Contributed by: Dr. Equbal Wajid.
It was the September of 1980 in Insan School. The rainy season had gone. The rainstorm had stopped, there were no mud on the tracks. An staff meeting was going on in the big hall. Dr. Syed Hasan was full charged. He was looking very serious. He didn’t make any wit in the meeting neither he responded to any joke raised by the teachers. They thought that something had may happened to him. He was recalling his journey to Kishanganj from the start, as it was his habit. He said that this institution will grow as an autonomous University. It will be a model for the country. He said that he has the plan to established an Educational Township in which there will be different Colleges and they all will run under Insan University. The teachers were amazed to listen him. He said that new people will join and they will surely be more competent than you. They will have more education more knowledge more salaries. He said that he is a decided man, nothing can stand on his way. His goal is clear. He is never has been a confused person.
Aafaqe the peon was serving tea to the staff. He gave me a cup of tea, I gazed at him. He smiled in response. He knows that I need more a cup. I finished the tea and waited for him. He was in other row serving the tea. In his one hand he was holding empty cups and a Kettle in the other. I waited but he didn’t come, I assume that he may forgot. Sudden I heard Dr. Syed Hasan raised his voice. He said:
“COLEGE KHOL DIA GAYA HAI” [ The College is now declared open].
“AAP MIEN SE JO CHAHE APPLY KARSAKTA HAI , KIS KA HOGA NAHEN HOGA YEH COMMITTEE PHAISLA KAREGI”
[ Anyone who is illegible among you can apply, but he will be selected or not, this is subject to decision of the Committee.]
“ MAZAHIR BHAI KA COLLEGE MEIN HO GAYA HAI” [Mazahir Bhai has been promoted to College.]
They staffs who were not eligible for the post of Lecturer ship were filled with the feeling of inferiority. Those who were Post Graduates, they were confused what to do. They thought that if they will not be selected then how can they dare to survive among the students. They will certainly feel humiliation. I had the same idea. Luckily I got a selection letter for admission from Delhi University in the course of ‘One Year Post Graduate Diploma in Urdu Translation’. This was a new course, started in the University of Delhi for which I had applied earlier. Now I was of the mind that if I will not be selected as a Lecturer I will leave the School and proceed for Delhi. I intend to work Part Time in Delhi and get admission in the Translation Course. So finally I decided to apply for the Post of Lecturer in Urdu.
Within a week I received the call letter for interview. The interview was not just an interview. It was an interview camp broaden throughout the whole week. There were many items.
1. Reporting and Registration.
2. Campus Tour
3. Cultural Programme
4. Teaching Performance
5. Written test
5. Games.
6. VIP Meet
7. Final Interview.
I took one week leave from the School and join the group of candidates who came for interview. As other candidates I was also given a badge to tag with my shirt “CANDIDATE” was written over it in bold letters. A colored ribbon was also tagged with it.
Everyone was confused about me, the teachers failed to guess what will be the result. Some were of the mind that Equbal Sahab cannot compete the test. My jealous enemies [ Shahab Saharwardi and co] were anxious to know form where the rest candidates for Urdu has come? They became happy when they came to know that Mrs. Ruhi Enaam, a famous short story writer and a Novelist from Calcutta is a candidate for the post of lecturer in Urdu. I was also a bit nervous, but I know that Ruhi Enaam was a famous short story writer of the Urdu Monthly “KHATOON E MASHRIQE” and ‘KHATOON E MASHRIQE’ is a magazine which was never accepted and admired by the litterateurs rather than it was famous among common Urdu readers who have cheap tastes of literature..
When we finished our registration and Campus tour, we were asked to stage a cultural programme. The evening was delightful. The big hall was full of 1200 students, among guests there were women, girls, guests and VIPs of Kishanganj. It was mandatory for all the candidates to take part. Among us there was Malika Rehana and Malika Ferhana they were sisters who had come from Patna. Malika Rehana was a candidate for Lecturer in History and her younger sister for Hindi. They both were smart, bold, active and intelligent. They both won the interview and was worked at Insan College for years. The younger sister Malika Ferhana left the College after her marriage and lived with her husband somewhere in Dhanbad. She also got a teaching job in a school in Dhanbad. The elder sister Malika Rehana spend more than 16 years in the college. She had a dispute with her husband over Insan College. His husband wanted her to leave the job but she said no, and as a result their relation broke and her husband never came to Insan College neither Malika Rehana ever tried to met him. But there was not any formal divorce. Later I came to know that her husband joined Tableegi Jamat .
