Insan School and Dr. Syed Hassan [Part 4]

Contributed By: Dr. Equbal Wajid

[How I happen to tied with Insan School: An extract from the author’s autobiography]

After my M.A. results in Urdu literature from Magadh University Bodh Gaya in 1979, I was sitting idle at my house at Rajhat District Nawadah and was planning for the future. There was no one to help me in my future plan. It was darkness everywhere. My elder brother Late Syed Sultan Ahmed who was a Government servant helped me partially in my education throughout in my College and University years but after completing the M.A. there was no hope from any side. The most important thing was to earn something for the lively hood.

In those gloomy days once I got a letter from Mr Sarwar Usmani, a poet and Editor of a literary Urdu Magazine‘ Mafaheem’ [published form Gaya] to come and join him to work in his Magzine. It was perhaps December 1978, he settled my daily food in a nearby hotel in Karimganj Mohalla and assured me to give 150 rupees per month on hand as my salary. Prof Taaj Anwer, Deppt of Urdu Miraz Ghalib College Gaya , Farhat Quadri [Poet] and Haque Azmi [poet] were taken in the editorial team. They use to sit in the office in the evening. Professor Taaj Anwer always used to ask me why I always look gloomy. I told him there is nothing wrong but now at the moment when I am writing these lines after 30 years I realize that he was write. It was the worries of the unplanned and unsecured future that was noticeable from my face.

After working for few months with Mr.Sarwar Usmani in Gaya once I came home to meet my Aunty who had come from Pakistan. I had never seen her before so I went to see her at my village Rajhat. My uncle Mr. Syed Mojeebur Rahman who is still like my next-guardian asked me whether I shall like to work in Insan School? I told him you are asking in such a way as it seems that it is just on your hand.

He repeated again “I ask you; whether you would like to work there or not?”

I answered: “You know that I am earning only 150 rupees in a private publication house? Don’t you?”

“OK, be ready go to Insan School, I will give you a letter, hand it to Syed Bhai [Dr. Syed Hasan] and he will do something for you.” He said.

I was still surprised on the confidence of my uncle because I have heard and read about Insan School and I was of the mind that how a layman like me who is not even a B.Ed can be appointed as a High School teacher. In 1977 I had read an article titled ‘Insan School : An experiment’ written by Ozair Ehtasham Siddiqi in “Aaaj Kal” the reputed Urdu Magazine published from Delhi in its January issue. It helped me to cause my first inception about Insan School. My uncle suggested me to go there and work and then save time for the preparation of Bihar Public Service Commission Examinations. Later on I left the idea of appearing in the BPSC exams due to not having the proper means and never appeared even a single time..

I decided to go to Kishanganj. Next day, I came from Nawadah to Smastipur Railway Station by road and then took a train for Kishanganj in the evening and reached there in the next morning. It was the longest trip in my life. I had never travelled for 400 kilometers before. I took a rickshaw from the Station and came directly to the School Campus. It was Tiffin time perhaps 09:30 am. In their pink uniform the students were moving here and there in the campus, some of them were playing in the ground. It looked so beautiful that I was filled with extreme pleasure. As my rickshaw stopped at the entrance. Some boys gathered around me and asked where to go. I ask them about Shahab Shaharwardi, who was a teacher there in the High school to whom I have heard through my uncle. The students took my bag and rushed to his room and said:

“This is Shahab Bhai’s room, please wait I will call him now, he will just come!”.

Syed Shahabuddin Saharwardi was a high School teacher from a village near Tehta Railway station, Gaya. He worked as a teacher in Insan School for nearly five years and was terminated in 1984 along with 8 others in reaction to the formation of an association of teachers called ITWA [Insan Teachers Welfare Association] as he was the President of it. Shahab Saharwardi will always be remembered as Anti-Dr. Syed Hasan and as a horrific enemy of Insan School. I know him as a rude, uncultured, dishonest, bad-mannered, wicked, ignorant and an evil character that has put a dark mark up on the glory of Insan School. Had he not been done his dirty work the school’s repute could have gone very high. I will review at his tenor and the history of ITWA later on.

When I met Dr. Syed Hasan and handed him the letter of my uncle he spoke no more than:

“OK. Yes , Yes, O.K. Let us see, let me see”

These were his patent words. In Urdu he used to say:

“Jeehan Jee Jee Dekhtey haien” . I was told to take rest in the guest house. I was waiting for the answer anxiously.

Everybody told me:

“Don’t ask any thing to Syed Bhai. Things will go so on , you are under his observation”.

After waiting four or five days in the morning a senior teacher Abdul Ahad Bhai took me to middle school. He send me in an Urdu class. It was the class sixth. He gave me the book, it was my first experience as a teacher. In my idea the impression of mine on the students may not have so good. The bell rang and I came out of the class a bit nervous. Next day, Dr. Syed Hasan asked me to go to the High School Campus and meet Mozahir Bhai[ Mr. Mozahirul Hasan]. After the school started I went to High School campus Mr. Mazahirul Hasan was the head master of High School Section. He was an M.A. in political science. He was of the local soil form the village Sontha or HaldiKhora almost 20 kms far from Kishanganj.

