Kishanganj: Insan School & Dr. Syed Hasan (Part 13)

Contributed by: Dr. Equbal Wajid

During my tie with Insan School/College for 14years I learnt and minutely observed that in the first five years of his service, usually, not a single staff could think against Dr. Syed Hasan, rather than he would be a staunch supporter of him. As soon as he would complete his fifth year of service, he would be able to judge his actions, except the few who have mortgaged their conscience to him. They had never opposed any thing that even obviously happened contrary to the common sense. They had been on the extreme level of tolerance or they had lost their egos or self-respect. These great likeminded men of Dr.Syed Hasan were five in numbers, Abdul Ahad, [Bhagalpur] Mozahir ul Hasan [Kishanganj] Raghuwns Prasad [Nalanda] Suresh Chandra Mehta [Delhi] and Zamirul Hasan [Kishanganj: Line].

When Dr. Syed Hasan defeated the institution he owned a project of Adult Education and adjusted all of his yes-men in that project. They were being paid by the Project which was sponsored by a Semi-Government agency.

When the ITWA was formed we would have not crossed the 5 years time-frame, so we were among his supporters. As we crossed the 5 year time-frame we became conscious of his deception. I came to know through this time-frame that the mass cannot be kept held, or made foolish for more than a period of five years. That is why in democracy the time frame for a Government mostly consists on a 5 years duration. Even if, why it is one of the main conditions to stay continuously in a country to get her citizen ship? I think ,it is because of theory that one can’t understand a society unless he has spent at least 5years among them.

When the storm of ITWA was settled down Dr. Syed Hasan told us that the another revolution will come after 10years. It just happened accordingly that after 10 years another silent revolution hit the Insan School/College and it unwrapped Dr. Syed Hasan in the whole country. Maullana Naeemuddin Quasmi, Equbal Wajid, Malika Rehana, Jehangir Malick were the main initiators of this movement. There was not any association or any formal platform for the struggle but a strong opposition was always there.

Malika Rehana [Lecturer in History] filed a personal legal suit against Dr.Syed Hasan in the labor court. It continued for years. The image of the institution was damaged.

Once Maullana Naemuddin Qasmi [Arabic Teacher] told me that we could fight in writings only. As a result we started to unveil the coverts of this great personality [Dr. Syed Hasan] to the people who were supposed to be the patrons of the Muslims Educational affairs in India. We were of the mind that if we have lost our carrier then at least we will leave no stone unturned to defame this educational guru so that the coverts and two-facedness of this great personality may become obvious to all. An in the future the society can prevent itself by such kind of deceptions. We contacted to Syed Shahabuddin MP, we wrote to Late Hakeem Abdul Hameed [Hamdard Educational Society, Delhi,] A.R.Sherwani [Owner of GEEP Co] , Gholam Sarwer [Speaker Bihar Assembly] Akhlaqur Rahman Qidwai [ former Governor of Bihar] and many others.

We wrote to many of them that Dr. Syed Hasan who has claimed himself to be the servant of the Qaum [Nation] has grabbed the hundreds of acres of land of Insan School/College in his personal name. He is not ready to let these institutions registered as Minority Character Institutions. Everybody was astonished to know the truth, but it was unable for them to do anything against the legal status. When this truth was unveiled surely the graph of his fame-line dropped down slowly. Now it was the common talk of the people that Dr. Syed Hasan himself defeated the Institutions to become its whole and sole owner. He created an artificial collapse to let the seniors teachers wiped out of his path.

