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A young teacher was harassed, ostracised and eventually suspended by her school on July 1, 2004, for daring to defy its diktat: join CPM's teachers' body, All Bengal Teachers' Association, and donate Rs 25,000 to the school's development fund. Sharmila Ghosh, 27, had joined Kakdwip Birendra Sikshaniketan (HS) in South 24 Parganas on January 11, 2003 as an assistant teacher (geography) after clearing the School Service Commission examination.
Initially, Ghosh said, "My colleagues were friendly and the work environment was congenial." But things turned bad after she refused to respond to two of headmaster Debabrata Das' proposals — joining ABTA and coughing up the Rs 25,000. "I got the job through the SSC. Why should I yield to such pressure?" she said.
On December 31 last year, Ghosh said Das barged into the staff room and humiliated her in the presence of her colleagues.
Ghosh was so traumatised that she fell unconscious. Worse was to follow.
Local CPM toughs evicted her from the rented apartment she was sharing with a colleague.
Ghosh has moved the State Women's Commission, which has sought a report from Das, who has rubbished all the allegations. "Ghosh had done something 'irregular', which I am not going to divulge now. The school managing committee learnt of it and issued a suspension notice," he said.
Das also denied Ghosh's charge that
he had forced her to join ABTA. "Nor did I ask for money," he added.
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