The recent violent confrontation in Karishunda village, located in the Indas block of Bankura district of West Bengal, has cast a harsh light on the deteriorating state of government education across West Bengal. The brutal assault on 24-year-old education activist Abdul Hafiz and the subsequent death of his father, Sheikh Mohammad Mafik—a landless farm labourer—has ignited widespread outrage. What began as an ordinary citizen’s enquiry into the neglected infrastructure of a local primary school has escalated into a major political flashpoint, uniting student, youth, women, and Left organisations against the violent suppression of democratic dissent.
The Cost of Asking Questions
Abdul Hafiz had recently returned to his village after participating in the national education movement at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. Driven by that campaign, Hafiz turned his attention to the poor infrastructure, acute lack of resources, and substandard teaching conditions at the government primary school in Karishunda.
On August 13, Hafiz visited the school to inspect its condition and discuss the issues with the head teacher. Instead of an open dialogue, he was confronted, cornered, and physically assaulted. According to Hafiz, he was beaten and forcibly dragged towards his home. When his father, Sheikh Mohammad Mafik, rushed forward unarmed to protect him, the assailants attacked the older man with iron rods and heavy sticks. Both father and son sustained grave injuries.
The family has alleged...
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