The Newsline team visited four camps for displaced families in Tekhali Bazar, Sherkachowk and Bhangabera areas as well as the affected areas of Sonachura, Kendamari and others in Nandigram.

"Everything was perfect till December and I attended school regularly. But in January when the trouble started, my parents left our village and we shifted to Tekhali Bazar. I have heard that our house had been ransacked and my books destroyed. I scored the highest in my class and expected to do well in the annual exam," said Priyanka, a resident of Gokulnagar.

In Gangra, at Basulibor primary school, under Sonachura Gram Panchayat, a lone teacher was seen in a class of seven girl students. In normal times, the class strength is 150. The school is four kilometers from Bhangabera, where police clashed with the villagers on March 14. The teacher, Tapan Kumar Jana, said: "No parent dares to send children to school which opened two days ago. The annual exams in February could not be conducted... Rice in our godown for mid-day meal is looted. There is no food to give to the children."

Neither of the two camps were eager to take responsibility for the state of affairs. "We are trying our best to restore normalcy in the schools," said Sishir Adhikary of Bhumi Ucched Birodhi Committee, "but there is fear in the air which is forcing students to stay home." Ashok Guria, CPI(M) district secretariat member said: "The TMC and others have driven out 2000 party supporters out of their homes. How can the children go to school? There is no administration here."