Communal tension spills over and hampers saraswati puja.
A day after students of Tehatta High School in Uluberia in Howrah district of West Bengal put up a road blockade on the National Highway-6, a huge contingent of police force was deployed since Wednesday morning to prevent any deterioration in the law and order situation, following the sudden closure of the school.
Besides the district police officials being deployed, RAF has also been deployed in and around the school.
On Tuesday, the students accompanied by some villagers, who had been demanding immediate re-opening of the school, put up a blockade with an idol of Goddess Saraswati.
Later, a huge contingent of police arrived at the spot, including women constables and tried to remove the students and villagers. When the students did not remove the blockade, the police fired tear gas shells. The students in return, pelted stones at the police.
According to the students, this is for the first time in the last 65 years that they have not been able to celebrate Saraswati Puja in the wake of an order being issued by the school, which mentioned that the school will remain shut due to tension prevailing in the area.
In December, some students had sought permission to celebrate Nabi Diwas on the school premises. However, school authorities denied them permission. Despite, that, several students of class 9 and 10, allegedly influenced by "outsiders" celebrated the festival.
School authorities claim that suddenly clashes broke out within the school premises and some of the students resorted to vandalism of the school property.
The situation took an ugly turn, when the school announced its decision to observe Saraswati Puja on February 1. Later, fearing further deterioration in the situation, the school administration wrote to the district police seeking help. They informed the police that the school had suspended its functioning.
"With due respect I am informing you that on 13th December 2016 some students of class IX, X and outsiders influenced by some local Islamic fundamental groups forcefully entered the school campus causing communal tension celebrated Biswanabi Dibas without taking permission from the school authority and disturbed school atmosphere," read a letter by the school's teacher-in-charge to the police.
Later, school headmaster Utpal Mallick quit citing worsening of the school’s relationship with students and their parents.
With agency inputs
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