PARADIGM SHIFT: EDUCATIONAL HUB FROM DARJEELING TO SILIGURI IN POST COLONIAL PERIOD

Darjeeling Hill station was a creation of the colonial govt. It was a fast developing town among the Hill stations of British India. Along with its growth as a sanitorium, it emerged as a educational centre especially the hub of English medium schools and convents. In this direction the major role was played by various missionary associations. It was found that Darjeeling hills including Kurseong and Kalimpong attracted students not only from different parts of British India, princely states of India but also neighbouring countries of Bhutan and Nepal. But in the post colonial period specially during and after the Gorkha land movement Darjeeling hills witnessed a massive decline as an educational hub. Side by side Siliguri a fast growing town of Darjeeling district in the plains ,is becoming the fast growing educational centre of English medium schools lagging behind Darjeeling hills. The present paper ie an attempt to view the reasons behind such major shift of an educational hub of the colonial period to a fast growing town in the post colonial period. Darjeeling hills is the only hill station of the state of West Bengal situated in its northern part. On the other hand Siliguri town, rapid growing city and the only municipal corporation not only in the district of Darjeeling but also in North Bengal. In preparing this paper multi disciplinary will be followed.