Suri, Sept. 1: Around half of the 600 students of a state-owned polytechnic college in Birbhum's Suri today called an indefinite class boycott and shouted for about two hours protesting the transfer of a teacher.

Technical education minister Ujjal Biswas said: "Students should not have boycotted classes for the teacher. The job of teachers in government institutions is transferable. This particular teacher will teach well wherever he goes. I hope the teacher who replaces Titangsu Bhattacharya is also good like him. There is no reason for the students to agitate."

The youths said the teacher was "student-friendly" and taught them beyond the routine class schedule and even on holidays. Bhattacharya, who is a lecturer in the electrical department at the Suri Sree Ramkrishna Silpa Vidyapith, said he would urge the students to withdraw their agitation and continue with classes in all four departments.

Former students said Bhattacharya had been working in the college for the past 15 years and had become popular soon after joining for his student-friendly attitude.

Arindam Mukherjee, who passed out 11 years ago, said today: "He is a very good teacher. He thought about students' problems. He never missed a class and was always available."

A sense of shock and disappointment descended on the college campus as news of the government order transferring Bhattacharya to Bandwan Polytechnic College in Purulia spread among the students yesterday. The order was issued last week.

They started an agitation in front of the main gate of the college. "We will not allow Titangsu Sir to go anywhere. The government has to cancel the transfer order," the students shouted for about two hours outside the gate.

Anirudhha Banerjee, a final-year electrical department student, told The Telegraph: "It would be hard for us to do well without Titangsu Sir. He teaches us in great details, and meets every student who goes to him for help. We would not allow the government to take him away from us. We will continue our boycott till the order is cancelled."

Tanusree Biswas, Anirudhha's classmate, said: "He explains everything so well that understanding the chapters becomes easy. During last year's Puja vacation, we did eight-hour-long practical classes as he wanted to teach us new experiments which, though outside the syllabus, were interesting."

Students from other departments, each of which have a three-year course, also joined the agitation demanding the cancellation of the transfer order.

Sariful Islam, a third-year student from civil trade, said: "He did not teach us. But we all know about his positive attitude, which set a good example for other teachers. It is very rare nowadays to get a teacher with his level of commitment and love for students."

Reacting to the protest, Bhattacharya said that initially, he had felt "overwhelmed" that students other than the electrical department were also protesting his transfer. "But it is a government order and I have to abide by it. So I have requested all the students to continue with their classes."

Asked whether he would appeal to the government, keeping the students' demand in mind, he said: "I will first join my new posting. I will then think about an appeal. However, the grounds would be my personal problems, and not because the students are demanding it." Bhattacharya hails from Suri.