Siliguri, Feb. 23: The Kamtapur Progressive Party has postponed its programme to shut down all primary schools across north Bengal indefinitely from March 1 because of the Madhyamik exams that started today.

Instead, the shutdown of schools to protest the lathicharge on KPP supporters twice yesterday will be from March 22.

“Our central committee has decided to condemn the attack by police on our supporters and the arrests,” said KPP president Atul Roy today. “We demand the unconditional and immediate release of our arrested supporters and will organise protest marches throughout north Bengal on February 26.”

The police yesterday arrested 13 people after nearly 1,000 members of the Kamtapur Students’ Organisation tried to storm the regional office of the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education in Shivmandir. The student wing of the KPP claimed that they had gone to submit a memorandum to the regional officer of the board demanding the inclusion of the Rajbangshi language in the Madhymik syllabus.

Later, the KPP supporters blocked NH31 at Ghoshpukur from 5pm. The police lathicharged the protesters to disperse them after four hours.

The party has also decided to demonstrate in front of all the BDO offices of the region on March 4, followed by a two-day hunger strike in front of the offices of the six district magistrates on March 11 and 12.

“We have decided to close down the primary schools indefinitely from March 22. We will not allow these institutions to open unless the state government accepts our demands and makes necessary changes effective from the next academic year,” said Roy