MAHIUDDIN AHMED- AS I KNEW HIM: SOME RAMBLINGS

By

Jiyauddin Choudhury

I had a multi-layered relationship with Mahiuddin Ahmed Saheb, the Founder Headmaster of Bam Bidyapith High School, spread over sixty-two years. Initially, it was as a student-teacher relationship. After that, both of us served as teachers in Bam Bidyapith High School. We were also fellow students of Gauhati University. In the meanwhile, he had become my son in law after his marriage with Saleha Begum Manju, a niece of mine from my maternal side. After my post-graduation I started my career in the Cooperation department of Assam Government, in which Mahiuddin Saheb had already served and left, to join Bam Bidyapith High School. Subsequently, he would be matrimonially related to us after the marriage of his first cousin Rabeya Khanam, with my elder brother Saadullah Choudhury. The relationship did not end here. After my retirement, I joined the field of education administration, which was his domain. The proximity grew one step further when I took up the responsibility as the Editor of BARAK, an annual magazine published by Minority Welfare Society, Guwahati. He being a literary person, we found a common ground and interacted.

I was not a direct classroom student of Mohiuddin Saheb. I was  a student of the first batch of Bam Bidyapith High School, along with another sixteen or seventeen students- Abdus Sattar Laskar, Najmuddin Choudhury, Arif Uddin Laskar, Bazid Raja Laskar, Alauddin Laskar (Kuti, adopted son of Mirjan Ali Laskar), Bilaluddin or Alimuddin of Telichipa, Momijul Ali Laskar, Sofijul Ali Laskar, Badal Roy, Budhan Roy, Bankim Sinha, Harubabu Singh, Terabanu, Saiful Bibi,  Abdul Kayyum, Arjumond Ali Barbhuiya, Abdul Wahid. Most of us had passed class six final examination in 1957 from Bhagabazar ME School, located in front of the house of Mirzan Ali Laskar, Bongram. This ME School had only two teachers, Hriday Pandit, who was a Normal School educated teacher, and Sirajuddin sir, a matriculate, known as Baskhalor Sir.

The Managing Committee of the Bhagabazar ME School was overjoyed at the result of class six final examination of the Bhagabazar ME School. All the students had passed, with two students, me and Abdus Sattar Laskar securing first division. Abdus Sattar Laskar had even secured a scholarship. The Managing Committee decided to open high school in 1958 with this 1957 batch of class VI students of Bhagabazar ME School.

For the new High School, a one room bamboo thatched house was constructed in the compound of Bhagabazar ME School. Astor Ali Laskar of Tundoorkandi, after appearing in IA examination, joined as a teacher. Harbajan sir, a Normal School educated teacher also joined. We completed our class VII with this setup of High School. After completing class VII, me and my brother Najmuddin Choudhury left Bhagabazar High School, and went to Bam Nityananda High School for our class VIII. After I left Bhagabazar High School in 1958 end, Mohiuddin Ahmed saheb joined as the founder Headmaster of the Bam Bidyapith High School, till then Bhagabazar High School.

I met, rather saw Mohiuddin saheb, a few days after he joined the Bhagabazar High School as the founder Headmaster. After leaving that school, when I came to know that a new Headmaster had joined, one day I came to the School to see him. He was sitting in a small room in the Bhagabazar ME School, which used to serve as a teacher’s common room during our time. The only difference was that now curtains were hanging from the door, and on the only window in that room. I peeped through the curtain of the door and saw a well-dressed, handsome young man sitting in the chair. After that first glance, little did I realize that I would be meeting him again at several occasions, for the remaining of our lives.

After that, I would see him occasionally, taking his evening walk in the middle of Bhagabazar road, which was free of traffic at that time. After my class VIII, I left Bam Nityananda Multipurpose High School, and for that matter, my home, and migrated to Sonai Nityagopal High School for Class IX and X. While I was studying at Sonai Nitya Gopal High School, Bam Bidyapith High School was taking shape and I saw less of Mohiuddin Sb. But I would have glimpses of the activities going on for setting up the school in its new campus at present location, a place nearer to our Rajghat home. During one of my visits to my home during winter, I saw a big event being organized by the Bam Bidyapith High School, in the paddy field of Bongram village near High School. It was a huge gathering, complete with horse race, music and other events. The Headmaster, through these events, was popularizing the concept of education among the uneducated people of Bam, and building up his team and raising funds.

Photo courtesy: Manjur Ahmed Laskar, an amateur wild life Photographer of Dhonehari roots.

Bam Bidyapith High School.The School which Mohiuddin Ahmed founded, has not let him down. It achieved 100% pass in HSLC Examination for five consecutive years during 2008-2011 and continues to achieve more than 80% success in aggregate despite huge shortage of Teachers -thanks to dedication of Teachers and support from guardians.

In retrospect, I find that Mohiuddin sb achieved his mission of popularizing the concept of modern education among the people of Bam, to a great measure. Now, after sixty years, modern education in Bam has become popular, and there are more than a dozen vernacular and English medium High schools in Bam, catering to the growing demand for modern education. While in the late sixties, there were no graduates to teach in the newly established school, Bam Bidyapith High School has already produced three provincialized college principals, two college professors and a host of Headmasters and Teachers of High Schools, and dozens of TET Teachers besides CAs,Engineers ,Doctors and MBAs.