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The case of Insan School was finally put into YACIKA COMMITTEE [a Sub Committee of the Legislative Counsel, Government of Bihar, Patna] for enquiry. Mr.Sharda Prasad Singh [MLC] was one of its members. I and Maullana Nayeemuddin Quasmi met Mr.Sharda Prasad Singh[MLC] in Patna to make the proceedings fast. It was the last hope for the teachers. Mr.Sharda Prasad Singh [MLC] told us the he will try his best for the takeover of these Institutions by the Bihar Government. I was also invited in one of the meeting which was going to be held in the VIDHAN PARISHAD [Bihar Legislative Counsel] Patna. It was a semi-final meeting for the final takeover. Almost all matters had been discussed. The Chairmen of Bihar School Secondary Education Board and Bihar Intermediate Counsel were present in the meeting. Now the date and the name of the attendees for next meeting was to be finalized. Mr. Sharda Prasad Singh [MLC ] insisted the Chairman of the Committee to call the Secretary of the Ministry of Finance in the next meeting, but he refused waving his hand slightly. I assumed that the Government is not in the mood to interfere in the matter. I came back to Kishanganj.

After a long time there was no news about the Committee. Finally when we met Sharda Prasad Singh at the residence of the Principal Mahila [Women’s] College Purnea, he told us that Mr.Sulaiman Saith, a Member of Parliament form Kerala is advocating in favor of Dr. Syed Hasan so we cannot do anything more. It was the biggest setback to the teachers as there all hopes had gone.

When our written activities were at height. Dr. Syed Hasan took the help of his younger brother Mr. Mohammad Shees who was a retired Chief Executive Engineer of the Bihar Government, and a superior among devotees of Tableeghi Jamaat in Bihar. He had been an man of honest throughout his service to whom the people of Bihar as well as the Government of Bihar is aware. After his retirement, he devoted himself all along for the cause of Tableeghi Jamat.

When the condition of the Insan School/College got worse day by day Mr.Shees was called by his brother Dr. Syed Hasan to take charge as a Resident Director. As it happens with the devotees of Tableegh Jamat that they like to do everything with MASHWARAH[ a collection of opinions] . So this matter was put before HAZRATJI [The Head of Tableegi Jamat] that, whether, Mr. Mohammad Shees should go to Kishanganj to work for the survival of the Institution? Perhaps, it is true that HAZRATJI [The Head of Tableegi Jamat] gave his positive consent in this matter. It was a purely personnel matter of Mr.Shees which had no relation with Tableeg Jamat’s affairs, but when he came to Insan School as a Resident Director, a written noticed was served to the Teachers that Mr. Mohammad Shees has come to work as a Resident Director by the consent [MASHWARAH ] of HAZRATJI. [The Head of Tableegi Jamat] The line of the notice was as follows:

“HAZRAT JI, MARKAZ NIZAMUDDIN NEW DELHI, KE MASHWAREY SE JANAAB MOHAMMAD SHESS SAHAB INSAN SCHOOL TASHREEF LAAEY HAIN. WO YAHAN RESIDENT DIRECTOR KI HAISYAT SE KAAM KARENGEY”

[By the admirable consent of HAZRATJI Markaz Nizamuddin New Delhi, Mr. Mohammad Shees has come to Insan School/College to work as a Resident Director.]

It was a big mistake which Dr. Syed Hasan failed to prevent. Even if, it seems as true that with the consent of HAZRATJI, Mr. Shees was in the campus but it was not good to mention HAZRATJI’s name on the School’s notice register. It was nothing more than to use the reference of a great humanitarian HAZRATJI for the dirty politics of a School. HAZRATJI had no right to appoint anybody in any institution. Why his name should appear on a School’s register.

I noticed the notice gravely and wrote a letter in response, addressing to Principal Mohsin, Miyan ji Abdur Rehaman, Maullana Salman Janajhanwi, Nadir Ali Khan [ all important names at the Tableegh Center in Nizamuddin, New Delhi] to place the matter before HAZRATJI that he must call back Mr.Shees form the Institution, as HAZRATJI’S name is being misused to overpower the teachers and to prevent any kind of revolt if it happens to appear. I wrote, that the Tableegh Jamat should not interfere in this matter. I further wrote that if HAZRAT JI has placed Mr.Shees as a resident Director of Insan School/College then he should be responsible for all the affairs of teachers including the salaries dues etc.

I don’t know what happened to this letter but I know Mr. Shees left the Institution all of a sudden. I wrote this letter in sincerity to the Tableegh Jamat to which I am a staunch supporter. I can tolerate anything but I can never tolerate if the image is Tableegh Jamat is hurt.

