The BSF and the state police helped Madhyamik examinees in different locations of north Bengal in various ways as the secondary school board exams started across the state on Friday.

While the central border force arranged transportation for students from two remote villages at the India-Bangladesh border to their exam venues in Cooch Behar district, police officers in Siliguri and Jalpaiguri promptly reached out to examinees in distress.

In Cooch Behar, 17 Madhyamik examinees — nine girls and eight boys — who hail from the villages of Jaridharala and Daribas in Dinhata-I block, were wondering whether they would be able to reach their examination centre on time. Both these villages are located on the bank of the Singimari river that runs through the India-Bangla border.

Residents, including students and examinees, have to take multiple boat rides and then cross on foot intermittent stretches of dry beds in the river to reach the mainland and from there take vehicles to finally reach marketplaces and schools.

Marufa Yeasmin, an examinee from Gitaldaha High School, said it took them more than two hours to reach their school on any given day, often more.

“During winters, dry beds come up on the river. We have to cross the river in phases on boats and walk on the dry river bed. Today, the BSF officials gave us dedicated boats and vehicles so that we could reach the exam centre on time,” said Marufa.

All 17 Madhyamik examinees have Okrabari Alabaksh High School, around 8km away, as their exam centre.

On Friday morning, examinees were called at the BSF camp in Gitaldaha border outpost. There, the officials handed over roses, writing boards and pens to them.

“Some BSF officers also gave short motivational speeches on how we should write the papers. We thank them for encouraging us and for making the arrangement,” said Najmul Islam, another examinee.

They also said that the BSF would provide them with one-way transport from their villages to the exam centre on all exam days.

“We will take e-rickshaws to return home after our exams,” said an examinee.

The BSF's effort comes at a time when chief minister Mamata Banerjee has expressed her displeasure at the central force, accusing it of trying to issue “identity cards” to border villagers.

“We are definitely against the BSF’s highhandedness which has even led to deaths of people in bordering villagers in the past. But what they did today (Friday) deserves appreciation,” said Nur Alam Hossain, a Trinamul leader and a zilla parishad member from the area.

G.S. Dhaliwal, the deputy inspector general of the station headquarters of the BSF in Cooch Behar, said they always stand in support of the border population.

In Siliguri, Santoshinagar resident Kartik Barman, a Madhyamik examinee of Siliguri Vidyasagar Vidyalaya, was at his wit’s end when he realised he forgot to bring his admit card to the exam centre at Jagdish Chandra Vidyapith in Dabgram.

Kartik had reached his exam centre on a bicycle. Cycling back home for the admit card would have delayed his exam. He approached the nearest police helpdesk, instead.

Abhishek Gupta, the deputy commissioner (traffic) of Siliguri Metropolitan Police, said the boy and some elders sought their assistance.

“We engaged one of our men who took the boy home and brought him back to the examination centre on time,” he said.

Kartik said if the police didn’t help him, he would have missed the exam.

“Sudender Singh Negi, the officer-in-charge of the NJP traffic guard helped me to go home and get back to the centre on time,” he said.

In Jalpaiguri district, a Madhyamik candidate reached Chalsa by bus to reach Chalsa Gayanath School where she was supposed to sit for the exam. However, after reaching the place, she couldn’t locate the school.

“The passers-by who were around couldn’t guide her to the school. The candidate got very scared,” said a source.

Debashish Das, the officer-in-charge of Matiali traffic guard, came to her rescue. Das took the girl to the school where she appeared in the exam.

Forest department aid

Like the BSF, the state forest department too engaged their vehicles to carry Madhyamik examinees to their exam centres from forest villages or areas that are near wild elephant habitats.

At the Bagdogra forest range area, which is under Kurseong forest division, five such vehicles were arranged for Madhyamik examinees.

Similar arrangements were made in the districts of Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar, said forest department sources.

“During all exam days, the Madhyamik examinees from these remote or vulnerable areas will get pick-up and drop-down facilities from us. After their exams are over, our vehicles will also take them back to their homes,” said a forester.