In 1961, Mohiuddin sb married Saleha Begum, nicknamed Manju, daughter of a cousin brother of mine, from my maternal side, and became a son in law of the family. In keeping with the social norms, the newly married couple were invited to our house for dinner(dawat).

Wedding invitation card of Mohiuddin Ahmed and Manju

It was quite an event. The ladies of the house were nervous to host a dinner for a headmaster and his educated wife. Manju had grown up outside the country and was not known to the most relatives. They came and had dinner, squatting on a sital pati (for common guests Chatai would do). Dining table had not made its appearance in middle class rural families of Bam until then. Manju, with her disarming smile and unassuming behaviour, established a rapport immediately. My sister-in-law became Chachimai and I, along with my other brothers became Chachaji.

Manju with Rajib

After the first visit, it was a normal social relationship. Now the ladies, who were nervous to face an educated woman, have graduate granddaughters. Thanks to the Bam Bidyapith High School, nurtured by the couple. The social relationship with Mohiuddin sb had gone one step further after the 1972 marriage of my elder brother Saadullah Choudhury with Rabeya Khanam, then a teacher in Silchar Government Girls High School, who retired as Principal Silchar Government Boys Higher Secondary School. Nasiruddin and Khanam, brother and sister of Mohiuddin Sb were also teachers. Khanam retired as the Headmistress of East Kazidahar ME School, and Nasir retired as a teacher of Sonai Nitya Gopal High School. Together, this family of Kazidahar, must have educated innumerable people of Cachar during their careers as teachers, and enriched the society as a whole, a contribution which may never be appraised.

Mohiuddin sb was not pursuing a career as it would appear. In fact, he was spearheading a movement for spreading modern education in Bam, the southernmost part of Cachar, a segment of popular vocabulary Bam-Bouri. If he wanted to pursue a safe and secure career, he had the job of Assistant Cooperative officer (ACO), which would have taken him to a career growth path. In those days, an   ACO   was provided with a personal orderly, attached to his post, which was a status symbol, and envy of officers of other departments of the same rank. But he had left the secure job (and the orderly too) to take up the task of laying the foundation of modern education in southern Bam in the face of an uncertain future. In Manju, he found an ideal partner.

 

Mahiuddin Ahmed & Manju with Rajib and Nagib

Mohiuddin Sb and Manju were a sociable couple, ideal for spearheading the movement of social engineering. They did not confine their activities within the boundaries of school. They assimilated with the society. They created a social circle which included every village, every community, Muslims, Hindus, Barmans, Hindi speaking community and Mizos, belonging to every economic and social stratum. They were visitors to Kunga Punjee, a Mizo settlement in Rajgovidopur and Vairengte. There were even some Mizo students in the school, staying in a hostel. Mizo football lovers of Vairengte were allowed to play football in the football field of the school. If the social bridge established by Mohiuddin sb in early sixties was nurtured, there would not have been tension in Cachar-Mizoram border as witnessed in the last part of 2020.

The result was that, during those days, the people of the area had an umbilical cord with the school. They identified themselves with the Bam Bidyapith High School. They offered cash and kind in the form bamboos etc. for the school. This was a huge strength for a school in making. The Bam Bidyapith High School became a catalyst for bringing about social change and social integration in Bam, the melting pot of Cachar. People from all over undivided Cachar have come and settled in Bam.

In a way the Mohiuddin Ahmed -Manju couple was also responsible for ushering in modernity in social life of Bam. Bam Muslim community was a conservative society. The women used to be in purdah. They made social visits in veils, women of Hailakandi, origin families used to wear burqa, and women of Ujani (meaning villages around Silchar) origin families used to wear Chaddar, covering head and face. When rickshaws appeared in Bam in 1957, in addition to burqa and chaddar, the sitting area of the rickshaw had to be wrapped by a sari to make it a complete purdah. Nobody could see feet or face of the travelling ladies. In such a traditional society, Manju was a contrast, making social visits with ease, wearing sari without veil. Being wife of a Headmaster, her shedding of purdah did not attract any fatwa from Muslim clerics. Without her knowledge, this had a liberating effect on the society. The time has changed, the social norms have also changed since then. Muslim women of Bam are now going to schools, colleges and universities without veil. The society has now accepted it. Only    time will tell if it was for good or bad.

Mohiuddin Ahmed after retirement

Mohiuddin Ahmed sb gave importance to sports and youth activities, as part of school building. He took Monuhar Ali as sports teacher, to promote sports and youth activities in the school. Monuhar Ali, a classmate of mine in Sonai Nitya Gopal High School, was a keen sports person himself. The annual football running shield event was a huge and popular event in Bam. It used to be held in the school football field adjacent to school. Teams  from various Bam villages entered the competition. But the competition to win the shield was so keen that the villagers, instead of playing the football match themselves, hired good footballers from all over the district. Villagers attended the football matches in hundreds, and cheered the teams they backed. In my high school days, in 1960 and 1961, I attended a few matches. While everyone went to the field on foot, I went there riding a horse, borrowed from my brother in- law of Joydhanpur. There being no roads and communications, farmers owned horses to transport the paddy to Bhagabazar. After the harvesting season, the horse was let off in the open, for grazing. During my home visit, I used to borrow it for riding. It was enchanting to go to the football field riding a horse. At the end of the event, it was the turn of Mohiuddin Ahmed sb to hand over the trophy to the winning team. I now know that the event was discontinued after a part of the school football field was eroded by the Rukni river. The present management of the school may consider to reintroduce the event in a borrowed football field.

