SPREAD OF MODERN EDUCATION IN BAM: PART -III

Bam Bidyapith High School, Bhagabazar is the junior partner of Bam Nityananda HigherSecondary & Multipurpose School, Dholaibazarin illuminating Bam with modern education. Started as Bhagabazar ME School in 1952, it was elevated to High School with the 1957 batch of Class VI students of the ME School and Astar Ali Laskar of Tundurkandi village,Sonai as single teacher. Mohiuddin Ahmed of Kazidahar, an I.Sc from Cotton College and BA from 1957 batch of G.C. College joined as Head Master in 1958 leaving his service of Cooperative Officer. He was the architect of Bam Bidyapith High School.Shahabuddin Ahmed, the Inspector of School; Cachar guided him in giving shape to this new school. Now a day when Provincialized High Schools are failing to compete with Private High Schools, Bam Bidyapith High School is consistently producing good results recording 91% pass during ten year period from 2007 to 2016 when 942 students appeared in High School Leaving examination and 857 students came out successful. The school recorded 100% pass during five years from 2008 to 2012.This has been possible due to a teachers, students and guardians triangle effect and general interest of Bam people towards modern education.

                                                        BAM BIDYAPITH HIGH SCCHOOL

       The role of Bam Nityananda Higher Secondary &Multipurpose School and Bam Bidyapith High School in shaping the destiny of Bam is immense. These two schools are the ‘Oxford’ and ‘Cambridge’ of Bam; the two universities without which Europe could not have been what it is today. Bam too could not have been what it is today without Bam Nityananda Higher Secondary&Multipurpose School and Bam Bidyapith High School. Education given by these schools over more than half a century has the multiplier effect. Following the footsteps of these two schools other Schools have been set up making secondary education easily accessible to every village student. At present there are  ten other High Schools and one Junior College in Bam which are:Hawaithang HS School, Mujahid Ali High School, Islamabad;Singer Hawar High School,Jamalpur;Dinesh Dev Public High School ,Bidyaratanpur; Radiant Academy (Private English High School) Bhagabazar;Bam Nova Kumar High School,Mahadevpur;B.R.Ambedkar High School ,Channighat;Holy Life High School Bhagabazar;Ideal High School ,Dholai;Mothurapur High School,Jibangram besides M.A.Laskar Jr.College Bhagabazar.Other than local schools the KV Vairengte and Army School Vairengte in Mizoram, just five Km from Bam  are also accessible to students from Bam who want to study in English Medium. However there is no degree college in Bam. After 10+2 level Bam students go to Colleges in Silchar town or Janata college nearer home or MC Das College .Mashad Ali Laskar Junior College, a recognised Junior College with more than 350 students is under consideration for up gradation to Degree College.

                                                      M A Laskar Junior College

Next Section:Roads and Communication of Bam

SPREAD OF MODERN EDUCATION IN BAM-(Part II)

Secondary education took its roots in Bam quite early.Bam Nityananda Multipurpose High School now Higher Secondary School was the first High School of Bam.It started as ME school in 1922 with Manikya Chandra Nath Laskar as founder Head Master (Retd 1960) before its  elevation to High School in 1938. NityaNanda Barman donated Rs.1500.00 (Fifteen hundred)for establishment of the school. The pioneers of the school purchased some land and others also donated land bringing total land to twentfour bighas and school was named after him .Head master Manikhya Chandra Nath, the second graduate of Cachar(as stated by him) was  cast in the model of old world image of a Headmaster. He served the school as Head Master with distinction for thirty eight years,drawing awe and reverence from his students, respect of people and made the Bam Nityananda High School a premier high school of those days producing quality students who would later bring name and fame to school and reputation for Bam