Some of the candidates came to me for suggestions, I suggested them to perform a Qawwali Program for which I was the main performer . I remember, among the candidates ,there was a Pundit Ji who was known to intone Harmonium. Among us there were Abdus Samad a candidate for Economics, Buland Akhtar Hashmi , a candidate for Psychology, Abul Hasan, a candidate for English. I was in the role of a Qawwaal. I wore a Kurta Pajama I selected a Persian Gahazal of Amir Khusroo.
NAMI DAANAM CHE MANZIL BOOD SHAB JAAEY KE MAN BUDAM
[I don’t know which place it was last night where I was]
BAHAR SU RAQS E BISMIL BOOD SHAB JAEY KR MAN BUDAM
[Everywhere it was the dance of the people who were half murdered]
KHUDA KHUD MEER E MAJLIS BOOD ANNDAR LAMAKAN KHSRU
[ The God himself was the Chair Person of the stage at noneplace
MOHAMMAD SHMME MAHFIL BOOD SHABJAAEY KE MAN BUDAM
[Mohammad SAW was the light of the stage last night where I was ]
NAMI DAANAM CHE MANZIL BOOD…………
It was my first experience that I was performing a Qawwali programme in front a huge audience. I was in full zoom I was acting just like a professional Qauwal. The programme was over. When I came down from the stage every one cheered me. After lunch in the night when we were passing through the hostel NAMI DANAM CHE MANZIL BOOD was heard everywhere. Next morning for the Insan School it was the morning of NAMI DAANAM . Next morning when I came to sight of the students he rejoicefully starts singing NAMI DANAM CHE MANZIL BOOD SHAB JAAEY KE MAN BOODAM.
The written test covered English,the subject applied for and General Knowledge. After written test the candidates performed games. I took part in Volleyball, as I had been third line player of Volleyball. Then we went for VIP meet for their confidential remarks. Some of the VIPs I remember were DR.Shayam Lal Saha, Dr. Qamrul Hoda, and Dr. Mohan Lal Jain. We met seven or eight VIPs of Kishanganj, they all put confidential remarks on our profiles.
One day during the Selection-Camp the candidates were asked to go through teaching performance tests. The high school’s higher classes were arranged for them. The students had been asked to give their remarks on the candidates. Each one of them have had maximum five points to grant. As a candidate for Lectureship I had also to pass through performance test. I looked very serious. Two of the senior teachers were also sitting in the back row. They also have had to put remarks on the performance. It was the ninth class, my favorite class. Some of the students of this class I remember Afaqe Akhtar [working as a Doctor in USA] Asim Azfer [ Lecturer in Physics in USA] Nikhat Nasreen [Reader in Deptt of Education AMU Aligarh] Sirajuddin [ Material Manager :Saudi Arabia] Iqbal Sami [ Manager : Saudi Arabia] Jawwadul Haque [Lodhan] , Mumtaz Alam[ Kishanganj] Gesu Syed Hafeez[ Daughter of Dr.Syed Hasan] Yasmeen Begum[Kishanganj, Atia Bano[ Kishanganj] Mohammad Salim [ Biraat Nagar: Nepal].
When I was asked for teaching performance test, Mr. Ruhi Enaam the candidate for Lecturer in Urdu was still in the class. She was teaching an essay ‘GUZRA HUA ZMANA’ written by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan. There was pin drop silence in the class. First time the students of class tenth experienced a female teacher in the class. And I was the next candidate for teaching performance. This was my own class to which I have been teaching Urdu since 19 months. Now it was up to the students to decide my fate. The badge as a sign for the candidates was hanging on left side of my chest. When I listen the soft female voice teaching Urdu in my class and saw a pin drop silence, I was desperate. Now it was difficult to retreat.
I entered in the class and took a glance. The students looked serious. In the front row there were girl students. It was a big test for the students that an 19months old teacher of their class is appearing in the same class for teaching performance. They have to decide what should they do? I cannot tell anybody what were my feelings. Suddenly an idea came to my mind. I don’t took any lesion of the book to teach rather than I through questioning method I stated to talk with them on the definition of literature and its scope.
I asked them I am going to say something about literature.
