Kolkata: A deluge of people is filling the streets of Kolkata, eager to celebrate Puja to the fullest.On October 27, beautifully crafted idols from the best Durga Puja celebrations in Kolkata will be paraded in a vibrant carnival. It is expected that the chief minister will be participating.In the very same city, right at that exact location, a group of young men and women are continuing their peaceful protest, far from the maddening crowds.They are observing the festival in their unique manner. A few among them have created a Durga cutout, with clenched fists on cardboard symbolising victory over evil.Photo: Joydeep Sarkar.This is their ongoing protest, lasting for more than 950 days, against corruption and unfair practices.Over five lakh such people successfully cleared primary, secondary and group D government job examinations, but were left unemployed in favour of those who paid bribes.“We have been granted permission to hold dharna by the court. According to the Calcutta high court’s order, no more than 25 people are allowed to gather in this spot each day. So, people from various districts take turns, day by day. They are all candidates who took exams for government jobs and feel they were wronged,” explained Sukomal Mondal, a protester.On the day of the carnival, they won’t be permitted to continue their sit-in protest. However, on the remaining 364 days of the year, a few of them will still be found on the streets. This site has ingrained itself as a part of Kolkata to the extent that their struggles are often overlooked or forgotten by many.“I am still in shock by how the government overlooked qualified and talented students in favour of recruiting others. The entire system seems to have been rigged, and those behind the manipulation of OMR sheets have already been apprehended,” said Karim Shekh, who cleared the examination in 2015.The recruitment scandal dates back to 2014, when the West Bengal Board of Primary Education conducted the teacher eligibility test (TET) for recruiting primary school teachers.In 2021, it came to light that individuals with low TET scores were granted teaching positions.The Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate are probing the matter, implicating several top leaders of the ruling party, including former education minister Partha Chatterjee, in a conspiracy to manipulate TET results through bribery and the hiring of ineligible candidates.The convener of the Durniti Mukti Manch, Indrajit Ghosh, said, “Corruption is widespread in the recruitment of teachers and government jobs. Trinamool Congress leaders, including ministers, have openly engaged in the sale of these positions, overlooking the qualifications of those who have passed their tests and interviews.”Arunima Pal has been a frequent participant at the protest site, and her commitment is evident. Last year, she was forcefully dragged by the police during a demonstration. She revealed, “The police even conducted a search at my residence and have been intimidating my family since then.”This protest against corruption in teacher recruitment has lasted for more than 950 days. Photo: Joydeep Sarkar.Pranab Das from Cooch Behar is spending Durga Puja away from family, on the protest site. He said, “We can’t allow this to happen without any protest. Many schools are having very high PTR [pupil-teacher ratio], yet the eligible candidates are being denied jobs for years.”Over the past few years, leaders from the Left parties have been visiting the protesters during the festive season. This year, CPI(M) state secretary Mohammed Salim and Democratic Youth Federation of India leader Minakshi Mukherjee met with them at the protest site.Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh, however, brushed aside the gesture, alleging that they were politicising the matter.Sushant Ghosh, a regular participant in the sit-in protest, expressed, “We have faith in the court. Some illegal recruits have already lost their jobs for not providing proof of their qualifications.”He continued: “Surprisingly, the government is fighting for them, not thinking about us. We’re determined to persist until we get justice. Sadly, we’ve lost some of our comrades along the way, but we will continue our protest till we get our rightful job.”Translated from the Bengali original by Aparna Bhattacharya.
