Insan School and Dr. Syed Hassan [Part 5]

Contributed By: Dr. Equbal Wajid

[An extract form the author’s autobiography]

After few a days in March 1979, when I returned back to Insan School from Bahadurganj I came to know that the teachers are divided into many groups. They are jealous to each other. There were few teachers who were working since the Inception of School . Mozahir Bhai [ HaldiKhora: Kishanganj] Ahad Bhai[ Barhpura: Bahgalpur] , Mehata Bhai [Delhi] Zameer Bhai [Kishanganj] Prasad Bhai [Biharsahreef: Nalanda] and Nigar Baji [JamiaNagar: NewDelhi] are memorable names. Ali Imam Bhai was at the other side who later become the Deputy Director of DEEPAIYTAN [ An autonomous body of Adult Education] Patna. Later on he joined as a Principal of Govt Training College, Bikramganj, Patna. Ali Imam Bhai was from Bihar Sharif [Nalanda: District] . He worked in the school for several years. He was also being recognized as a modern Urdu fiction writer. His stories has been published in ‘Aahang’ Urdu Monthly Gaya, edited by Mr.Kalam Haidri..[the notable Urdu fiction writer after 60s] Kalam Haidri brought up an special issue of ‘Aahang’ pertaining special studies on his short stories. Ali Imam Bhai was a Science Graduate and a Master in Education. Being a Master in Urdu and a beginner in Urdu criticism I naturally came closer to him.

This wedged like thorns in the eyes of the third group to whom Syed Shahab Saharwardi was the leader. Syed Shahab Saharwardi was a graduate with Geography. He was a high school teacher .He tried to make us a topic of joke. Even after 30 years I still hate him. He treated me like an enemy. He never let me do enjoy my own mood freely. The year 1979 was critical year in my life.

There were two most important things to which I was much worried about. In those days of distress, firstly, I was always thoughtful for the low salary [Rs/-200 per month] even if the school had a big repute and income. There were 1200 students in the hostel other than the non-resident students and each hostelits was paying 250 rupees per month. Though, I always have been very weak in mathematics but I have always shown interest in calculating the School’s income.

In 1979, fee paid by one student was Rs 250 per month, multiplied by the number of students in the hostel [1200] is equal to RS/-300000 [ three hundred thousand per month] plus the fees from the non-hostelits was Rs 25 per student multiplied by 2000 is equal to 50000 rupees. The average salary of one staff was Rs/-250 per month multiplied by the total number of staff 120 was equal to RS 30000/- per months, and the total income of the school was Rs350000 [three hundred fifty thousand Indian rupees] and only 8.75% percent of the total income of the School was being paid to the Teachers.

Secondly, I was always afraid, owing to my assumption, on a secret issue of my life that if I will continue my service at Insan School and if I may not be succeeded to increase my income, I will definitely fail to marry someone to whom I loved heartedly. A real love, without any physical feel. This was a love of 18 vs 11. We both were formally engaged with each other in 1976, and the engagement was negotiated by her parent, but due to the deprived means of earnings I lost her forever. The contract of engagement broke. In reply to a letter, her mother wrote to my elder sister that she don’t wish to marry her daughter with me. In breaking this relation my financial status was the main reason which was plain to her parents, but they claim that they observed some kind of behavioral deviation in me and so they justified their action to be correct. They were financially stronger than me. Can anybody in this world will take account of my lost love as sacrifice to Insan School? Nobody will do, even I myself can never presume it as a sacrifice to the institution, but here, a piece of flesh in my chest, always haunts on me and blames it upon me and still at the age of 53 I fail to give him the right answer.

In those years the School was running very smoothly and everything was on bang. In early few weeks I worked as assist-warden in a hostel called ‘Peace House’ with Mr. Mazahir Hasan[ Mozahir Bhai] who was the Head Master and the Warden of the Hostel. Later on I became the warden of the hostel .Mr. Gulab Chandra Sharma, who now a days working as a Principal of Bal Mandir High School at Kishanganj, was my partner -warden in ‘Peace House’. The classes run from morning 7 to 12 all the year. After 12 we go directly to the dining hall take our meal and rest for few hours and then spent our time in the hostel. Some biscuits or some fried items [Samosa] were served to the students in the evening. We use to sit along the play ground and watch the students playing. Not a single student was allowed to sit idle in the room in the afternoon until sunset. It was mandatory to everybody to play in what does he like.

As the sun happen to set and the call for the evening prayer ends, immediately they all stop playing and go the offer Salah. Just after Maghrib Salah there was a continuous routine to look for the number present. In each hostel the warden used to take attendance and then they spend some times in instructions or moral guidance if they had any. Immediately all of them go to study till Isha Salah. Nobody was allowed to enter other’s room during self-study hours except with some reasonable justification. The wardens used to watch the students if someone is studying or not. After the Isha Salah the bell for supper happen to rang and all big and small take their supper and then till 9 o’clock they all supposed to go to the bed. They were forced to switch off the lights, as it was time for early to bed.

The morning always came to Insan School with full of joy. The meadow looked contented with the charming scene of physical exercises. The game in-charge among the teachers happen to appear in ground in his full zoom. Even Dr. Syed Hasan himself like to be in the command. He had many tricks and exercises which he used to apply in the ground. We watch him sometimes standing along with the field and often being a part of the drill.

An old black man holds a copper bell in his hand and moves throughout the campus ….. ting …ting …ting.. ting… it is the bell to call for breakfast. In no time the players rushed to their hostel, and get ready to go to the dining hall. There were different items in breakfast appearing repeatedly in a week. In my stay at Kishanganj I learned to eat and later became habituated of taking cooked grams plus Muri all together. It was called ‘Chana Muri’ in the local dialect. The breakfast with ‘Chana Muri’ was commonly liked by the students. Within an hour after the …..ting …ting ting…ting we saw students approaching towards the dining hall in queue. This was a big dining hall made of Bamboos and covered with straws. It had the capacity to accommodate six hundreds at a time. In two shifts the breakfast or lunch had been done.

There were separate tables for the teachers. Tea was also served to all. This big dining was also being used for entire gathering. At such occasions the big hall looked packed. First of all if I saw any VIP in Insan School, I saw Mr. Kaleemudin Sahams the then deputy speaker of West Bengal Assembly. His was a memorable speech. He said that if Insan School will need his blood he will do it. He said : “I want that a pair of shoes be made of my skin and be presented to Dr. Syed Hasan for his efforts in education”.

The breakfast is over and, now, no one can be seen in the open. All are in their classrooms. Dr. Syed Hasan holding a measuring tape and a stick in his hand is now busy with the Laborers at the construction sites. Dr. Syed Hasan use to move in the campus all the time. Nobody can say at what time and at which place he may appear. All the time he was seen everywhere in campus but not at a certain place at all.

“Syed Bhai [ Dr. Syed Hasan] is coming” was a warning to everybody. Once he told: “ I have made myself physically appearing at all places in the campus in an a-periodic way”. His movements were not certain. At 9’clock he was seen in the High School , 10 at the College, again at 11 o’clock at the High School, and then again to the college. [to be continued]