Mr. Shees worked as a Resident Director of Insan School/College for a short period. I learned from his actions that speaking about Religion, Deen and Islam is easy but to stand firm on its values and ethics is too difficult. We can speak much more about Islam but when the time of action comes we forget all its limitations, morals, and ethics as we don’t ever heard of them or they may not exist.

Through his actions I was of the mind that the practice on justice in next to impossible. When a man like Mr. Shees who had been the heart beating of millions in Bihar, and a very honest Executive Engineer in Bihar Government, who had kicked off millions of bribe-money in his tenure, and has never accepted a single penny of bribe despite scores of life-threats by the contractors, who had spent his whole tenure of service at life risk, can fail to resist the ‘CALL OF HIS BLOOD’ where next, one can look for the JUSTICE? The justice, when the Judge refused to accept the son of Hazrat Ali [ 4th Caliph of Muslims] as a witness to his father, the justice when Hazrat Umar [ The second Caliph] was questioned by a common man for his outfit, the Justice, when the Prophet of Islam said that [while a thief-woman was going to be punished] if Fatima bin Mohammad could have been caught in theft he would have ordered to cut her hand.

Finally, Mr. Shees said yes to the call of his blood’, he bended down before his elder brother [Dr. Syed Hasan] supported his action and tried to kick out some of the Teachers who dare to ask for their rights. I was supposed to be in the top of list, so he send me on ‘forced-leave’ for a period of one year. My family was alone in the College Campus. There was nothing to eat. No payment at all. Once, Mr. Shees gave me 50 fifty rupees and said that it is a gift from his side. I was filled with thanks to Allah that this little amount could do a lot in ‘Qutubganj Haat’.[a weekly local market].

My Tableeghi Mentor Firoz Bhai [Ghaas Patti Masjid,Kishanganj], suggested me to go in path of Allah for 4 months. This was my second chance for 4 months. He said that Allah will help you. I asked how I could go out leaving my family back without a single penny. He again told that Allah will help, don’t think about that. By his assurance I assumed that the ‘Jamat Colleagues’ may have arranged something. So I took my bag and moved in the path of Allah. I told my wife and children that Allah will open the door. I don’t remember Firoz Bhai or Nayeem Watch either of the two gave me 50 rupees. For a period of one month I was moving in the surroundings of Kishanganj. It was the month of Ramadan. So all most every day we were being invited for Dinner, Iftar [ a breakfast after the sunset which Muslims take to break the Fasting] and Sahri [ a breakfast before the Dawn which Muslim take to start Fasting]. The fifty rupees was still in the pocket, and Allah knows that the same 50 rupees carried me to Assam and it remained with me all along in the 4 months journey.

In my absence our ‘Tableeghi Colleagues’ raised a small fund to help my family.

On each Saturday when the local market ‘Qutubganj Haat’ was put on view, my wife would put on a Burqa, she would take a bag. My son would caught hold of her finger and they both would go on foot for two kilometers to see Nayeem Watch [one of my Tableegii Colleague, who was a watch maker in the market]. They would wait there in front of the shop for some time until Nayeem Watch could look at them, then he would raise his hand, call my son and gave him 50 rupees. This was the amount for the whole week. It continued as a weekly routine for a month or two. As the amount was not sufficient to feed six children, so, out of distress my wife wrote a letter to her father asking for his help. My father-in-law , who was living 400 kilometer away from the School. His name was Syed Masood Ahmed Ahmed Fatmi [ Mukhiya [Counselor of his area] and a resident of Village Bela Waris : Goh of the Aurangabad District Bihar] sent my 3rd Brother-in-Law to bring back all of them. In my absence my wife went to her father’s house with all my children. Our sympathizers at Insan School were happy to know that my wife and children went back to a safe place where they can spend their livelihood. [to be continued]

Disclaimer: The content of the article is the personal views / experience of the author (contributor). Kishanganj Blog (Md Mudassir Alam) is not responsible for any type of personal remarks or any objectionable statement made by the author.