Tension gripped the Sealdah area late on Wednesday night after students of Calcutta University’s Carmichael Hostel were allegedly attacked by traders at Shishir Market while buying mobile covers. The assault, reportedly involving sticks, hockey sticks and sharp weapons, left around ten students injured, with two of them in a critical condition. Students further alleged that they were taunted as “Bangladeshis” for speaking in Bengali.
The incident occurred near the Sealdah Vidyapati Bridge under the jurisdiction of Muchipara police station. According to hostel residents, the violence began after a disagreement between a student and a shopkeeper over a mobile cover. When the student later returned with classmates to question the trader, they were allegedly set upon by several shopkeepers armed with sticks and sharp weapons.
As news of the attack spread, more hostel students rushed to the spot but were also beaten. The injured were admitted to Kolkata Medical College and Hospital. Among them, Afridi Mollah recounted: “I was beaten on the neck and back with sticks and hockey sticks. They tore my clothes and kept asking me why I was speaking Bengali, calling me a Bangladeshi.”
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Students alleged that despite alerting police during the night, no immediate action followed, prompting them to stage a protest at Muchipara police station. An FIR was eventually lodged, and Kolkata Police later confirmed that two accused, shop owner Deepak Kumar Sau and his assistant Imtiaz Ali, had been arrested. “Investigations are ongoing,” said Indira Mukherjee, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central).
The incident has sparked outrage. Former residents of Carmichael Hostel joined the protests, alleging targeted violence against Bengali-speaking students. Alumni member Tajbul Haque condemned the attack, calling it “an attack by Hindi-speaking shopkeepers who brutally assaulted students simply for speaking in their mother tongue.” He further alleged that branding people as Bangladeshis was becoming increasingly common, even within Bengal.
The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) also condemned the violence. State secretary Debanjan De said: “Minority students from different districts stay at Carmichael Hostel. Last night they were attacked and branded Bangladeshis. Such attacks mirror the way poor migrants and minorities are being targeted in other states. Students in Kolkata are not safe and the university must take responsibility.”
The assault has reignited concerns over student safety in the Sealdah area, with residents of Carmichael Hostel warning of intensified agitation unless strict action is taken against all those involved.
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