My earnest tribute to Alhaj Kazim Afroz, a pioneer educationist & the founder of Hamara School

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Ohhh, the district of Kishanganj and Purnia division lost a ‘real Hero’, ‘a visionary’, ‘a educationist’, ‘a pioneer torch-bearer in the field of education’, Alhaj Kazim Afroz Sahab. The founder of famous ‘Hamara School’ at Gopalpur in Bahadurganj and architect behind making successful lives of hundreds and hundreds of children of the region has left for his heavenly abode on Monday, October 26, 2015 morning. Being a native of Purnia division, and an education lover, I thought to pay my earnest tribute to the great visionary Kazim sahab, and pray to Almighty for blessing him with highest place in Heaven.

     After a long holiday break of a week, the Monday morning was a bit heavy for coming back to normal life especially to start the routine office work. However, work is work, and life is lived in this way, after work there is leisure (holiday) and after leisure (holiday) there is work, and a responsible person must handle such things without any type of boredom. At around 7:30 AM, after dropping my twin daughters at their school I came back to my Patna residence and started to go through the updates on social media WhatsApp and Facebook. While going through updates in one of the group, I came across a very shocking news “the founder of Hamara School Alhaz Kazim Afroz sahab is no more and left for his heavenly abode at MGMC (Mata Gujri Medical College & Hospital) Kishanganj”. 

Ohhh, the first word that uttered in my mouth and literally became quite upset with the news, since the district of Kishanganj and Purnia division lost a ‘real Hero’, ‘a visionary’, ‘a educationist’, ‘a pioneer torch-bearer in the field of education’, etc. etc. Really it’s a big loss for Kishanganj, a big loss for Purnia division, a big loss for Seemanchal, a big loss for Bihar and nation that I uttered. Of course, most of us didn’t recognise or highlighted the contributions, sacrifices of Alhaj Kazim Afroz Sahab, as he was the man behind shaping lives of hundreds and hundreds of children of the area with his school ‘Hamara School’. Today, the students of Hamara School have made successful career in various fields, and many of the students of the school are doctors, engineers, lawyers, officers, teachers, etc. etc. And the main architect behind all those successful persons are of course one and only Alhaj Kazim Afroz Sahab.

As the universal truth says ‘the importance of a good human being or a revolutionary person, is usually noticed when he / she leaves for heavenly abode’. Similarly, almost same thing applies for Kazim Afroz Sahab, he was quite popular in Bahadurganj and Kishanganj district, but his name or contributions to the area were not much discussed or highlighted time-and-again in social or educational corridors. Being a native of Purnia division, and an education lover, I thought to pay my earnest tribute to the great visionary Kazim sahab, the founder of famous ‘Hamara School’ at Gopalpur in Bahadurganj. 

It was in late 1980s, I was a school going kid studying in class two (2) in Pioneer School, Baharduganj. With my childhood memories I could recall today, that a new convent school came into existence at Gopalpur, which was widely discussed in my school, in my family and also by others in the small town of Bahadurganj. Yes, as I checked the record it was the year 1987, the Hamara School was established at Gopalpur Chowk in Bahadurganj. Since, this was a new school, and many of my friends took admission in this school, as a child I too asked my father to get me admitted in this school for continuing friendship with education. But, it could never happen as I was a kid and I was residing with my family in Bahadurganj itself, so there was no valid point to be a hosteller at Hamara School. 

Further, I left Pioneer School and took admission in Xenium School at Bahadurganj but the Hamara School was part of discussion in school or home. Navodaya Vidyalaya Entrance test for admission in Class VI was a centre of attraction for almost all convents of Bahadurganj, be it Xenium School or Hamara School. The Navodaya School results of Hamara School was very impressive, which generated the faith of parents / guardians in the school especially the director Kazim Afroz Sahab. In a very short span of time, the school was considered among the prestigious schools of Kishanganj district somewhere in lines of Insan School for its shining results.

Its location at main Gopalpur chowk was a visual delight for the people travelling on Bahadurganj – Kishanganj Road. Many times when I was travelling on bus on this route while going to Kishanganj or back from Kishanganj, and when the bus used to halt at the chowk, I used to have a glance of the huge complex of school, seeing the students playing in the open ground or ongoing classes, all the things were providing me an exciting feeling. In the year 1992, my father decided to get shifted at district headquarter of Kishanganj for our better education, and slowly-slowly my connection with Bahadurganj especially Hamara School almost ended and I too forgot the school in due course of time. 

About one-and-half years back after shifting to Patna, and I visited Kishanganj by bus and since the route is via LRP Chowk, I tried to locate Hamara School  specifically when the bus halted at Gopalpur chowk. To my utter surprise, the old look of Hamara School having dozens of thatched houses with an open ground and magnificent outside view, were no more existing. Instead of a ‘tin made school board’ put on two bamboo sticks,  ‘Hamara School’ was simply written on concrete building in green colour and the complex was not visible. Also there were a number of shops in front, and the look was totally different from my childhood memories, but change / development is always good. I was happy that ‘Hamara School’ has evolved with the time and having a better infrastructure, which had made the lives of so many children and families of the region. 

Today, after the sad demise of its founder Alhaj Kazim Afroz Sahab, this school has lost its mentor, who nourished it from foundation (budding stage) to its prominence in the field of primary, middle and high school level education. Not only the school, entire region has lost a great visionary and educationist, and a big void has been created with the death of Kazim Sahab. Being an education lover accepting the truth that Kazim sahab is not more is quite difficult, but I am optimistic and  expect that the successor of Kazim sahab would take his ‘mission and vision’ to a new epitome. Most importantly, the people of region must remember the sacrifice and efforts of people like Kazim sahab and posthumously honour him, who had been the torch-bearer of education in the educationally backward region of Kishanganj.