         Some of the alumni of early years of Bam Nityananda Higher Secondary and Multipurpose School are:RajmoniNath BA(Hons),Joint Registrar in Cooperation Department, Government of Assam ;Bani Kanta Sinha,a Wharton PhD and Professor Emeritus IIM Kolkata; Ramkumar Das,MA,PhD, a London School of Economics alumnus , Principal Cotton College and Economic Adviser, Government of Assam;Hironmoy Nath,MSc,Retd. Professor of Physics,Karimganj College; Muslehuddin Choudhury MA, BT, former Principal Sonai N.G Higher Secondary School.Bimal Sinha,MSc,retd Professor,G.C.College;Professor NaliniSinha of NEHU ;Alauddin Choudhury,Deputy Registrar Gauhati High Court;Saadullah Choudhury, MA,BT,Senior Lecturer, District Institute of Education and Training;Biman Behari Sinha MSc,Australia,Sydney, Consultant World Bank ;Paresh Nath,an alumnus of Glasgow University who served in Civil Aviation Department Govt. of India; Binoy Bhushan Sinha,Professor Mathematics, Russia ;Ganendra Chackrabarty,MA,BT,retiredDeputy Director of Education, Tripura;Mahendra Roy, retired Subject Teacher,BNHS& MP School ; Kula Chandra Singha,retired Commander, Indian Navy and retired Additional Director (MM), ONGC;Nanda Mohan Barman ACS;  Dilip Kumar Purkayastha, retired Joint Director of Health Services, Assam ;Karunamoy Nath Laskar,MA,BT retired Vice Principal,BNHS & MP School ;Jatindranath Laskar,MA, BT,Lecturer, Silchar College of Education ;Digendra Chandra Purkayastha,MA,LLB,founder Head Master, Hawaithang High School and ex MLA ;Sushil Kumar Sinha,MA, B.Ed,Principal Silchar College of Education ;Nikhil Baran Das MA,ACS ;   Pulakeshi Sinha,MA,Ex MLA ;Dinendra Purkayastha,Joint Director,Veterianary Department; Dinesh Chandra Nath,Assistant Director,Veterinary Department ;Jay Prasad Goala, MA,BT Subject Teacher of English, BNHS & MP School;   Kalachand Sinha,Subject Teacher of English,BNHS&MP School,Jagadish Nath Engineer;Dr.Ramendra Choudhury,Senior Medical and Health Officer,Dholai Primary Health Centre;Harendra Barman,former Labour    Commissioner;Banka Behari Singha former Director Sericulture ;Suniti Kumar Barman,District Elementary Education Officer; Dr.Harendra Chandra Biswas,Assistant Director Health and Medicine GOI ;Mukul Ranjan Barman, Assistant Director,AIR-Silchar;         Debjyoti Biswas,M.Tech;        Diptendu Paul, MSc ;Surrya Kumar Singha MSc ;Pallabi Choudhury BE;Saurav Choudhury, BE;Binoy Paul-Engineer;Himadri Nath-Engineer;Roshen Ahmed Barbhuiya-Engneer ;Rabijul Ali Laskar,BA,LLB, Advocate.Other alumni followed their seniors in later years.

Spread of Modern Education in Bam to be continued.

Spread of Modern Education in Bam:Part I Modern school education in Bam made its beginning with establishment of lower primary schools, MV and ME Schools in the early years of Bam Settlement. School education in Bam made its debut in 1895  with establishment of three Lower Primary Schools.During this year No.157 Ramprasadpur Thambal LP School was established under Regional Board of Education with  Radha Charan Raha as founder teacher ,No.168 Mahadebpur LP School was founded under Local Board with Girish Das as founder teacher and No. 169 Debipur LP School was established under Local Board with Suryamoni Das as Founder Teacher.After that there was a considerable time gap in setting up next LP School in Bam.It was in 1920 ,No. 157 Hawaithang LP School was established under Local Board with pioneering effort of Sarpanch Masaraf Ali Laskar and  Kalaraja Choudhury as founder  teacher  .But even as it is certain that Kalaraja Choudhury of Rajghat was a teacher in this School there is a question mark regarding his being founder teacher.Next in 1923  came No.174 Bhagabazar Ilias Ali Laskar LP School with Anfar Ali Laskar as founder teacher and  No.175 Bidyaratanpur LP School .