I appeared in the Matriculation examination from Sonai Nitya Gopal High School in 1962. My examination centre was Silchar Government Boys High School. But after appearing on the first day, I had chicken pox, and had to leave the exam hall. I skipped a year and remained at home to appear from Nonai Nitya Gopal High School next year. During my idle period of one year, I had made several visits to the house of Mohiuddin Sb. In one such visit, he advised me to appear in the half-yearly examination in class X of Bam Bidyalaya High School, to test the level of my preparation. In retrospect, I find that it was a very good suggestion. I had prepared well for the Matric Test Examination of Sonai Nitya Gopal High School, and came first in the class, doing very well in all three papers of English, which raised the expectation of our Headmaster, late Kameswar Sinha Sir. But after dropping from the final examination, I was away from school environment, and was idling away my time, mostly tuning to the radio set and listening to music. I appeared in the half yearly examination of class X of Bam Bidyapith High School, and to my dismay, I found that I had forgotten most of the things which I had prepared for my last Matriculation final examination. Before it was too late, I packed up my bags and books, and went to Sonai to join the class X with my juniors in Sonai Nitya Gopal High school, sacrificing my ego.   A teacher-like advice from Mohiuddin Sb saved my academic career from a possible disaster, for which I always treated him like my teacher, though in real sense I was never his regular classroom student.

A day in the life of Mohiuddin Ahmed-a page from his diary.

My appearance in the half yearly examination of Bam Bidyapith High School had a fringe benefit also. In the English third paper, I attempted an essay on ‘Aim in Life’. I had concluded the essay with a statement that I shall achieve my aim in life by ‘hook or by crook’ to make a good use of a phrase in an English paper, without much thinking about its meaning. Mohiuddin sb examined the paper, and in the margin, he noted “Men should always be fair.” I read it and left it there. But in the course of my dealings in my  professional life, I always tried to be fair, not knowing, if it was due to this small note in my answer script in a very young impressionist age, or if it was in my gene. I am now reminded of a what a wise man once said, “I am indebted to my parents for living, but I am indebted to my teachers for better living.”

After Matriculation from Sonai Nitya Gopal High School in 1963, under Gauhati University, I went to G. C. College for higher education. There, I was joined by other classmates from SonaiNitya Gopal High School, and other schools. One of them was Foyezuddin Laskar of Kabuganj, a later day District judge of Cachar. Foyezuddin Laskar happened to be a cousin brother of Monju. He occasionally came to visit the home of Mohiuddin Ahmed sb, located in the south east corner of the school premises. On one occasion, he came with his roommate Nasiruddin Laskar, a later day teacher in Silchar Government Boys High School. The other Nasiruddin, the younger brother of Mohiuddin Sb, was already here. So, the four of us had dinner at Mohiuddin saheb’s place. Foyezuddin had come with a pack of cards with him. After some gossiping, and adda after dinner, the pack of cards was opened, and we started playing ‘29’, a simple game of cards played by four players, in fixed partnership; partners facing each other. Originally, we planned to play two or three rounds, and I would go home, taking a half kilometre shortcut, and the three of them would go to sleep. But without our knowledge, the card game continued endlessly, till we heard the crowing of cocks and the azan of Muazzin from the nearby mosque. We closed the game as soon as we could, and I rushed home, fearing being reprimanded by my elder brother, Mahmad Hasan Choudhury, for unauthorized night stay outside. While I was entering my home stealthily, I came face to face with him. He had just finished his fazar namaz. He gave a stern look and entered his room without saying anything. Neither Manju, nor Mohiuddin sb too had said anything, or interrupted us for our late-night game. This was a little puzzling to me. Perhaps guardians, being teachers, realized that it was a process of growing up, and transitioning from boyhood to adulthood.

Mohiuddin Ahmed with a new bride in the family.

After my graduation, I went to Gauhati University for my Masters in Economics. During our first year in the university, some of us, friends from Sonai Nitya Gopal High School, studying in Gauhati University, had applied for ACS examination, scheduled to be held during our final year in the University, after our final examination of the first year MA (known as ‘MA Previous’). We came to our respective homes, with the understanding, that we would return to the university hostel, after a week or so, and would prepare jointly for the forthcoming ACS.

