The site where Daffodil Academy once stood. Picture by Suman Tamang

Darjeeling, Feb. 19: A primary English medium school at Ging set up by a senior leader of the GNLF was torched last night in a sequel to the violence that had been spreading across the hills since yesterday.

Following the arrests of nearly 77 Gorkha Janmukti Vidyarthi Morcha supporters in Siliguri and the Dooars, the Kurseong police station was attacked with stones and local MLA Shanta Chhetri’s house was set on fire yesterday morning.

Chhetri and her family spent the night at the Kurseong subdivisional hospital. “I had taken a cabin (for her husband who is hospitalised) and there is an extra bed where I slept. My son and daughter–in-law slept on the floor. I do not know where to go,” said the MLA over the phone from Kurseong.

Daffodil Academy, which was set up in 1997, had classes from Nursery to IV with a student strength of 60. The school used to cater for the needs of children from the surrounding tea gardens of Lebong Valley, 15km from here.

Witnesses said the wooden structure with five rooms was completely gutted at 8.30pm. “A gang of four-five young men came, sprinkled petrol and set the building on fire,” said a witness. The school was set to reopen on Monday after a three- month winter vacation.

Parents, who had gathered at the gutted site, demanded that the school must be built by those who were behind the act.

Rekha Pradhan, a worker of the Poobshering tea garden whose daughter Anisha studies in Class IV, said: “We need a school. All of us work hard in the estate but we want a better future for our sons and daughters. I had spent Rs 3,000 on uniform and shoes but at the last moment where shall will admit our children.” The school used to charge Rs 100 as admission fee while the monthly tuition fee was Rs 140.

Another parent, Puran Lamgade, whose son, Sushil, also studies in Class IV, said: “Everyone in this part supports the main party (read Morcha). We are not bothered about inter-party feuds but whoever has done this must set it up. We will meet Bimal Gurung (Morcha president) and will tell him about our needs.”

Netra Thakuri, a former GNLF councillor and vice-president of the party’s trade union who had founded the school, too, refused to blame the Morcha for the incident. “The school was not gutted by the Morcha but by anti-socials who are trying to defame the party. This is in fact the job of the state government who is trying to malign Bimal Gurung’s Gandhian agitation. The state government is using anti-socials to create a divide between the hill people,” said Thakuri.

The former GNLF leader also added that he had no faith in the state police. “I have more faith in the Morcha president than the police. I hope he will find the people and punish him. Just like the entire hills I, too, believe in him (Gurung),” said Thakuri.

Asked if he would rebuild the structure, Thakuri said that the “atmosphere is not conducive”. “Moreover I would need around Rs 8 to 10 lakh. I do not think I will be able to set up the structure immediately,” said Thakuri.

In 2008, too, Thakuri’s house had been ransacked but the leader had not blamed the Morcha but described it as the handiwork of some “excited public”.

Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri said: “We do not believe in torching down educational institutions. It definitely is the handiwork of some anti-socials.”