A row over salary statements to file income tax sparked a brawl between the headmaster and a teacher of the reputable 175-year-old Krishnagar Collegiate School on Wednesday, the incident occurring in front of mediapersons.

Headmaster Manoranjan Biswas and geography teacher Nimai Majumdar hit and abused each other until other teachers and non-teaching staff separated them.
Residents claimed that the incident had put a blot on the institution with names such as eminent poet-playwright Dwijendralal Roy as its alumni. Both teachers, however, appeared repentant later.

The row reportedly started on school campus when Majumdar began a sit-in demonstration in front of headmaster Biswas’s chamber, protesting against alleged denial of salary statements dated within the current financial year. Majumdar alleged that Biswas, owing to differences in opinion, delayed issuing the statements. “I have been attached to the school for 20 years. I never expected such humiliating treatment for a legitimate claim of a salary statement. I have been trying to obtain it since December. But it is deniedevery time. Today the clerk said he was directed not to issue it to me. So, I decided to stage a silent protest, but lost my cool when I noticed the headmaster blaming me wrongly before mediapersons,” said Majumdar, who later fell ill and had to be hospitalised.

Biswas refuted the allegation. “He never asked me for it. Why should I deny it? I heard he had a problem with the head clerk. He purposely attacked me in front of everyone when I retaliated in self-defence. But I am ashamed of what I did. It was a reaction. I lost my cool. It could have been avoided,” Biswas said and posted an apology on social media. Subir Sinharoy, an elderly alumnus and theatre personality, said three generations of his family had studied in this school but never had such an incident happened.

“I felt very embarrassed today,” he said.