It was still winter the classes were arranged in open ground. The sent-up candidates were all sitting in an open class. The students knew that I was a candidate for a teaching post. One of the students I forgot his name perhaps he was some Faizi, looking smart in spectacles asked me to come to the class. I was afraid, because in a day or two these students have to appear in the final board examinations what I can do for them. I even don’t have seen their book. If I will go in their class what I will do? If they ask anything from the text book I may not answer. I looked at Mr. Mazahir ul Hasan for help, so that he may understand the satiation and may not ask me to go in the class of the sent-up candidates, but luckily or unluckily he told me to go with Faizi in the class.

As I entered in the class I was little nervous. I find it better to talk something out of the syllabus. I ask the students : “You are all sent-up candidates, warming up to appear in the final Board examination, what I can teach you ? Nothing ! but I can let ask you some questions that may help you”

“You have read prose and poetry in your test book? Don’t You?

“ Yes” They all replied.

I asked them: “Can anyone of you tell me what the difference between Prose and Poetry is?”

There was silence! After a while someone told “Rhythm”.

“No” I said.

“Meter” [wazn].

“No” I said again. Prose can also be said or written in rhythmic and metric way. The main difference between the Prose and Poetry, if it can be said in a single word; it is “Communication”. The poetry is a non-communicative art while the Prose is a communicative art.” In Urdu I used the word “Tarseeli” for communicative, the whole sentence appeared in the following words:
“Shairi Tarseeli hoti hai aur, Nasr ghair tarseeli hoti hai”.

I explained it with many examples. The students were happy. I gained my confidence. It put very good impression on them. I was happy. It was my victory. Just after few minutes Dr. Syed Hasan was passing through the way.
He asked me: “How do you feel here….?’

“I just took a class of the sent-up candidates, you may ask from them what their impressions are”.

I answered.

The worked had been done. Next day I was asked to sit in the High School. My first test in Insan School in the class of the sent up candidates I never forgot. A.K Faizi, Jawaid Iqbal, Rabia Bano, Rees Azam , and Khursheed Nayir [ nephew of the ex-minister Mohammad Hussian Azad] were among the students to whom I still remember.

[At Bahadurganj High school ]
On March 2nd I was asked to go with the sent-up candidates to Bahadurganj which was the center for the Board examination. It was approximately 25 kilometers in the west. Dr. Syed Hasan was also with us. Mr. Mazhar Bhai a high school teacher was also in the team. I enjoyed much. Two cooks were also being sent with us. There were good arrangements for food and rooms. The student use to go to the examination hall in their uniform. It looked beautiful. People look at the students with respect. Not only the Bhadurganj High School, but the whole Bhadurganj Market had proud of the students of the Insan School who came to Bahadurganj. Everyplace; at the Bus Stop, at the Hotels, at Market places people were talking about Insan School. I am the witness that the Insan School was the topic of day in those days for everyone in Bahadurganj. The most important thing was that the Insan School students were trained not the cheat or copy in the examinations. So it was the second topic of talk that Insan School’s students never copy of cheat in the examinations. The students were treated respectfully everywhere in the Market. The people were happy. The common populace was glad to see the growth of Insan School. Insan School was becoming their hope for future. The landlords and rich people paid attention to the Insan School, they like to admitted their children in the Hostel. They look at it as a pride for their community.

There were two hotels of Urdu speaking people from Beguarai. Sometimes I use to sit there and enjoy tea and Pakura. Bahaduganj was a local market. Two or three times in a week the markets were set and people from all sides neighboring Bahadurganj use to come for marketing. Vegetables, eggs, hens, bamboos, livestock, grains, Jutes, readymade clothes, toys, cheap cosmetics items and many items of interest were displayed in these weekly markets.

I enjoyed much for a week or two I didn’t clearly remember. After working for more years in Insan School I came to know about some important personalities of Bahadurganj who later become the part of my memories. Among them the Name of Maullana Munawwer Hussian Sahab of Alta Bari I will never forgot. He had been one of the top spiritual Guru in Bihar. He was the disciple of Shaik Maullan Zakaria Sahab who is known as a ‘Sheikh’ at world level. He is the man who has composed the famous book ‘Tableeghi Nisaab’ later changed to ‘Fazil-e-Aamaal’.I took bait with Maullana Munawwar Husain. Sahab. His son Qari Salim Sahab is also a Sheikh to whom I love. One Khwaja Sahab of of Village Sontha is also a big spiritual guru. Maullana Jafer Sahab and Maullana Idrees Sahab of village Nawkatta had been the great spiritual personalities of Kishanganj to whom I loved most. I learned interpretations of Dreams form Hazrat Maullana Idrees Sahab of Nawkatta.

Once when I went to Altabari, I asked Hazrat Maullan aMunaawar Hussain Sahab:
“Hazrat ! at which place in our body the Soul exists”

Hazrat became silent for few moments then said: “ Nowhere and everywhere” . One of my colleague Mr.Jehangir Malik teacher who accompanied me in this meet, told me that Hazrat told in my absence that I am a man of strong mind.

Qazi Muslehuddin and Mufti Sahfi Sahab of Bholmara, were like religious father of the entire locality. Man like Qazi Muslehuddin are still not found in Bihar. These were the big religious personalities who had been the beloved of millions of peoples in Kishanganj. They served like guardians of the whole Muslim population. [to be Continued]