Three vernacular middle schools served the Bam students after primary level. Channighat MV school was established in 1932(According to some source it was 1930)by Head Pandit Sri Mahaendra Chandra Sikdar,a highly respected teacher of his time. Umatara MV School Dholai was established in1939 after the name of Umatara -mother in law of Hiralal Dutta of respectable Dutta family of Dholaibazar.Jamalpur MV School was established in 1942(according to  other source it was 1929) with Bipin Bihari Das as Head Pandit.

Now there are 85 public LP School,12 ME Schools,4 MV Schools, two ME Madrassa in Bam dispensing the lower and upper primary education. In aggregate there is one public LP School per 1100 population.

T o be continued :

 Sufism:Dargahs and Mukams of Bam:

 Bam has the share of its Dargahs and Sufis. In the early part of last century one Rakhal Nath of Barjatrapur left his home and kith and kin and came to Charkisaha Mukam of Syedpur near Sonabarighat and followed Sufi way of spiritual pursuit and subsequently moved to Rajghat of Bam,made his Bhaitak at the residence of Suruj Ali and continued his Sufi way of spiritual pursuit and came to be known as Agunkhara Baba as he would eat red hot burning char coal as has been narrated t by  a first-hand witness. He died in 1929 and was buried in Islamic tradition. His mazar known as Agunkharar Mukam is situated at Rajghat ,37 km from Silchar on Silchar Aizawl NH 54 and people still visit the Mukam which is now managed by a regional Committee of social  workers of Bam.

Agunkharar Mukam -Bam, Rajghat-37 km from Silchar

  Another Sufi land mark of Bam is Panisagar Mukam in Loknathpur Village three KM from Dholaibazar in the Dolai –Loknathpur-Lailapur PWD Road. Legend has it that Pir Sahib of Panisagar Mukam used to be seen riding a tiger. The Panisagar Mukam is still active.

   Aam Aami Mukkam on the western bank of Rukni river at Bhagabazar was in existence since beginning of the present settlement of Bam though it is not connected with any known Sufi or Darbesh. Its situation at a high hill top and Rukni flowing bracing the rocky and stiff foothill of the Mukam as like Mukam of Longar Shah of Fulertol, gives it an aura of mystery and spiritual fervency.      

Mosques and Idgahs of Bam: In the Islamic world the Mosque is the measure of intellectual, spiritual, cultural and economic progress of the people to which it belongs. Bam with 45055 Muslim populations has more than fifty one mosques including panjegan and Jam-e Masjids and thirteen Idgahs for Id prayers in the open field. The Bhagabazar Jame Masjid considered to be one of the largest mosques in Assam,is virtually the Jam-e Masjid of Bam and in the centre of the religious, cultural and social life of Muslim Bamians-the people living in Bam. Designed by reputed design Engineer Dr.Burhanuddin Barbhuiya, former Principal REC Silchar now NIT Silchar, the reconstructed two storied Bhagabazar Jame Masjid draws appreciation and wonders of visitors for its aesthetically designed interior. The entire amount for reconstruction of the mosque has been generated through donations locally from Bam. Apart from regular prayers Bhagabazar Jam-e Masjid has become a rallying point for Bam Muslim Ummah for causes dear to them. On the day of Id ul Fitre 2016 on July 6 more than 15000 namajis of thirteen Idgahs of Bam after Id namaz joined a rally under the banner of Bhagabazar Jam-e masjid and took out a procession against act of terrorism in the name of Jihad.The distinguishing feature of Bhagabazar Jame Masjid of Bam is its modern library stocked with more than 350 volumes worth Rs.170000.00 (Rs.one lakh seventy thousand).The selection of the titles speaks volumes about liberal outlook of mosque management. Apart

