Violent Clash Between Police and Protesting Teachers Outside West Bengal Education HQ Leaves Many Injured

The vicinity of Bikash Bhavan, the West Bengal Education Department's headquarters in Salt Lake, became chaotic on Thursday evening. Violent clashes erupted between protesting school teachers and police, resulting in injuries to many teachers, including women. Eyewitnesses reported that some protestors were bleeding from various body parts, including their heads.

Teachers who lost their jobs after a court order last month were demonstrating outside the education department. The court had cancelled thousands of appointments in government-aided schools due to recruitment irregularities. They demanded reinstatement and had been staging a sit-in since the afternoon.

Protest Escalates with Police Action

Police allegedly used batons to disperse the protestors who had laid siege to the government building. Several police personnel were also injured during the violence, with some needing assistance from colleagues to leave the area. Tensions rose around 8 pm when additional police forces arrived to disperse the demonstrators.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Bidhannagar Anish Sarkar stated that despite repeated requests since 6 pm, demonstrators refused to allow safe passage for around 300 stranded education department employees inside Bikash Bhavan. Among them were women and ailing individuals needing urgent medical care.

Demands for Dialogue with Chief Minister

Agitating teachers called for an urgent dialogue with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Three women teachers from a district school, members of the Deserving Teachers’ Rights Forum, expressed that only she could resolve the situation and save their jobs. They questioned their exclusion from the review petition filed by the SSC in the Supreme Court.

Protestors accused the government of trying to protect tainted teachers who secured jobs through corrupt means. Rabiul Islam, a teacher at Barasat Aswini High School, voiced concerns about being excluded from discussions regarding an upcoming petition the state plans to file in the Supreme Court.

Scenes of Chaos and Arrests

Some protestors reportedly broke open a gate earlier in the day and entered Bikash Bhavan's premises, causing chaos. Protestors engaged in fistfights with police and hurled guard rails multiple times. A large police mobilisation, supported by Rapid Action Force personnel, used force to remove protestors from inside the building.

Suman Biswas, another teacher involved in the protests, criticised the government's actions. "First, they take away our jobs by resorting to institutional corruption. Then they unleash their police force on us to spill our blood," he said. Biswas had previously fasted outside WBSSC headquarters demanding segregation of tainted and untainted lists on their website.

Injuries and Continued Protests

Amitava Biswas from North 24 Parganas was seen in pain on a footpath after being hit by a cop inside Bikash Bhavan compound. Mehboob Mondal, one of the protestors, claimed five agitators were seriously injured while around 100 suffered minor injuries. He vowed to continue blockades at Bikash Bhavan from Friday.

Mondal urged civil society to protest against police actions on educators. "We will not sit for a fresh exam. Our demand is clear — our jobs must be restored," he said. Mondal insisted they would not leave until Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee addressed them directly.

A police officer mentioned using minimal force to disperse the crowd. Despite this claim, scenes showed agitators being dragged by collars and detained in police vehicles. The protestors remained determined as slogans like "Go back" and "Chor Chor thieves" filled the air before police action commenced.

With inputs from PTI