A school once bathed in pride and presidential honour now echoes with silence. Despite once being led by a headmaster who brought home the President’s Award for Teachers in 1995, Tufanganj Town Vidyasagar Primary School, situated in Cooch Behar, now stands in deafening silence.
Once the pride of the town — nurturing generations who went on to become doctors, engineers, educators and reputed professionals — the school, established in 1971, now lies with its classrooms empty, its benches untouched and its corridors void of life. Not a single student now comes to the temple of education.
The decline has been steady and painful. As recent as last year, only two students remained enrolled. By April this year, the final student transferred to another school, leaving the building deserted. Once home to over 400 students and led by a small team of teachers, the institution has been reduced to a memory, with just one teacher still officially posted.
The emotional weight of this downfall is being felt across the local community. Shubhashis Dhar, a local resident, shared with visible sorrow, “We have so many childhood memories tied to this school. It breaks my heart to see it like this. I dream of seeing children return here one day.”
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Shubhamoy Sarkar, a former student and legal professional, said the same. “This is where my foundation was laid. The teachers were very caring. Witnessing this downfall is painful,” he added.
The school founded by headmaster, Bhanuprakash Dey, had its history full of glory. Under his guidance, the school was officially established on January 3, 1971. His visionary leadership earned the institution not just popularity but prestige. In 1995, he was honored with the President’s Award for Teachers.
Now confined to his sickbed, Dey can barely hold back his tears. “It’s unbearable to witness the institution I built from scratch fall into this state. If I were still able, I wouldn’t have allowed this closure. Never,” he said with trembling emotion.
Despite the despair, hope flickers.
Amlan Verma, President of the School Management Committee, expressed a determined optimism saying, “We are actively taking steps to reopen the school. The support of the administration and the municipality is essential. This is not the end.”
Rajat Verma, Chairman of the Primary School Sangsad, confirmed that efforts are underway to recruit another teacher and reinforce the academic infrastructure. “We are not giving up on this school,” he said.
Portraits of Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Swami Vivekananda, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar and Mahatma Gandhi still hang proudly on the walls of the school— silent sentinels of ideals that once shaped young minds. The building’s condition is sound, its rooms ready to host the clamour of learning once again. And yet, the midday meal no longer simmers, the blackboard lies clean, and the swings rust in the wind.
Tufanganj’s conscience is not ready to let go. Former students, educators and concerned locals continue to cling to hope, hearts brimming with longing for a return to the school’s former glory.
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