The next day after reaching home in June 1969, as usual I went to visit Mohiuddin sb, in his school quarter. After an initial exchange of pleasantries, Mohiuddin sb asked me if I wanted to join the Bam Bidyapith High School as a teacher, since there was a vacancy caused by the leaving of Muzammil Ali Laskar for one month, for his LLB examination. While in school I had dreamt of becoming a teacher in this school someday. But the goalpost changed a bit later, when still in lower class in school, Mahmad Hasan Choudhury, our elder brother took the three us, Saadullah Choudhury, Najmuddin Choudhury and me to an education tour to Silchar(Now adays school students  of some schools  go abroad for study tour). There he showed us G.C.College, Adharchand  High School, Telegraph Office, DC’s office, Silchar Government High School. In DC’s office, he introduced us to two of the office assistants of the DC’s office he knew. But I was not impressed by them. While still in DCs office, someone of higher rank got down from a rickshaw in front of the office stairs, and all the orderlies and peons became alert and saluted him profusely. This impressed me. Later on, I realized that he was an ACS Officer. So my application for ACS examination was a manifestation of that sight in my school days. But when Mohiuddin sb gave me the job of teaching for one month on a platter, I could not resist my temptation of becoming a teacher. I agreed.  Shamsuddin Laskar, the Office Assistant prepared the appointment letter, and I joined the school as a teacher the next day. There I taught, rather read, for one month, and realized that I am not meant for teaching. Later, I learnt that Muzammil Ali Laskar had to again teach the two English lessons that I had taught in class IX during my one-month teaching. After my post-graduation, I never tried for teaching job again. But I achieved one landmark. I became a teacher and a colleague of Mohiuddin sb.

After a stint of teaching for one month, and salary of Rs.268, I went to pursue my final year in economics in the university. One day, in the middle of my final year, Mohiuddin Ahmed sb appeared in the Gauhati University to do his BT course from Gauhati University. He was accommodated in a hostel. This was quite a surprise for us. We were a group of friends from G.C.College, about six or seven, most of whom knew Mohiuddin sb .We were amused to find him as our university mate. But there arose a problem. In those days, smoking among university students was a fashion. A Wills Filter cigarette would cost 8 paisa for student smokers. But the group could not smoke in the presence of Mohiuddin Sb. The group found out an honourable solution. During our time, the students of Assam Engineering College, on the other side of the university used to come to the university for spending the evening in the pleasant University campus, where about 30 % students were girls, in contrast to a single girl student in the Engineering College at that time. One of our friends in Engineering College was Mr. A.N. Najmul Islam Laskar, a frequent visitor to the University. He was a very sociable person, and comfortable equally with senior people, a quality which made him the President of the prestigious Guwahati Rotary Club in his retired life. The group one day introduced him to Mohiudddin sb, and instantly they liked each other. Mr. Laskar, being from Meherpur, was known to the family of Mohiuddin saheb’s mother-in-law. This was an additional advantage. This relationship continued even after the university period. Er Laskar came and stayed with Mohiuddin sb during a panchayat election, when Er. Laskar came as Presiding Officer of Channighat Polling station during his early service period

I left the university in the middle of 1970, with a job in Shillong. In the meanwhile, Mohiuddin sb completed his BT, and returned to Bam Bidyapith High School. After entering the government job, I came under regulation of the Government, and home visit was less frequent. Contact with Mohiuddin Saheb’s family was also infrequent. It was in 1972 that we came into close contact, after a considerable time. It was on the occasion of the marriage of my elder brother with Rabeya Khanam, a cousin sister of Mohiuddin sb. Mohiuddin Sb and Manju acted as go-between in the marriage process, and our family once again became indirectly related to Mohiuddin sb’s family through this matrimony.

From left to right: Mohiuddin Ahmed, Tahiruddin Laskar ACS(Retd), Saadullah Choudhury (Sr. Lecturer DIET-Udharbond), Momotaj Begum (wife of Najmuddin Choudhury) and Rabeya Khanam with the rest of the family at our Rajghat home in 2014

Mohiuddin sb settled in a house in front of the school he had established. During my home visits, it was mandatory to call on Mohiuddin Sb, and spend some quality time. Subsequently, he shifted to Kanakpur.

In 2013, April, I went to invite him to my daughter’s marriage. To my awe, I found him lying in bed, inside a mosquito net, and he appeared to be very sick. It is the scene connected with very old age. He was in very low spirits. He was talking to me in a very weak voice. Apparently, I realized, that his health would not permit him to go to Guwahati, to attend my daughter’s marriage. But in spite of that I invited him and insisted that he must come to attend my daughter's marriage, in the way he had attended all the weddings in our family.  He doubted if his health would permit him to go to Guwahati to attend the marriage. I thought for a moment and invited him to come with me to visit our Rajghat home. He thought for a moment, and agreed to accompany me, perhaps thinking that it would be an opportunity to revisit his Kormobhumi.

 

Saadullah Choudhury, Rabeya Khanam, Mohiuddin Ahmed and Nasir - all retired - at Kazidahar home of Mohiuddin Ahmed. Zidane  their grand son smiles for benefit of camera.

