Delhi Public School

Siliguri, Dec. 13: The educational institutions in the Sukna and Salbari areas are worried about the safety of students likely to be caught in the four-day strike.

The Siliguri Institute of Technology, Surendra Institute of Engineering and Management — the two engineering colleges here — Gyan Jyoti College, G.D. Goenka Public School, Delhi Public School, Campion International School, Mahbert School, Ilapal Chowdhury Memorial Hindi High School and B.B. Gurung School are located on the 7km stretch between Darjeeling More and Sukna and comes within the bandh area.

Given that university exams will begin in Gyan Jyoti and SIT and unit tests are going on in most of the schools, the authorities are hoping that there will be no trouble.

“We have received a letter from the Morcha leadership requesting us to cooperate. But since the board exams of the first, third and fifth semester for BBA and BCA are beginning from tomorrow, we will have to keep the institution open. However, we heard unofficially that institutions with exams have been exempted from the strike,” said Sushanta Ghosh, the administrator of Gyan Jyoti College.

“Although our vehicles will ferry students to and from the college, we fear for their safety as the situation is unpredictable and there can be trouble anytime,” he added.

The Morcha leadership on the other hand said they would ensure that the strike was complete.

“The strike includes educational institutes too. We have only exempted those schools and colleges where examinations will be on,” said Kewal Lama, the Morcha’s Siliguri Town Committee president.

The authorities of several schools are in a dilemma about keeping their schools open.

“We have received the letter intimating us of the strike but the final unit tests are going on in our school. Whether or not we will open the school will depend on tomorrow’s situation”, said Rajesh Rateria, a staff member of G.D. Goenka Public School.

Students, too, are confused since the schools have not declared a “holiday”.

“Our school authorities have not announced any holiday. Under the circumstances, we will have to go till Panchnoi Bridge (from the Siliguri side) where the Morcha supporters put up blockades,” a Class XII student of DPS said.

Most of the schools are located on the other side of the bridge.