In a shocking move, the cops then opened fire on unarmed students resulting in grievous injuries to many and killing one
Raiganj: One person was killed and 14 others were injured when students protested to the entry of newly-appointed Urdu teachers in a school in West Bengal's North Dinajpur district on Thursday, police said.
The students of Dori Bhita High School at Islampur and the locals here stopped the entry of the Muslim teachers, saying all vacant teaching posts must be filled, they said.
The students have been complaining of the availability of no teachers in the science department for months. But the government chose to send language teachers (Urdu) which weren't a priority or need for the students. So when the students blocked their entry, a police team accompanied the three newly-appointed Urdu teachers to the school on Thursday.
However, the locals did not relent and pelted stones at the policemen, injuring six of them.
To control the situation, the police first baton-charged and then burst tear gas shells to disperse the mob. In a shocking move, the cops then opened fire on unarmed students resulting in grievous injuries to many and killing one.
A person died of bullet injuries and several of the injured were admitted to Islampur hospital, the authorities at the medical facility said.
The deceased is a local resident, police said.
It is important to note that when the demand for a Bengali teacher and Science teacher was presented, this appointment of three Urdu teachers was seen by locals as a minority appeasement tactic by the Mamata Banerjee government.
The aggrieved are organising a protest this Sunday. Here is a poster doing the rounds of the affected area.
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