THAKUR PANCHANAN BARMA UNIVERSITY

Fresh stir plan to get a university

Manishi Panchanan Barma Viswavidyalaya Prastuti Committee is going to organise a series of fresh movements to get the long awaited university named after the legendary social reformer of North Bengal, Thakur Panchanan Barma. On Sunday the committee organised a convention at the birthplace of Thakur Panchanan Barma at Khalisamari village in Mathabhanga sub-division of Cooch Behar district.

Secretary of the committee Mr Girindra Nath Barman said they would spread their movement in all areas of North Bengal. In Sunday's convention they decided to organise sit-in movements at Mathabhanga and in Cooch Behar, a convention at Jalpaiguri and roadblock at different areas of Cooch Behar district. At the last phase of their movement they would start a fast-unto-death stir to get their demand fulfilled. During their movements they would convey their demand to the state chief minister too to draw her attention to the long awaited demand, Mr Barman said.

Mr Barman, who is also a vice-president of the Cooch Behar district unit of the Trinamul Congress, said, they already collected 336-bigha land for setting up of the university. If necessary they would acquire an additional 200-bigha land as enthusiastic locals came up to donate the required volume of land for the university named after Thakur Panchanan Barma, he said.

At the convention that was held at Khalisamari there were eminent persons like Mr Dipak Ray of North Bengal University, the principal of Sitalkuchi College Mr Afjal Hossain, educationist Mr Banikanta Bhattacharya and others. The speakers spoke of the necessity of a new university named after Thakur Panchanan Barma at Khalisamari in the interest of higher studies for the students of the region.