Siliguri, April 16: Teachers of Jalpaiguri Government Engineering College have been on an indefinite strike since yesterday to protest against the “indecent behaviour” of four senior students with a faculty member on Monday.

On Bengali New Year’s Day, or Nava Varsha, Suman Konar, a faculty member of the civil engineering department, was standing outside the college in the evening. Four fourth-year mechanical engineering students allegedly approached him and asked for a matchbox to light cigarettes.

“The teacher refused, saying they could buy it from a shop. The students retorted that if a shop was open nearby, they would not have taken the trouble of asking a teacher for matches,” one of Konar’s colleagues said.

“We do not consider the incident to be an isolated one as there are some students, may be only 10 per cent of the total number, who often seek to embarrass the teachers,” the teacher said.

According to him, these students smoke and drink openly, push teachers in the corridors as if by accident when they pass by in a hurry and often make indecent comments.

“Many of us have witnessed and experienced these incidents,” said another teacher. “We want an end to such indecent behaviour which is unbecoming of students and affects the college environment.”

The teachers The Telegraph spoke to refused to be named. Manas Mukherjee, the secretary of the Jalpaiguri unit of the Government Colleges of Engineering Teachers’ Association, said they had decided not to comment publicly for the time being.

Representatives of the students’ association were equally defensive.

“We think it was a simple misunderstanding between the teacher and the students which can be sorted out,” said Deborshi Das, the secretary of the college students’ union. “We have also met the principal and don’t think anything serious has happened. Things are fine here.”

The teachers wore black badges and submitted a memorandum to the principal today, demanding action against those guilty of the misconduct.

The principal, J. Jhampati, could not be contacted for his comments. Sources said he gave the teachers an assurance and has summoned the guardians of the four students for a meeting at the college.