep in peace. Our tears are a statement of our joy and relief. It is not just 32,000 teachers — along with us are our families. It’s joy for everyone.”
Teachers took selfies, cheered, and cried together, which many said was like a release of two years of pressure. “It is a big relief that the mark of tainted or unqualified teachers is no longer going to be associated with us,” said Afsar Ali, a primary teacher. “We were fearing that our future would also be like that of the SSC candidates. We have fought for two years and finally we won.”
With the order restoring their appointments, the primary teachers now say they will return home, and to their classrooms, with “heads held high”.
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