Deep Mondal
Plea for Support
The following plea was made by the protestors fighting for job appointments that they had earned in the Bengal government after successfully qualifying in the selection process of the Bengal State Serveice Commission (please read From Chuni Kotal to Ruma Das: The price of Bengal’s casteist education system for more details). Fasting for over 23 days the protestors have almost lost all hope with the state not showing any signs of initiating even a dialogue with them. This plea, prepared by Deep Mondal, is for a wider support from all Dalit Bahujan movements in any way possible.
This is the 22nd day of our protest. We tried speaking to the Government, the state does not even want to hear us. We want all Ambedkar organizations to come out and support and fight for us. Out of the 2,800 candidates who were not given the appointments 2,500 belong either to Dalit, Muslim and Other Backward communities. Of the remaining three hundred 30 belong either to Brahmin or Kayastha communities. The rest 270 belong to the Central Government OBC list and in the state Government list, they are put in the general category. The problem is significantly that of casteism. Because it is Bengal we don’t have our own strong Dalit movements.
The state Government does not even acknowledge our presence. There is lots of fraud going on. And they want to hide this also. Hence we have lost hope in the state government. We don’t believe that the issue can be discussed at the Vidhan Sabha> so we want the Ambedkarite parties and organizations to come out and support us and move this issue to be discussed at the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. We spoke to our leader Abdur Rezzak Mollah he said he wants to bring the issue in the Rajya Sabha. But since there is no leader of Opposition nothing can be done.
We have been fasting here for the past 22 days. Before that in February we had another hunger strike for 21 days in front of the Acharya Sadan, Salt Lake (State Education department) and nothing happened. We are not illiterate we are literate people. People who are worthy to be teachers. But even then we are suffering. There is no hope left for us. We want a solution from the Government but they are turning a deaf ear on us. We are feeling insecure because of this. We would want a leader from outside Bengal to come here only then will they listen to us.
For years this has been happening in Bengal. Bengal is a place where reservation laws are never followed but are easily flaunted according to what the bhadralok needs. This is violence against the constitution, violence against humanity and violence against the social system. How much can one live under such circumstances? We are neither Maoists nor terrorists, we are teachers. We represent the rural areas of Bengal and are a part of their development. But we are denied that and we call for urgent and immediate support from all Dalit Bahujan parties and groups to come forward and support us in every possible way you can.
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