Bandel’s 40-year-old school shut, parents & students protest against Railway eviction

Sharatchandra Bahumukhi Shiksha Niketan, a 40-year-old private school near Bandel Railway Station, has been shut down following a railway eviction drive, sparking protests from parents, students, and former students. The school, which started in a thatched-roof structure and later moved to Sharatchandra Institute, has educated thousands over the decades. Parents claim the closure has disrupted their children's education, and they are demanding an alternative arrangement, including admission to Bandel’s Kendriya Vidyalaya or another school.

According to Principal Subodh Chandra Das, the railway issued a closure notice on February 25, leaving little time for a response. On eviction day, RPF (Railway Protection Force) officers arrived to remove parents and school staff from the premises. Railway officials state that this action is part of an ongoing eviction drive targeting unauthorized structures. Notices have also been sent to other encroachers in and around Bandel Station, with authorities emphasizing the need to clear railway land from illegal occupants.

Protests have continued for a week, with parents, students, and former students demanding immediate intervention. Many former students, who have now reached high positions in various fields, returned to support the protest. Parents argue that their children have nowhere to go, while railway officials maintain that the school was operating without proper authorization on railway land.