By Tirthankar Mitra
Illegality and bribe are unacceptable under any circumstances. But so is tarring those with the same brush who did not indulge in these unlawful practices and obtained teaching and non-teaching jobs from 2016 School Service Commission test in West Bengal.
A 300-page judgement of a Division Bench of Calcutta High Court recently in case of illegal recruitment of teachers nullified all appointments arising from 2016 test. The CBI uncovered irregularities in 5000 teaching and non-teaching appointments implying involvement of government and the commission.
Nearly 26,000 teachers and non-teaching staff comprise the nullified appointments. Not all of them got jobs for cash. But what about the rest? There is no reason why the others not thus earmarked read blacklisted suffer the same fate as the bribe givers. It seems to be a case of throwing away a baby with the bathwater. Only in this case there are grown up men and women and their family members who stand to suffer the fallout of the judgement which has had cock-a-hoop the entire political Opposition in West Bengal.
For the BJP, the court order is likely to be interpreted to be green flagging saffronisation. The rest is considering it to piggyback on the saffron brigade and gain proximity to power. Both seem to be counting their chickens before they are hatched. Many are there even within the rank and file of the Opposition in the state who have a soft corner for the job losers which makes them “half hearted campaigners” In this cash for teaching jobs case.
This is election time. And the Calcutta High Court judgement is being considered by the Opposition to be an ideal stick to beat Trinamool Congress government and party with though the former are unaware of the fissures in the their ranks. Some of the senior functionaries of the TMC like former state education minister Partha Chatterjee and SSC chairman S P Sinha are behind the bars. Their paws were allegedly in the bottle.
With huge amount of cash together with incriminating documents seized from some of the arrested persons, neither the ruling party nor the state government of the day can wash their hands off the affair. Small wonder, the Opposition seeks to capitalise on the issue especially when it is complaining of being denied of a level playing field in the state.
The reaction of chief minister Mamata Banerjee has been that of a canny politician. A major thrust of her argument has been humanitarian. At least 1.5 lakh people are in danger of huge socio-economic displacement overnight. After working in West Bengal government aided schools for nearly eight years, joblessness and worse are looking them in the face post the court order.
To make matters worse, many read most of the appointees of the fateful batch have got their jobs fair and square. With the SSC moving the Supreme Court against the high court order and the chief minister and her party supporting the move earns the sympathy and support of those whose jobs are on the line.
One does not have to be conversant with rocket science to guess whom they will cast their votes for. After all, there are six more poll phases to go. Many of the sacked are single earners. Mamata Banerjee has promised to support their cause. And her assurance is music to the ears of the job losers. She has a penchant for taking up apparently lost causes; remember Nandigram and Singur but still win the political battle.
Both were considered to be catalysts which promised to propel West Bengal to a land where jobs were aplenty and industrial development rising on a steep curve. Banerjee opposed both projects and people's support have propelled her to a place where she is.
Cutting across the ideological divide, the court order is considered to be an enormous fillip to the campaign against corruption in the midst of ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Removal of the government and resignation of the chief minister are being sought. Of course, Banerjee won't oblige. And there are other voters unaffected by the court order to be considered.
In fact, the tribe of the unaffected voters are more than those opposing the cause of the sacked. As one hazards a guess on the former's choice at the ballot boxes in the days to come, the spectre of the burgeoning legion of unemployed in these times of “jobless growth” cannot be given a go by. The cash for teaching jobs scam spans the length and breadth of West Bengal. In many ways, the sympathy wave for the job losers is skin to the aftermath of Singur and Nandigram.
A significant point in this case is that the court stated that the non-cooperation of the relevant authorities made it impossible to distinguish between the proper and irregular appointments. It is a point many voters will bear in mind amidst a raging political battle.
All eyes in West Bengal are focused on what happens in the Supreme Court after the state government and the SSC authorities seek stay to the Calcutta High Court order. If the apex court stays the order and fix the hearing after the Lok Sabha polls, tat will give big electoral advantage to the TMC. Both the main opposition BJP and the Congress-Left combine have welcomed the Court order which has angered the young people who were recruited in 2016 under normal channels. They will get hopes for the time being.
Earlier also, there were scams in Bengal under the ruling TMC regime involving Sharada and Narad before 2016 assembly polls. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tackled that by converting a crisis into an opportunity. This time also the main culprits of the school scam are the TMC leaders, but the verdict is so one sided hitting the interests of the youth in Bengal, that the anti -TMC opposition, despite their initial exuberance at the verdict, will soon be at the back foot as the anger of the innocent teachers losing their jobs explodes. It will be both against the TMC government as also the opposition leaders.
As of now, Mamata has promised to fight the order legally and do everything to help the job losing teachers. If Supreme Court does not give stay, the new process of recruitment ordered by the Calcutta High Court has to start within 15 days after the Lok Sabha elections — meaning in June this year.. Many legal experts are of the view that this High Court order will be stayed by the Supreme Court. Both TMC and the BJP will be framing their respective campaign line on this cash for jobs scam after the Supreme Court reaction is known. Already, Bengal is having hottest days during the poll campaign. One more issue has been added now to instigate more heat in the remaining six phases of the campaign. (IPA Service)