He got ready, and we went to our home. On the way, I visited the home of my elder sister Jamila Kahatun, widow of freedom fighter Maulana Moshad Ali Barbhuiya, and mother of Khairul Amin Barbhuiya. Finding their teacher amidst them, Khairul and his brothers were very happy, and Mohiuddin Sb was also happy to be with his old students. Then we reached our home.  At our Rajghat home, he was again with his ex-students, now themselves teachers. After lunch, I asked him to take rest, and in the meanwhile, I would go to visit my niece’s place at Howaithang. But Mohiuddin sb insisted that, instead of taking rest, he would also accompany. It was a pleasant surprise for me. We went there. My niece Dilara and her husband Shahabuddin, both of them his ex-students, were really surprised and happy to find Mohiuddin sb in their home. After the home visit we returned to Silchar in the evening, and on the way, I dropped him at his Kanakpur home, a sick man in the forenoon but an energized and healthy man in the afternoon. I thought that Mohiuddin Sb might have made an error of judgement in leaving his kormobhumi. Mohiuddin sb came to Guwahati, and attended my daughter’s marriage on May 17 2013, not as a sick old man, but as a healthy Senior Citizen. His students were his tonic.

Mohiuddin Ahmed ,first Headmaster, Bam Bidyapith High School and Jiyaudddin Choudhury, first batch student of Bam Bidyapith High School at Guwahati Residence of his son Rajib on 22/12/2018

During the Guwahati visit, Mohiuddin sb expressed his interest to meet Mr. Mohbubul Hoque, the Edu-entrepreneur from Barak Valley, Chairman of ERDF, and Chancellor of University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya. Mr.Mohbubul Hoque, in his middle age, had already set up an Engineering College, a university, two CBSE schools, one IT College, and one college already. Being himself an educationist and institution builder, Mohiuddin sb wanted to meet Mr.Mohbubul Hoque. I arranged their meeting in the Guwahati City Office of ERDF. Mr. Mohbubul Hoque was happy to meet Mohiuddin sb, another educationist and institution builder. Mr.Mahbubul Hoque was so impressed that he took Mahiuddin Sb  to the university  Campus and arranged his felicitation, and bestowed him with gifts. This action of Mr. Mohbubul Hoque moved Mohiuddin sb so much, that he said that it was the first time that somebody had recognized his lifelong efforts.

Mohiuddin Ahmed, Rabeya Khanam, Nasiruddin, Saadullah Choudhury, Azurina Gulbard, Zidane and a family member at their Kazidahar home. The pyramidical haystack behind them signifies Chunga season in Cachar - a season of social visits in relaxing environment and treat of Chunga delicacy.

I also realized that the people of Bam, though individually recognize his role as the founder headmaster of Bam Bidyapith High School, nobody thought of giving him recognition collectively. It was mainly due to the absence of any form of social institution or citizen’s group in Bam to conceptualize and arrange felicitation and recognition. It was simply the absence of a social platform, not the absence of gratitude. But recognition did come to Mohiuddin sb though late.

It was in 2019 the Barak Sahitya Sanskiti Unnanayan Parishad arranged a program, and extended a felicitation in a ceremony in the M. A Laskar Jr College Rajghat, Bhagabazar, the college he was instrumental in founding.

After that felicitation, he barely survived for a year. He passed away on October 26^th, 2019 at 10.30 pm. The grateful people of Bam went to Kazidahar in large numbers to join his janaza, and pay their tribute. People do not generally recognize the worth of a person until his death. They realize his worth only after he is gone.

Felicitation ceremony: Left from right; Habibullah Choudhury, Retd Headmaster Channighat MV  School. Arjumond Ali Barbhuiya, Retd Teacher, Sabir Ahmed Choudhury, Retd Vice Principal MC Das College Sonai ,Jalal Mazumdar, Former Chairman, Silchar Development Authority-all his ex-students

Mohiuddin Sb is gone, but the light of education that he lit, will continue to illuminate the southern Bam, for all time to come. Before him, another stalwart, Manikhya Chandra Nath Laskar, had come to lay the foundation of Bam Nityananda  ME School in Dholaibazar, in the northern part of Bam in 1922, which he nurtured to turn it in to Bam Nityananda Multipurpose and Higher Secondary  School in 1938. Manikhya Chandra Nath Laskar, and his junior Mohiuddin Ahmed, removed darkness from Bam, and illuminated it with the light of modern education.

Last journey of Mohiuddin Ahmed on 26.10.2019.Nasir, Nagib and another gentleman at his bedside.

The people of Bam may join together, and find out some mechanism to recognize and reward the teachers and educators of Bam, which will be a true tribute to the two great teachers of Bam. A community which does not know how to be grateful to their teachers is indeed a poor community intellectually and culturally.

Epilogue: Bam Bidyapith High School is one of the few schools in Cachar district, established by villagers, without any initiative and support from political leadership. It was purely a community initiative by villagers, the way Bam Nityananda MP and Higher Secondary School was established by Community effort. The Managing Committee of the Bam Bidyapith High School, which decided to start the High School, included, as I remember, Moshaid Ali Choudhury, President, Kotai Ali Hazi (Abdul Matlib), Ticketmaster (Harun Rashid Laskar), Ilias Ali Master, Anfor Ali Panchayat, Gulejar Ali, Sri Roy (name not known to me). There might have been other members, whom I do not remember. Except Ilias Ali Master, other committee members had barely any formal education. But without formal education, they were wise people. The work of the Managing committee was made easy by Mohiuddin Ahmed in founding the High School.

