Protest Against Police Action on TET Aspirants Turns Tense Friday Again in Agartala, SFI, DYFI and TYF Workers Detained
By Our Correspondent
Agartala, September 25, 2026
A protest march and road blockade by Left-affiliated student and youth organisations in Agartala on Friday afternoon against the police action on TET-qualified job aspirants on Thursday reportedly turned tense, with police subsequently removing and detaining several protesters.
The protest was organised by the SFI, DYFI and TYF to condemn Thursday's use of water cannons and police action against candidates who had gathered near Shiksha Bhavan demanding recruitment. Reports from Thursday confirmed that police used water cannons to disperse the TET-qualified aspirants and detained a number of protesters. Around 100 candidates were reportedly taken to the AD Nagar Police Lines.
The Left student and youth organisations held their protest at Paradise Chowmuhani, raising slogans against what they described as excessive police action against future teachers.
Addressing the protest, CPI(M) youth leader Nabarun Deb criticised the government's handling of the TET-qualified candidates' agitation. He alleged that the protesters who faced police action on Thursday were not criminals but young people who are seeking government employment after qualifying in TET.
According to Deb, many of those who participated in Thursday's demonstration are likely to become teachers in the state's schools. He questioned the manner in which the administration dealt with them, arguing that their demand for recruitment should have been addressed through dialogue rather than force.
He also questioned the government's approach towards different forms of agitation, asking why negotiations and meetings are possible in some cases while job aspirants demanding employment face water cannons and detention.
Nabarun Deb said that the protesters involved in Thursday's agitation had not, according to his account, been engaged in any anti-social activity. He argued that the manner in which they were dealt with created the impression that they were being treated as though they were involved in serious wrongdoing.
He further said that teacher recruitment should not be allowed to remain pending for years. Referring to the practice of candidates having to wait for prolonged periods for government recruitment, he said the state should not continue such a system.
The CPI(M) youth leader also criticised the broader functioning of the administration, stating that government officials and bureaucrats play an important role in shaping the public image of the government.
"Disrespecting teachers is not merely an injustice; it is a sin," he said, while criticising the treatment of TET-qualified candidates.
The protesters also raised questions over the contrasting methods used by the administration while dealing with different agitations.
They asked whether the government was prepared to sit across the table and negotiate with groups involved in other forms of agitation while using lathis, water cannons and detention against unemployed candidates demanding recruitment.
The comparison is part of the political criticism voiced by the Left organisations; the circumstances and legal status of different protests may, however, differ, and police have previously said that their action against the TET protesters was taken to clear the road and prevent a possible cognisable offence.
The protesters also questioned the silence of Tipra Motha founder Pradyot Kishore Debbarma over the police action against TET-qualified youths.
The Left organisations questioned why, in their view, there was scope for dialogue with one group of protesters while candidates demanding government jobs were met with police intervention.
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