Naxalbari

Naxalbari (also spelled Naksalbari) is a village in the Naxalbari CD block in the Siliguri subdivision of the Darjeeling district in the state of West Bengal, India. Naxalbari is famous for being the site of a 1967 revolt that would eventually lead to the Naxalite–Maoist insurgency.

Not to be confused with Naxal.

Naxalbari

Naksalbari
Village
Naxalbari
Location of Naxalbari in West Bengal
Naxalbari
Location of Naxalbari in India
Coordinates: 26.68315°N 88.19961°E / 26.68315; 88.19961
Country India
StateWest Bengal
DistrictDarjeeling
Government
 • BodyNaxalbari Gram Panchayat
Elevation
152 m (499 ft)
Population
 (2011)
 • Total1,618
Languages
 • OfficialBengali, English
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN
734429
Telephone code0353
Lok Sabha constituencyDarjeeling
Vidhan Sabha constituencyMatigara-Naxalbari

History
Main article: Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist)

Naxalbari became famous for being the site of a left-wing poor peasants uprising in 1967, which began with the "land to tiller" slogan, an uprising continuing to this day (see Naxalite).

The Naxalbari uprising was triggered on 25 May 1967 at Bengai Jote village in Naxalbari when the police opened fire on a group of villagers who were demanding their right to the crops at a particular piece of land. The firing killed 9 adults and 2 unknown children.

The CPI (ML) have put up busts of Lenin, Stalin, Mao and Charu Majumder on that piece of land. The spot has Bengai Jote Primary School next to it. There is a memorial column erected that has the names of the people who died during the police firing. The names are 1. Dhaneswari Devi (F), 2. Simaswari Mullick (F), 3. Nayaneswari Mullick (F), 4. Surubala Burman (F), 5. Sonamati Singh (F), 6. Fulmati Devi (F), 7. Samsari Saibani (F), 8. Gaudrau Saibani (M), 9. Kharsingh Mullick (M) and "two children".

Geography
Places in the south-western portion of Siliguri subdivision in Darjeeling district
CT: census town, R: rural/ urban centre, F: facilities
Owing to space constraints in the small map, the actual locations in a larger map may vary slightly

Location

Naxalbari is located at 26.68315°N 88.19961°E / 26.68315; 88.19961. It has an average elevation of 152 metres (501 feet).

The stretch of land, where Naxalbari is situated, lies on the Terai region at the base of the Himalayas. To the west of Naxalbari, across the border river Mechi lies Nepal. The entire stretch of the land surrounding Naxalbari is covered by farm lands, tea estates and forests and small villages, consists of an area of 182.02 km². The Naxalbari block has six Gram Panchayats (village councils), viz. Gossainpur, Lower Bagdogra, Upper Bagdogra, Hatighisha, Naxalbari and Moniram, from north to south. The population of Naxalbari block was 144,915 in the year 2001.

Area overview

The map alongside shows the Siliguri subdivision of Darjeeling district. This area is spread across the foothills of the Himalayas and is a plain land gently sloping from north to south. While the northern part is mentioned as the Terai region, the larger southern portion forms the western part of the Dooars region. While 55.11% per cent of the population resides in the rural areas, 44.89% resides in the urban areas. On the western side the Mechi River forms a long border with Nepal. On the eastern side the Mahananda River forms a short border with Bangladesh.[1][2]

Note: The map alongside presents some of the notable locations in the subdivision. All places marked in the map are linked in the larger full screen map.

Civic Administration

Police station

Naxalbari police station has jurisdiction over the Naxalbari CD block.[3][4]

CD block HQ

The headquarters of the Naxalbari CD block is at Naxalbari.[5]

Demographics

According to the 2011 Census of India, Naksalbari had a total population of 1,618 of which 811 (50%) were males and 807 (50%) were females. There were 138 persons in the age range of 0 to 6 years. The total number of literate people in Naksalbari was 1,289 (79.67% of the population over 6 years).[6]

Transport

Naxalbari has a railway station on the Katihar–Siliguri line.[7] Daily trains run from New Jalpaiguri via Siliguri Town, Siliguri Junction, Matigara and Bagdogra. There are four trains running from New Jalpaiguri; New Jalpaiguri-Katihar Passenger, New Jalpaiguri-Aluabari-New Jalpaiguri DEMU Ring Rail, New Jalpaiguri-Balurghat DEMU and New Jalpaiguri-Radhikapur DEMU.

There is also bus service from Siliguri Court More to Naxalbari.

Naxalbari's Panitanki neighbourhood is on Nepal's eastern border with India at Jhapa District, Mechi Zone. There is a border crossing to the Kakarbhitta neighborhood of Mechinagar municipality with a checkpoint for customs and crossing by third-country nationals while citizens of Nepal and India cross without restriction.

Education

Naxalbari has two major government high schools, one for males and one for females, and one college. There are many public and private primary schools.[8]

  • Nand Prasad High School - A government boys high school, which runs from class 5th to 12th grade. It was founded in 1943. Also there are primary school.
  • Nand Prasad Girls High School - A government girls high school, which runs classes from 5th grade to 12th grade. It was founded in 1973.
  • Naxalbari Nepali High School - A government co-ed high school, from 05th Grade to 12th Grade. Founded in 1985, it was recognized by the Govt. of W. B. in 2000.
  • Naxalbari College - A government college. It was established in 2008.
  • Shreema Shishu Udyan School - A private primary school for boys and girls, which runs classes from 1st grade to 5th grade. It was founded in 1979.
  • Sabuj Sathi Nursery School - A private primary school for boy and girls, which runs classes from pre-nursery to 4th grade. It was founded in 1984. Mrs. Laxmi Ghosh established Shreema Shishu Udyan and Sabuj Sathi Nursery School.
  • Sarada Vidya Mandir - A private primary school for boy and girls, which runs classes from pre-nursery to 8th grade (increase every year up to 10th). It was established in 1998.
  • Sister Margaret English Public School - This school only teaches up to primary level.
  • Raja Rammohan Navodaya Vidyalaya - A private Bengali medium primary level school.

See also

References
  1. "District Census Handbook, Darjeeling, Series 20, Part XII A, 2011 Census of India" (PDF). Page 13: Physiography. Directorate of Census Operations, West Bengal. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  2. "District Census Handbook, Darjeeling, Series 20, Part XII A, 2011 Census of India" (PDF). Pages 15-17: Drainage. Directorate of Census Operations, West Bengal. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  3. "District Statistical Handbook 2013 Darjeeling". Tables 2.1, 2.2. Department of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of West Bengal. Archived from the original on 21 January 2019. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  4. "District Profile - Darjeeling". District administration. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  5. "District Census Handbook: Darjiling" (PDF). Map of District Darjiling with CD block HQs and Police Stations (on the fifth page). Directorate of Census Operations, West Bengal, 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  6. "2011 Census – Primary Census Abstract Data Tables". West Bengal – District-wise. Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  7. Indian Railways time table
  8. "Education". Naxalbari City. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
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