Present Scenario of Education in Rural Barak Valley-HaFSA Experience

(With special reference to Muslims of Barak Valley)

Barak Valley of Assam may genuinely boast of its educational infrastructure. The Valley of about 36.24 lakh population has 9314 educational institutions including one central university with 40 affiliated colleges, a medical college, two engineering colleges including a NIT, two Polytechnics, two Law Colleges, eight B.Ed. Colleges, two DIETs, one Normal School, two ITIs,328 provincialized High /HS Schools,64 recognized High Schools,2377 Venture Schools, 868 provincialized ME,MV Schools, a host of private high schools,4935 LP Schools run by Government ,3 Navodaya Vidyalayas,9 Central Schools .(Source:BARAK-2017-page -89) Apart from the above there is proliferation of English Medium primary schools in every nook and corner of the Valley. This is a very impressive statistic. By now the numbers must have gone up. 

Given this strong network of educational institutions, Barak Valley should have been one of the most advanced regions in the country educationally -followed by economic, cultural and social developments. All types of educational institutions from KG to PG are easily accessible to the people of Barak Valley except IIT and IIM. But these institutions are also in Guwahati and Shillong respectively. But what is the educational scenario in Barak Valley? To have an idea about it, no door-to-door survey is necessary. An impressionist survey of the region will tell a conscious citizen of the Valley about the educational level of Barak Valley people. As per the last census literacy rate of Barak Valley is about 77% against the state literacy rate of 72%. But this is not the era of literacy. This is the era of higher education -general, professional, technical and science. As per census based reports 8.4 % of the population of the country are graduates. On this count Barak Valley must have 309416 graduates. But in fact, the number of graduates in Barak Valley is much less than the national average. Besides most of the graduates are concentrated in urban areas of Silchar Karimganj and Hailakandi whereas more than 80% of Barak Valley population are living in rural Barak Valley. Higher education in rural Barak Valley is in a dismal position. Also primary, secondary and higher secondary education the stepping stone to higher education is very weak in rural Barak Valley.

India in the past decades has changed economically, educationally and socially. India has become an increasingly important part of the global economic landscape over the past decades. People have climbed through the social and economic ladders. Even as there has been social and economic advancement, there are regions in remote areas which are still educationally and socially far behind the rest of the country and they are deprived of the benefit of India’s growth process. There is a need for the initiative of NGOs in helping this segment of population to reap the benefit of the country’s economic prosperity and become partners of progress and move forward socially, educationally and culturally.

Keeping this scenario in remote rural Barak Valley in mind Hafsa Foundation for Social Advancement (HaFSA) an NGO started it activities with its base in the village Rajghat,Bam Bhagabazar ,Cachar in 2020 February to work for empowering the community and take it forward socially ,economically and culturally. Education being key to all the development of a community, HaFSA focused on educational development of the Rajghat village at primary level.

Rajghat village with 979 households and a population of 4709 (average 4.81 members per family against state average of 4.87) as per 2011 census is situated in the NH 306 ,37 km from Silchar and only three km away from Mizoram border at Lailapur.Rajghat is one of the villages farthest from Silchar in the south. A village with 4709 population has three lower primary schools run by government, one Senior Secondary school and one High School,one ME Madrassa(now ME School),one English medium High School.Besides there is a century old Kharijia madrasa for theological education and one Girls’ Madrasa. Within a five km radius of the village there are Army School, Kendriya Vidyalaya, few English medium High Schools and a newly started degree college. With this strong institutional network, education up to Sr Secondary level is accessible and available in the village itself. The village has the potentiality of being one of the most educationally advanced villages in the Barak Valley.

The Foundation made a preliminary survey of the village to know the educational requirements of the village and draw its roadmap. HaFSA found that in a village of 4709 population there were not more than 50 graduates. As per 2011 census 8.40 % population of the country are graduates. At this rate the number of graduates in the village Rajghat should have been 395.The number of graduates were only 1.06 % of the village population. In order to become a graduate a student has to take admission in the local Bam Bidyapith High School and pass HSLC and go to local Sr Secondary school to clear HS level and go to any of the degree colleges in Southern Silchar and become graduate. Theoretically it is so simple. The Foundation interacted with Bam Bidyapith High School Headmaster and teachers to know the level of enrolment of Rajghat village students in the High School. The High School takes about 300 students in Class VI every year based on entrance test out of about 500 aspirants from class V pass students of feeder LP Schools of the High School. It was learnt from experience of the High School that a large number of students appearing in the High School class VI admission test cannot read a paragraph even. So they do not get admission in the Bam Bidyapith High School. These students go to other ME,MV and High Schools in the neighborhood and naturally do not go much ahead as they are not even teachable in class VI. Most of the students of the village who get admission in the High School and pass HSLC also do not pursue higher education. They end their academic career after HSLC/HS and start earning from odd jobs and profession. At present the gross enrolment ratio in higher education for age group of 18-23 in the country is 27%.The exact Raighat students of this age group going to the colleges is not known. But from a cursory survey of the village, it would be found that only a handful of students of this age group are going to the colleges. 

