At the Rahara RK Mission educational institute in North 24-Parganas, the monk in charge of the primary section has often been physically prevented from entering his office and taking classes.

At the other RK Mission School at Baranagar, also in the same district, the stand-off has led to the "teachers not getting their salaries for the last three months." The teachers are now planning to go on hunger strike.

And as the controversy rages on, the monks who head the institutions charge the CPI(M) controlled teachers unions with"arm-twisting the institutions either to close or submit to their wishes."

Swamy Gopeshananda, who heads the Baranagar Mission schools where the District Primary Education Council (DPEC) appointed teachers have not been getting their salary for three months, feels: "It's a move to arm-twist us into giving in to their secret demand to give up our right to appoint head monks."

"We have suggested to the DPEC to take away their teachers so that we can appoint our own to carry on with our job," Gopeshananda said, adding "but the council is not taking any action on the requests, thus setting the teachers against us."

A primary teacher who spoke to this reporter on condition of anonymity, said: "We have no quarrels with the Mission but let the DPEC settle the issue of appointment of a monk or non-monk principal first and we'll abide by the decision."

The Baranagar Mission School meanwhile filed a case against "the Council in the Calcutta High Court for non-payment of the salary." DPEC Chairman Sunil KumarDasgupta who refused to speak on grounds that the case is sub-judice, said: "I will not speak on the issue."