Nepali school poll loss to Trinamul- TMC man ransacks school

Photo: Prashant Acharya, EOIC

TT, Siliguri, Sept. 8: CPM-backed candidates won the management committee election in a Nepali-medium school here, defeating all the Trinamul-supported faces.

Hours after the election, the headmaster of Dr. I B Thapa Nepali Vidyalaya was assaulted by a suspected Trinamul worker. The headmaster did not name any political outfit in his police complaint, but he said the man who attacked him was a supporter of the party that lost the election.

“It might sound exaggerated. But an inference, may be a faint one, can be drawn from the voting. The school, so far, used to run with a managing committee of nominated members. This is the first time guardians’ representatives were chosen through voting and CPM-backed candidates won all six seats, beating their contenders from Trinamul,” a political observers said.

“It indicates that a section of Gorkha voters are disinclined to vote Trinamul, which might be the fallout of the recent events in the hills and the remarks made by state ministers and leaders on the ongoing agitation.”

Tamal Chanda, the Darjeeling district secretary of the CPM-backed All Bengal Teachers’ Association, said it proved that the guardians were not with the present government.

“We appreciate the guardians who have voted for the ‘progressive’ candidates (CPM backed candidates). It is clear that they are not supporting the present government,” Chanda said.

Hours after the elections were held and results announced, Debasish Das, a resident of Baghajatin Colony in Siliguri, entered the headmaster’s office and attacked the teacher. “He entered the headmaster’s room, assaulted me and broke the table glass into pieces,” Hemant Sharma, the headmaster, wrote in the complaint filed at Pradhannagar police station.

“The elections were held from 9am to 12pm after which, counting was held and the results were announced. There were total 373 guardian voters and 111 of them exercised their franchise,” the headmaster said.

“But around 3pm, the youth suddenly entered my room and started questioning me on the process of polling, the timing and several irrelevant matters. He also abused me and broke the table glass. We were forced to call the police, who were near the school because of the elections. He was taken away by the police. I submitted a complaint, narrating the incident. He is an outsider and not even a voter of the school,” Sharma said.

Sharma’s complaint said: “I would like to apprise you that the candidates supported by him in the election of guardians’ representatives for the managing committee lost the election. This incident took place when the election had ended peacefully. We feel insecure after the incident.”

Krishna Paul, a district Trinamul leader, said: “The accused is not a member of our party.”

SNS, Siliguri, 8 September:   A Trinamul Congress activist allegedly ransacked a Siliguri-based government-aided Nepali medium school over the election of the guardians’ representatives at Pradhan Nagar today. 

Trouble broke out after the declaration of election results at Dr I B Thapa Nepali Vidyalaya at Pradhannagar. 

The Headmaster of the school lodged an FIR with Pradhan Nagar police station against one of the attackers, Debashis Das. 

Notably, the election was held to elect six representatives among guardians. A total of 12 candidates contested the elections belonging to the Left-backed organisation and anti-Left block. Six candidates belonging to the Left-backed organisation were declared elected. 

The Headmaster of the school, Mr Hemant Sharma, said: “The election of the guardians’ representatives was held peacefully. After handing over the certificates, a person ~ Debashis Das suddenly entered into my chamber and damaged the table in presence of police personnel. He also verbally abused me.” 

However, in the FIR, Mr Sharma mentioned that Mr Das assaulted him. 

A teacher of Life Science, Mr B B Chhetri, said after the incident that two Trinamul activists apologised to the Headmaster. 

 “We do not know whether Mr Das belongs to any political party. But two Trinamul activists apologised about the incident. All the teachers in the school are feeling insecure following the incident. Such an incident never occurred here. We would inform about the incident to the higher education minister Mr Bratya Basu,” Mr Chhetri said. 

A local councillor and CPI-M zonal committee secretary, Mr Mukul Sengupta, alleged the Trinamul Congress activists were behind the incident. “After the Left-backed Pragatisil Sikkha Anuragi Samuha won the election, the Trinamul activists ransacked the school in presence of police. We strongly condemn the attacks on teachers," Mr Sengupta added. 

The Darjeeling district All Bengal Teachers’ Association (ABTA) secretary, Mr Tamal Chanda, said there was no word to condemn the incident. 

“Everywhere in the state there has been anarchy in the educational institutions. The Trinamul Congress unleashed violence during the rural polls. The same thing is happening in the school elections also. However, such an incident has never occurred in Siliguri,” he said. 

However the Trinamul Education cell denied the allegations. The Siliguri additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP), Mr Avaru Ravindranath, said police have started investigating the incident.