At the next level HaFSA interacted with local LP Schools run by Government and found that the total enrolment in these three LP schools is 746 students-248 students in average. There are nineteen teachers in these three schools. Except three teachers all are TET qualified teachers having general qualification of up to post graduation. The teacher student ratio is 1:39 which is a very fair ratio. The TET teachers have come through tough competition and are qualified teachers having aptitude and capacity to teach. Despite that the students of these schools were not clearing admission tests in the local High School. Thus the doors for higher education for these students are virtually sealed forever.

This made the focus of HaFSA very clear. It was decided that the Foundation would impart remedial teaching to the students of provincialized lower primary schools where more than 80% rural students go and fail to qualify for higher primary and higher education. First it was decided to start with class V students and equip them for entrance test for admission in class VI of Bam Bidyapith High School. The Bam Bidyapith High School has the distinction of achieving success rate of 80% to 100% in HSLC examination for more than a decade. It was assumed that once a student gets admission in the High School there is minimum 80% possibility for the student to pass HSLC and go for HS in local Sr Secondary School and then for Higher education in Colleges. But it was a simplistic remedy for a complicated malady. The Class V students who came to HaFSA for remedial coaching were not teachable. Their basics were very weak. They had to be taught the basics first from Class I onwards. It was decided to open up the remedial classes for all classes from Class I to Class V. The enrollment in remedial classes was declared open on 24/02/2021. It was decided that for the first three months teaching would be free of any charge. After three months a nominal fee would be charged to cover the cost of teaching.

Students of HaFSA Academy Remedial class with their four teachers.

Response for remedial classes for students of class I to Class V for six days in a week for two hours from 3.00 pm to 5.00 pm was heart-warming. There were 82 students enrolled up to 29/03/2021 which included 24 orphans/BPL students. Encouraged by the response the Foundation appointed three TET/D.El.Ed qualified teachers including one Science Graduate and purchased desks and benches to accommodate the growing number of students and made out a plan to create an additional classroom. But the euphoria was short lived. Soon the guardians started asking if the Foundation would supply free meals, school bags and clothes etc. It was also noticed that attendance in classes never crossed 50% of enrolled students. While 82 students were on the roll, average attendance of students in a day was around 25 students whereas the Foundation had four teachers and two class rooms with adequate sitting accommodation. The facilities were underutilized. Above all Teachers cannot teach students with erratic attendance. The Foundation learnt from reality. The Foundation did the course correction and decided not to give free coaching and free remedial classes and not to give anything free of cost to students of families above poverty line. The students belonging to poor families would be given scholarships out of zakat funds placed at the disposal of HaFSA by local people on whom zakat is mandatory. It was decided to take admission fees of.100.00 and 150.00 for lower and higher classes and monthly fees would be charged after three months. Only 31 students were ready to continue on payment of fees and guardians of remaining students stopped sending their children to HaFSA. But it was found to be a sound decision. Now the students who paid admission fee of Rs.100.00/150.00 attended the classes regularly and studied diligently. Some more students would have taken admission. But in the meanwhile, classes in schools were suspended from 19 June 2021 following the onset of phase II of Covid 19 and HaFSA also closed down the classes. 

The operation of HaFSA will resume soon after lifting of Covid 19 restrictions and go forward with its mission. In the meanwhile, the Foundation has learnt hugely from its short experience. 

The Government is providing cooked mid-day meals, books, copy books, uniforms free of cost to school going students. There are no tuition fees in the school. Government is paying the salary of teachers from the exchequer and providing funds for creating and maintaining infrastructure. The benevolent Government has virtually taken over the role of guardians of the students. So, the guardians have no financial stake and no stake in the academic career of their offspring. They have abdicated their responsibility of educating their children. Apart from above the Government is providing to BPL families almost everything free or on subsidy-be it housing, ration, toilets, LPG and many things under various schemes. Life is easy for rural guardians. They have developed a mentality to get everything free from Government or the Society. Besides government grants and subsidies, the Rajghat population has an added advantage. Being 100% Muslim population the well to do Muslims give a 2.5 % of their surplus income for Zakat to the poor Muslims of the village. With Government largesse added with Zakat the BPL families are almost leading a secure life without any vision for the future. Most of the families above BPL are oblivious of the value of proper education. They engage the male offspring in petty trade and business after they drop out from school which adds to family income immediately. As a result, most of the families do not take personal care in studies of their children at home. Whatever teachers teach at school is all that the students have. The guardians do not take any care about learning of their offspring. 

HaFSA investigated as to why teaching by quailed teachers in school (teacher student ratio1:39) was not enough. Under present system of education corporal punishment is prohibited. In order to discipline students, teachers do not have options to resort to corporal punishment like canning, flogging, pulling ears or spanking of old days or other softer punishment. There is no parental pressure on the students at home also. Many guardians even do not know in which class their children are in. There is no proper environment of education in the society and there is no peer pressure. To cap it all, the guardians act as spoilers and provide their children with smartphones at a young age which further distracts the attention of students. 