                                                             (Click to enlarge)
                                  A section of interior of  Jame Masjid Bam Bhagabazar

                                                      (Click to enlarge)

                                          Frontal view of Jame Masjid ,Bam Bhagabazar

from normal Islamic theological books a mosque library is expected to have,Bhagabazar Jame Masjid library is well socked with literary works of Rabinranath Tagore,Sarat Chandra Chaterjee,Syed Mujtaba Ali; historical book like History of Saracens,Spirit of Islam,works of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad,A.P.J.Abdul Kalam and others.Not stopping here the Mosque library has added Geeta and biographies of Hindu saints.It is open to all. Local Hindu IAS aspirants use the mosque library for IAS preparation.

Practicing Islam after coming to Bam: Consolidation

Islamic history shows that wherever Muslims go , settle and live the first thing they do is , establish a mosque for offering prayers five times a day in congregation   and centers for teaching tenets of Islam. The Bam Muslims did no differently. After coming to Bam from different places of Barak Valley the early Muslim settlers needed mosques for offering prayers and Imams to lead the congregational prayer in the mosques and to teach children the tenets of Islam in Sabahi Maktabs .But there was dearth of qualified persons among the new settlers to act as Imams and teach at Sabahi Maktabs. Munshi Kabir Muhammad Mazumdar of Hawaithang and Maulana Mashad Ali Barbhuiya of Islamabad were   first settlers of Bam   with  formal qualification in Islamic theology. Around 1912 there appeared Pir Khurshed Ali from Karimganj and he started to establish Islamic Institutions with missionary zeal.He established Dar-ul-Foyez the first madrassa in Bam in 1915(estimated) at Saptagram. The Madrassa functioned from Saptagram for two years.  Later in 1917 Maulana Arjad Ali Choudhury and his cousin Maulana Abdul Hamid Choudhury of Rajghat Mufti Ghusti returned from Rampur, UP after obtaining Fazil Degree and devoted themselves in guiding the new settlers and help them lead the life in the way of Islam. At that period there were hardly 2000 Muslim population in Bam and it was difficult to sustain the Dar-ul Foyez Madrassa at Saptagram ensuring continuance of qualified teachers. The Darul Foyez Madrassa was shifted to the sprawling Rajghat residential campus of Maulana Arjad Ali Choudhury in 1918 who also donated one bigha land as wakf to the madrassa. Soon the number of students increased. Subsequently the Madrassa was shifted to Bhagabazar and then finally in mid-thirties to its permanent site at Rajghat(Rangaut).Pir Khurshed Ali had also established Dholaibazar Mosque in 1915.After completing his mission in Bam he left for Makkah , settled and died there. The exact date of his leaving Bam is not certain. In Bam there was in circulation putti written in Syleti Nagri eulogising life of Pir Khurshed Ali and the history of Darul Foyez Madrassa. After 1968 nobody has seen it.

Rajghat Dar-ul-Foyez Madrassa

      Dar-ul-Foyez was the first Madrassa of Bam.The start of early theological education had its effect among Bam Muslims. Darul Foez Madrasa produced many Mullas,Munshis and other alumni who went to become Maulanas from Rampur,Deobond and Banshkandi . Habib Ali Munshi,Munshi ,Enayatullah Choudhury,Abdus Samad Laskar,Maulana Irfan Ali Laskar ,Maulana Ambar Ali Laskar,Rashid Ali (Fesai Mullah),Mashahiad Ali Choudhury,Maulana Hormuz Ali ,Maulana Abdul Bari ,Maulana Arjumand Ali were early alumni of Rajghat Darul Foyez Madrassa . Early Bam also produced many eminent Hafaze-Keram including Hafiz Arifuddin  and Hafiz brothers -Hafiz Abdus Salam Laskar and Abdul Latif Laskar of Bangram who taught at Bhagabazar Hafizia Madrrassa and in their life time produced many Hafaze-Keram..

