A file picture of a rally taken out by the committee demanding the Panchanan Barma university

Cooch Behar, May 12: More than 80 people at Khalisamari have donated 336 bighas of land to a committee formed to demand a university in memory of the Rajbangshi social reformer Panchanan Barma in his home town.

“A movement to demand a university named after Thakur Panchanan Barma at Khalisamari has been going on for years. We had recently appealed for land, and 80 people had come forward to donate plots around the house where Panchanan Barma lived in,” said Rajarshi Biswas, one of the main persons behind the movement for the university.

Panchanan Barma (1865-1935) is regarded by the Rajbangshis in Cooch Behar and adjoining Assam as their greatest emancipator. Khalisamari is in Mathabhanga subdivision, about 55km from Cooch Behar town.

Biswas said the drive had begun in March and more people had expressed willingness to offer land. “The residents are all supportive of the cause as it is a great pride for them to have a university named after the great personality in the place of his birth,” he added.

The donors have signed on non-judicial stamp papers while handing over the land to the committee.

Debashis Das, another person linked to the movement, said a delegation had met the additional district magistrate of Cooch Behar and handed him a memorandum addressed to the chief minister. “In the memorandum, they demanded that a bill be passed in the Assembly for the creation of the university and mentioned the fact that land had already been acquired for the purpose.”

The secretary of the committee, Girindranath Barman, said a convention would be organised at Khalisamari on Sunday as part of the movement.

Bijoy Roy, one of the land donors, said he was proud to be a part of the movement. “I had 70 bighas of land and have donated 20 bighas for the cause. If the university comes up, it will not only be a great tribute to Thakur Panchanan Barma, but will also provide education to the youths in our area,” said Roy.

The chief minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, unveiled a statue of Panchanan Barma at Khalisamari in 2004. The state government has also taken over his house and plans to create a museum there.

“When the chief minister looks at our demand, he will definitely agree to it,” said a committee member.