The presentation given by Dr. K.D Krori retired Principal Cotton College and a renowned educationist of Assam during inauguration of Shrimanta Shankar Academy, Dispur in 1995 is relevant in this context. According to Dr.Krori primary education is like a triangle where the school represents the base arm of a triangle and two side arms represent the students and guardians each. Teachers teach in the school, students learn at school and guardians guide and help the students at home. The learning process fails if any arm of the triangle is weak. Here the guardian arm of the triangle is almost nonexistent.

This leads to a question. Are the guardians of Rajghat village irresponsible? The experience of HaFSA shows the position. The Hafsa Maktab was also started in the HaFSA Coaching Academy building on March 22 -2021 with 44 students taught by a lady Mudarris with a monthly fee of Rs.100/per student of above poverty line families. The classes were held from 6.00 am to 8.00 am. Here the attendance of students was 100% every day -both BPL and APL families. The guardians were paying fees and sending the students to Maktab every day for their children to learn the basics of Islam and become good Muslims. The same guardians were not doing the same in case of school education. It is their considered decision and matter of priority, perception and attitude. 

Students of Hafsa Maktab with the lady Mudarris.

Muslims of India accepted modern school education with founding of Aligarh Muslim University decades after modern education was first introduced by Governor General William Bentinck in 1835 on the basis of the Lord Macaulay Minutes. Modern School education in Bark Valley was introduced in 1863 with the establishment of Silchar Government Boys High School. During 1891- 94 out of 140 students in the school only 17 students were Muslims. Bam Nitya Nanda High School of Bam Dholai nine km north of Rajghat was started in 1938. But only four or five Muslim students were going to this School in 1958 even as Muslims constituted nearly 50 % population in the hinterland of the school. Higher education in Cachar district (Hailakandi included) was introduced in 1935 with the establishment of G.C College in Silchar with 51 students. During the first 25 years of the college only about 50 Muslim students had gone to the G.C. College. This is obvious that Muslims of India have a mind block towards modern education and are awfully slow to adjust with the changing ideas and thoughts.

Islam gives education a high place. Various verses in Quran and various Hadith emphasize the importance of education for Muslims. Perhaps the Muslims have perceived these mandates of Quran and Hadith as theological education only and are ignoring general education.

HaFSA has learnt that before making any dent in the existing scenario it is necessary to change the mind set and attitude of guardians towards school education. HaFSA has launched a movement to popularize the concept of quality modern education among the rural people. The campaign is headed by an Advisory Council consisting of Sabir Ahmed Choudhury, Retd Professor MC D College Sonai, Jalal Ahmed Mazumdar, former Chairman Silchar Development Authority, Dr. Baharul Islam Laskar, Principal M C D College Sonai,Ms.Sulekha Dubey, Retd. Headmaster, Bam Bidyapith High School, Bishnu Ranjan Dhar, Principal M. A. Laskar Sr. Secondary School, Shamsul Hoque Barbhuiya, Headmaster, Bam Bidyapith High School-all from the locality and committed for the HaFSA mission of spreading modern education in rural areas. With the sustained effort of the Foundation a change in the mindset of people is sure to take place in long run.

There is no shortcut in social engineering. "If your plan is for 6 months, plant rice. If your plan is for 10 years, plant trees. If your plan is for 100 years, educate your children" - said Chinese philosopher Confucius. HaFSA is working to infuse this Confucius thought in the minds of villagers to motivate them to invest their time and money on the higher education of their children. It is not the lack of money with the villagers that their children do not get higher education. It is their lack of will to spend on modern education. The villagers have enough money for ostentatious social and religious spending. But when it comes to spending on the education of their children, they tighten their purse strings.

Sachar committee has succinctly put forward the plight of Indian Muslims when the report states that the position of Indian Muslims is lower than Hindu OBC people. But who is to be blamed for this? Muslims will blame the Government. But it was the Government which constituted the Sachar Committee. It was the Government which formulated various schemes for Minorities. In true sense Sachar Committee report was a diagnosis of the ills that was afflicting the Muslim Community. The various Government schemes were the medicines. But the patient has to take the medicine. In the Lower Primary Schools are managed by Managing Committees formed by guardians themselves. If the teachers are not teaching why are the managing committees not taking action. The guardians never ask the school teachers about the progress of their wards’ education even as they question teachers about proper utilization of school funds and mid-day meal materials. The government has also not carried out any cost benefit ratio analysis- a study to see the outcome of the government investment and take corrective measures. There is a need for social audit of the impact of these primary schools in the village.

Nobody can change the fate of a community unless the community decides to change their fate. In Barak Valley the educated, rich and powerful people have failed the community. They have failed to work for promoting modern education among the community. But there is a silver lining. Ahmed Ali, a rickshaw puller of Burunga, Patharkandi of Karimganj was instrumental in founding five ME schools, three LP Schools and one High School in the remote areas of Karimganj for which he found mention in Mann Ki Baat of Prime Minister. Time has come for educated, rich and powerful Muslims of Barak Valley to come out of their comfort zone and contribute their mite for educating the community and pay back to the society. Hafsa on its part will continue to work in this direction, gradually enlarge its operational area and collaborate with other individuals, groups and NGOs for the spread of modern education in rural Barak Valley. It is welcome sign that some well intentioned people have started evincing keen interest in the HaFSA Mission and making discreet enquiries.