   Maulana Arjad Ali Choudhury also played a pioneering role in establishing Rajghat Pucca Masjid in 1929 and donated two bighas of land. Besides setting up mosque and madrassa Maulana Arjad Ali Choudhury and Maulana Abdul Hamid Choudhury created an ambience of spiritual pursuit and discourses in Bam during first half of last century under the guidance of their Murshid ,Hajrat Nashakha of Rampur under Naqsbandi-Mazaddadi tradion and both of them attained Khilafat  but passed away in mid-forties of last century at a comparatively young  age closely following each other. Other Muslim Scholars and spiritual leaders of Barak Valley and Rampur used to visit Bam at that time and environment of religious discourses prevailed. After their death their well-wishers started  construction of Mazar at their graves but the project was abandoned after the plinth level work as a result of objection from  descendants  of both.           

 The Islamic education initiated in early Bam settlement helped development of sense of right and wrong through moral and spiritual values among the simple new settlers without much formal education.

    The early initiation of Islamic education gave Bam a tradition of Islamic education. It became a trend and since then many madrassas have been established. Since founding of Rajghat Dar-ul Foyez Madrassa the following Madrassas have been established in Bam and are imparting Islamic education now-Rajghat Pre Sr.Madrassa, Saptagram  Balika Hafizia   Madrassa, Islamabad Pre Senior Madrassa, Dar-ul-Islam Madrassa,Rajghat;Dar-ul-Foyez Hafizia Quariana and Darse Nizamia Madrassa,Bhagabazar; Dar-us-Salam Hafizia and Alia Madrassa, Hawaithang (North);Tafizul Quran Hafizia Madrassa ,Howaithang(West);Hafizia Madrassa,Jamalpur;Madrasatul Banat,Saptagram;Bam Senior Madrassa (Provincialized) Rajnagar, Rajghat ME Madrassa,Hazi Keramat Ali ME Madrassa.These madrassas have produced eminent Islamic scholars  and teachers who are rendering their services in Bam and outside of Bam .At present Bam  boasts of  dozens of maulanas,Fazil,MM,Hafaze-Keram,Mahaddis,Mudarris  .Setting a new trend Shamsuddin Barbhuiya of Hawaithang after completion of graduation from G C College and LLB from Assam University has joined Darul Ulum Debond for pursuing his Fazil Degree in Islamic theology . People of Bam are observing this development with keen interest.

 
NB:Next section -Mosques and Idgahs of Bam

  Traditional Society of Bam: In the beginning of settlement Bam had traditional economy. Farming was the mainstay of the Bam economy .They mainly produced paddy –two crop a year-  Ahu,the summer rice broadcast in middle of March to  April and  harvested in June to July, Sali the major crop ,transplanted  from July to middle of September and harvesting in middle of  November to middle of January  .The farmers were nearly unemployed or under employed during remaining months of the year when they would grow winter vegetables for home consumption and mostly idle away their time . During off season they would also visit relatives ,read Putthis like Ysuf Julekha,Halutunnabi,organise Gatter Gan,perform marriage ceremonies of sons and daughters at comparatively early age, attend waj mehfils,  preparing Chunga-the the traditional winter delicacy, go for fishing ,hunting or ,collecting honey from jungle. Life was simple and easy. The yield in the farm was very low despite land being fertile because of use of traditional variety of seed. The cash crop was minimal. Livestock was negligible. It was not exactly barter economy, but money was minimum in circulation. People got their cash  mainly from sale of surplus of paddy,supari(betel nut),plaintain ,eggs,poultry  fruits and vegetables mostly produced for domestic consumption.Business was unknown to them.Monthly salary of a LP school teacher was Rs.30.00 and price of one  ‘kati’ of rice-present day 2 kg equivalent-was eight anna or present day fifty paisa in early fifties of last century.

NB:Next post:Practicing Islam After Coming to Bam:Consolidation