Harleen singh at 10:14, 24 May 2025

2025-05-24T10:14:35Z

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{{orphan|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox civil conflict
| title = Darivit School Movement
| subtitle =
| partof =
| image =
| caption =
| date = 20 September 2018 – October 2018
| place = Darivit High School, [[Islampur, Uttar Dinajpur|Islampur]], [[Uttar Dinajpur district|North Dinajpur]], [[West Bengal]], [[India]]
| coordinates =
| causes = Appointment of Urdu and teacher instead of a Bengali teacher despite no Urdu-medium students
| goals = Appointment of a Bengali language teacher
| methods = * [[Human chain (politics)|Human chain]]
* [[Protests]]
* [[Traffic obstruction|Highway blockade]]
* [[Student activism|Student agitation]]
* [[Civil resistance]]
| status = Concluded
| result = Police resorted to baton charge and firing; [[Urdu]] teacher detained, headmaster summoned, ongoing demands for [[Central Bureau of Investigation|CBI]] investigation
| side1 = {{Bulleted list|Bengali students|Former students|Local youth|Guardians}}
| side2 = {{Bulleted list|Police|chool administration}}
| side3 = Student organizations
| leadfigures1 =
| leadfigures2 = Abhijit Kundu (Headmaster)
| leadfigures3 =
| howmany1 =
| howmany2 =
| howmany3 =
| casualties1 = {{Bulleted list|2 killed (Rajesh Sarkar, Tapas Barman)|12 injured (including Biplab Sarkar)}}
| casualties2 =
| casualties3 = Unknown arrests
| injuries = 12
| fatalities = 2
| arrests = Unknown number; Mohammad Sanaullah (Urdu teacher) detained
| damage =
| detentions = 1
| charged =
| fined =
| effect = {{Bulleted list|Protest march in [[Kolkata]]|12-hour general strike|Demand for CBI investigation|Second post-mortem demanded}}
| effect_label = Post-movement developments
| casualties_label = Police action
| notes = Families of the deceased demanded a second post-mortem and temporarily buried the bodies by the Galancha River
}}
In September 2018, a movement began at Darivit School in [[Islampur, Uttar Dinajpur|Islampur]], [[Uttar Dinajpur district|North Dinajpur]], [[West Bengal]], demanding the appointment of a [[Bengali language]] teacher. The students began their agitation in protest of the appointment of [[Urdu|Urdu-language]] teachers instead of [[Bengalis|Bengali]] teachers, despite the absence of a Bengali teacher.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=20 September 2018 |title=Students clash with police at Bengal school, one killed |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/students-clash-with-police-at-bengal-school-one-killed/story-KlrJ7BJNJdqEsC0rlK7ThN.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241130193322/https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/students-clash-with-police-at-bengal-school-one-killed/story-KlrJ7BJNJdqEsC0rlK7ThN.html |archive-date=30 November 2024 |access-date=15 April 2025 |work=[[Hindustan Times]] |language=en-us |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=21 September 2018 |title=Students clash with police over appointment of teachers in West Bengal, 1 dead |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/students-clash-with-police-over-appointment-of-teachers-in-west-bengal-one-dead-1345296-2018-09-20 |access-date=15 April 2025 |website=[[India Today]] |language=en}}</ref> In opposition to such injustice against the Bengali nation, students of the school who cherished their mother tongue—both current and former—along with other youth of the village and groups of guardians, jointly participated in the movement. On 20 September 2018, the police resorted to baton charge and opened fire on the protestors.<ref>{{Cite news |last= |first= |script-title=bn:ইসলামপুরে গুলিবিদ্ধ আরও এক ছাত্রের মৃত্যু, বন‌্ধ ঘিরে অশান্তি |url=https://www.anandabazar.com/west-bengal/another-student-injured-in-islampur-school-clash-died-in-siliguri-dgtl-1.868106 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424021632/https://www.anandabazar.com/west-bengal/another-student-injured-in-islampur-school-clash-died-in-siliguri-dgtl-1.868106 |archive-date=24 April 2023 |access-date=15 April 2025 |language=bn |url-status=live }}</ref> As a result, movement participants Rajesh Sarkar<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=20 September 2018 |title=Bengal: Students clash with police in school over appointment of teachers, one dead |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/kolkata/west-bengal-students-clash-with-police-north-dinajpur-school-5367166/ |access-date=15 April 2025 |website=[[The Indian Express]] |language=en}}</ref> and Tapas Barman<ref>{{Cite web |title=Islampur Clash: Another Student Dies, BJP Bandh Underway |url=https://thewire.in/politics/islampur-clash-another-student-dies-bjp-bandh-underway |access-date=15 April 2025 |website=The Wire |language=en}}</ref> were killed.<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 September 2018 |script-title=bn:ইসলামপুরের ছাত্র আন্দোলনে মৃত বেড়ে ২, বিজেপির বনধ ঘিরে উত্তেজনা |url=https://zeenews.india.com/bengali/state/death-toll-rises-to-2-in-islampur-student-protest_217017.html |access-date=15 April 2025 |website=Zee24Ghanta|language=bn}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=20 September 2018 |script-title=bn:ছাত্র বিক্ষোভে বোমা-গুলি-লাঠিচার্জ ইসলামপুরে, মৃত ১ প্রাক্তন ছাত্র |url=https://bengali.news18.com/news/north-bengal/students-agitation-turns-violent-in-islampur-1-died-217866.html |access-date=15 April 2025 |website= |language=bn |archive-date=26 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180926131030/https://bengali.news18.com/amp/news/students-agitation-turns-violent-in-islampur-1-died-217866.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Additionally, a tenth-grade student, Biplab Sarkar, was shot and wounded—he was hit in the leg.<ref>{{Cite news |last= |first= |script-title=bn:জখম ছাত্রকে শিলিগুড়িতে |url=https://www.anandabazar.com/west-bengal/north-bengal/injured-student-is-transferred-to-siliguri-for-treatment-1.869041 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230429095238/https://www.anandabazar.com/west-bengal/north-bengal/injured-student-is-transferred-to-siliguri-for-treatment-1.869041 |archive-date=29 April 2023 |access-date=15 April 2025 |language=bn |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Inception ==
Despite the necessity for a teacher in the subject of Bengali at Daribhit High School in the Islampur Block, an [[Urdu]] teacher was appointed instead of a Bengali teacher.<ref name=":0" /> Thereafter, the students erupted in outrage. They initiated a movement in protest of the appointment of an Urdu teacher, even though there was not a single Urdu-medium student in the school.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=26 September 2018 |script-title=bn:ইসলামপুরের স্কুলে চলল গুলি, নিহত ছাত্র |url=https://kolkata24x7.com/school-student-died.html |access-date=15 April 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180926130700/https://kolkata24x7.com/school-student-died.html |archive-date=26 September 2018 }}</ref>

