Taxed species

Sir — Last week, the Donald Trump-led administration in the United States of America imposed sweeping tariffs on more than 150 countries, sending shockwaves across global markets and raising the prospect of a trade war. Astonishingly, some obscure places with little to no human population and no economy have also found themselves in Trump’s crosshairs. For example, the Heard and McDonald Islands in Antarctica, covered with glaciers and home to only penguins, as well as Jan Mayen in the Arctic region which has more polar bears than humans, will now have to pay 10% tariffs on the goods imported from the US. One wonders whether an Animal Farm-esque uprising by these penguins and bears is what is needed to save the world from Trump.

Aritro Seal,
Mumbai

Trust deficiency

Sir — The Supreme Court invalidated the appointment of 25,000 odd teaching and non-teaching staff recruited to government-aided schools through the West Bengal School Service Commission in 2016 citing large-scale manipulation and a cover-up of corruption (“’Tainted beyond redemption’”, April 4). Justifying the terminations, the bench headed by the chief justice of India, Sanjiv Khanna, has lambasted the lack of transparency in the recruitment process.

This is a huge legal setback for the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government. But it is also necessary to understand and mitigate the widespread impact that the verdict will have on the livelihood of hundreds of people.

Aayman Anwar Ali,
Calcutta

Sir — While upholding the dismissal of more than 25,000 teaching and non-teaching staff appointed through the Bengal government’s recruitment process of 2016, the apex court observed that the “entire selection process has been vitiated and tainted beyond resolution” and is marked by “manipulations and frauds on a large scale”. This is a slap on the Mamata Banerjee-led dispensation. A senior state minister is currently behind bars on charges of the same cash-for-job scam. Instead of taking responsibility, Banerjee has characteristically blamed the Opposition for the crisis.

The court’s 41–page judgment lays bare the nature and the scale of manipulation that resulted in many undeserving candidates getting jobs while the deserving ones were deprived of rightful appointment. The court has given the ‘untainted’ ones among the sacked candidates the chance to appear for a re-examination. But such a process will be time-consuming. To fill the sudden vacuum that has been created in the education system as a result of the terminations, those found untainted may be temporarily engaged in services in the interest of students.

S.K. Choudhury,
Bengaluru

Sir — More than 25,000 appointed teachers and non-teaching staff have been defenestrated from their posts as a result of the Supreme Court’s verdict. However, many of them are innocent of the charges. They should not pay the price for the wrongdoing of others. It is high time that the public speaks strongly, demanding recovery of the ailing education system of Bengal.

Soumalya Dey,
Calcutta

Sir — For the alleged irregularities in the WBSSC of 2016, more than 25,000 education personnel have now become jobless. Uncertainty looms over the state’s education system. How will the schools function in the absence of teachers? What will be the fate of students? The state government should follow the Supreme Court’s verdict and take accountability for the crisis (“Clean it”, April 7).

Sujit Kumar Bhowmik,
East Midnapore

Sir — The dismissal of over 25,000 appointees of the 2016 WBSSC process has put a dark mark on the teaching profession in Bengal (“Once noble, now subjected to taunts”, April 5). Teachers in the state have now become objects of ridicule. The former president of India, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, wrote in his book, Indomitable Spirit, that “there is no profession in the world that is more important to society than that of a teacher.” Civil society must not remain a mute spectator but demand an overhaul of the state’s education system.

Jahar Saha,
Calcutta

Sir — The case of Mirajul Hossain, a former assistant teacher at VIP Nagar High School, who lost his job after the April 3 ruling without any established charge of corruption against him, is heart-wrenching (“A sacrifice sacrificed”, April 6). Hossain devoted his time towards the holistic betterment of his students. Thousands of candidates are bearing the brunt of the WBSSC scam, which denied them crucial opportunities. Instead of accepting the verdict graciously, the chief minister has been formulating conspiracy theories and blaming the Opposition.

S.S. Paul,
Nadia

Sir — Mamata Banerjee’s response to the Supreme Court’s verdict on the teacher recruitment scam was unfortunate (“Will follow but can’t accept: CM”, April 4). While she has every right to disagree with the verdict, speculating about the motive of the judges who have decided the case is indecorous. Banerjee has questioned why the tainted candidates could not be identified and transferred as was done recently with a judge accused of corruption. But the premises of the two cases are entirely different. Further, when the whole selection process is vitiated by fraud, the best course of action is to cancel and hold it afresh.

V. Jayaraman,
Chennai

Sir — It is disheartening that several qualified teachers have lost their jobs as a result of the WBSSC scam. The government must take steps to rehabilitate these candidates. Those found guilty must be given the strictest punishment.

Debaprasad Bhattacharya,
Calcutta

Sir — The annulment of the employment of more than 25,000 staff members highlights the serious irregularities that have been plaguing the state’s education apparatus. The investigation has revealed instances where candidates submitted blank answer sheets and yet secured jobs and where OMR sheets were tampered with by the authorities acting under duress. This greatly violates public trust in the government.

Jayanta Datta,
Hooghly