Language row: 12 CU hostel residents injured in scuffle with Sealdah traders
Times of India | 22 August 2025
12 Kolkata: At least 12 people, all Calcutta University students staying at Carmichael Hostel, sustained injuries after allegedly being assaulted by traders on Wednesday night. Tension flared in the Sealdah area after the students alleged they were attacked and abused for "speaking in Bengali" by "Hindi-speaking traders". Two persons were arrested on Thursday.
According to police and locals, the incident began around 10 pm when Mohammad Zahid went to buy a mobile cover at a shop under the flyover. A dispute arose with the shopkeeper over the price, and the student from Murshidabad was allegedly harassed by the shopkeeper, who called him a Bangladeshi because he spoke Bengali. The situation escalated into a physical altercation. Zahid informed other hostel residents about the harassment, and later, a group of students went to confront the shopkeeper. There they were surrounded by hawkers, intimidated and abused, while repeatedly being asked to speak in Hindi. While returning to their hostel, they were attacked by a section of hawkers allegedly carrying sticks, rods, and knives. The students were reportedly even called Rohingyas, the cops said.
Other boarders later got involved in scuffles with traders, with both sides sustaining injuries. Chhatra Parishad staged a sit-in outside the police station, demanding the accused be arrested. By morning, shop owner Dipak Kumar Sahu and his employee Imtiaz Ali were arrested. On Thursday, the traders refused to speak about the incident. "We are worried about the turn of events. We can't comment until we know details of the case," said Mahesh Shaw, a trader.
"We tried to record the incident but the traders took our phones and deleted everything," said Masum Miyan, an injured student.
CU plans to seek cop patrolling near the hostel during the night. On Thursday, CU told supervisors of every hostel to inform the university after any incident.