‘Can any one of you tell me what is literature?’ They answered in different way. Then I tried to talk something beyond their standard. I used heard words as the Lecturers do in Colleges. Slowly I gained confidence and as it is my habit I created humor. How the time passed I don’t remember. When I finished my teaching the whole class screamed with joy, a loud sound of clapping raised from the class. They said in one voice loudly:
‘HO GAYA … HO GAYA ……HO GAYA’
Even the senior teachers Mr. Mozahirul Hasan and Mr. Abdul Ahad , who were the observers on this performance test were unable to get their smile back. The students gave me maximum marks. Dr. Syed Hasan was also observing the whole situation. Next day the final interview was scheduled.
The final interview for the post of Lecturers in different subjects is going on. The candidates are wandering near the Head Office. Experts for the related subjects has been invited from the nearby Marwari College. In the main office Malika Ferhana [Malika Farhan] Malika Rehana [ History] Buland Akhtar Hasmi[Psychlogy] Ruhi Enaam [Urdu] Mohammad Ameen [ Persian] were present. Malika Farhana asked me some questions she expected to be asked in the interview. I remember ,she asked me the difference between ‘Drama” and ‘Novel’. I told her some points in objective way, she was glad to know the answer.
In the mean time my biggest foe in the campus Shahab Shaharwardi entered in the room. He was attentive to Ruhi Enaam. He asked about her. He took her published Novels and Short Stories in his hand and started reading some lines loudly. He started praising her that she is a renowned personality of Urdu. Shahab Saharwardi never felt shame that the final interview is going on and he is trying to create inferior feelings in his companion who is also a candidate for Urdu. Minutes before calling for interview I was shocked by his activity. Roohi Enaam was called first. In the interview board Prof. Izhar Alam Head of the Deptt of Urdu Marwari College was sitting as an expert . Dr. Qmarul Hoda was also one of the members.
I came to know later that Dr.Qmarul Hoda asked Roohi Emaam:
“ Who are the big fiction writers in Urdu these days”
Instead of asking some big names she said:
“ As regards about the big fiction writers of Urdu in the present times, I only know myself ……”
“ Madam….. ! ….the doors of your house are widely opened from all sides ” Dr. Qamarul Hoda answered.
Now it was my term for the interview. I was also asked few questions . Prof Izhar Alam asked me the meaning of a couplet of Allama Iqbal over which I was thinking since two weeks. He asked:
“ There is couplet of Allama Iqbal
MERI NAWWAYE PARISHAN KO SHAIRI NA SAMAJH KE MAIN HOON MAHRAME RAAJ E DAROON E MAIE KAHANA ……. so what is the meaning of ‘MAHRAME RAAZE DAROON E MAI KHANA’?
“MHRAME RAAZE DROON E MAIKHANA se muraaad wo qoowaten aour asrar haien jo is kaienaat ki naqlo harkat our is ki tarteeb o tanzeem mien muharrik ki haisiyat rakhte haien” I replied. Then I was asked to go. I spent very few minutes before the board.
After few days I received the appointment letter signed by Dr. Syed Hasan to join the Insan College as a lecturer in Urdu Department. I was alone in the Urdu Department. The days were joyful those days. We feel proud to work in an institution whose fame was widened all over India.
Dr. Syed Hasan was also happy with the new group of Lecturers. He often use to come to the College and talk to us. He often take our orientation programme. I remember Mr. Abul Hasan who was an M.Phil in English Literature from Jawahar Lar Nehru University was the lecturer In-Charge. Later many people took the charge of the office of the College. By rotation, once I also got a chance to be the In-Charge of the College for some period.
The College was started in the School area but soon it was shifted to a new Campus. Where the residence, play ground and the Dining Hall were all at one placed in one campus, surrounded by paddy fields.. Huts made of bamboos and straws. Were As an experiment Dr. Syed Hasan told us for self cooking. We were cooking ourselves. It was a new experience.
All the lecturers were mostly unmarried, except few. After duty hours we have no work except to read, sit and talk. The market was far, if we go to market we have to carry a torch with us elsewise we cannot walk in darkness. There was no electrification. We use lamps with Kerosene oil. I have many sweat and bitter memories which happen to us in those days.
I find myself much inclined towards cosmology. I have had serious thoughts about my mind for the mystery of Universe. These day the Earth, the moon , the skies, the Sun, the animals and birds, oceans, and plant everything was appearing to me as a great wonders. All the time these appearances were haunting me, on my bed in my class room, at market places everywhere it came to me and shacked me. [to be Continued….]