== Movement ==
In protest against the appointment of the Urdu teacher and in demand for a Bengali teacher, the students began demonstrating by blockading the state highway adjacent to the school.<ref name=":2" /> Although the acting headmaster of the school initially assured them that the Urdu teacher would not be brought to the school, when the Urdu teachers attempted to assume duty, the students remained adamant in their demand and did not allow the Urdu teachers to join the institution. Later, when the police arrived, the educational institution turned into a battlefield over this issue.<ref name=":1" /> In protest of this incident, the civil society of [[West Bengal]] held a protest march in [[Kolkata]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Islampur Clashes, Student Deaths Risk Sparking New Political Flashpoint In Bengal |url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/islampur-in-west-bengal-is-turning-out-to-be-the-new-political-flashpoint-after-the-death-of-2-youth-1920871 |access-date=15 April 2025 |website=[[NDTV]] |language=en}}</ref> Additionally, a 12-hour general strike was called in protest.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ventuno |title=Locals carry out torch rally against students' killing in Islampur |url=https://news.biharprabha.com/2018/09/locals-carry-out-torch-rally-against-students-killing-in-islampur/ |access-date=15 April 2025 |website=Biharprabha News |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Post-movement developments ==

* The controversial Urdu teacher, Mohammad Sanaullah, was detained for interrogation. While attempting to join duty at Daribhit High School, he was twice confronted by agitating students’ demonstrations.<ref>{{Cite web |script-title=bn:ইসলামপুর কাণ্ডে আটক বিতর্কিত উর্দু শিক্ষক, জেরা পুলিশের |url=https://www.sangbadpratidin.in/bengal/islampur-controversial-urdu-teacher-arrested/ |access-date=15 April 2025 |website=Sangbad Pratidin |language=en-US}}</ref>
* The [[West Bengal Board of Secondary Education|Board of Education]] summoned the headmaster of Daribhit High School, Abhijit Kundu, for negligence in the matter of teacher appointment.<ref>{{Cite web |date=22 September 2018 |script-title=bn:নদীর তীরে পোঁতা ২ দেহ, থমথমে ইসলামপুর |url=https://bengali.news18.com/news/situation-of-islampur-is-still-fearful-2-arrested-218242.html |access-date=15 April 2025 |website= |language=bn |archive-date=26 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180926131127/https://bengali.news18.com/news/situation-of-islampur-is-still-fearful-2-arrested-218242.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
* The families of the deceased, demanding a second [[Autopsy|post-mortem]] examination, did not cremate the bodies of Rajesh and Tapas, but instead buried them temporarily by the nearby Galancha River. They have demanded a [[Central Bureau of Investigation|CBI]] investigation.<ref>{{cite web |last=Giri |first=Pramod |date=23 September 2018 |title=Kin of students killed in Bengal school agitation refuse to cremate bodies |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/kin-of-students-killed-in-bengal-s-islampur-school-agitation-refuse-to-cremate-bodies-demand-cbi-probe/story-dIzH2TApuWegU8mUiOW8HN.html |access-date=15 April 2025 |website=[[Hindustan Times]] |archive-date=12 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210512000843/https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/kin-of-students-killed-in-bengal-s-islampur-school-agitation-refuse-to-cremate-bodies-demand-cbi-probe/story-dIzH2TApuWegU8mUiOW8HN.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:2018 protests]]
[[Category:2018 in India]]
[[Category:Protests in India]]
[[Category:Political repression in India]]
[[Category:Language conflict in India]]
[[Category:Police brutality in India]]
[[Category:Deaths by firearm in India]]
[[Category:Uttar Dinajpur district]]
[[Category:Education in West Bengal]]
[[Category:Student protests in India]]
[[Category:September 2018 in India]]
[[Category:Bengali nationalism]]
[[Category:Controversies in India]]

2018 Bengali teacher recruitment movement - Revision history

Harleen singh at 10:14, 24 May 2025