Banner Advertiser

Thursday, October 23, 2008

[ALOCHONA] Recognising education for most impoverished and deprived people of our country

 

I have not studied in Carmichael College but I went there for admission, during late 70's and as a young boy from a remote village admired the monumental buildings. It looked so tall and huge, magnificent in its look and structure. Line of unknown trees, rows of teachers bungalows, all were so vivid till I last visited during 2006.

 

Yesterday (22.10.2008) this college was officially declared as university. This college was built on 300 acres of land by few Zamindars (Zamindar and Mughol architecture), much earlier than the premier Dhaka university, after the name of first Governor of Bengal Lord Carmichael with an initial collection (donation ) of RS 750,000 in 1916 and Bachelor of Science courses started in 1925.

With much opposition of powerful hindu leaders and eminences including Rabindranath Thakur Dhaka university was initiated on the backdrop of Muslims lag in education by the Muslims Nawabs of Dhaka in 1921.

 

Today's greater Rangpur is the symbol of poverty, destitute, impoverishment and unspeakable human sufferings. Who would believe that the district's Zilla School was established in 1832. And the women who is pioneer in education for Muslim in whole Bengal or entire Muslim community in greater India, born on the flank of this district town- Paira Bond.

'Hoki garial bhai, hakao gari tui Chilmarir Bondore', Abbas Uddin who made Bengali songs popular with a classical instinct of localised version so established today yet so uncared for, like its(districts) all other insticts, 'Vaoia'.

 

'Chilmarir Bandor' is gone and gone are all its prestige and dignity. Like the thousands out of poverty and deprivation due to lack of economic activities and savage nature that continuously have been devastating the homestead and the economic wealth of the people of Teesta and Jamuna's delta in this district (greater Rangpur) fleeing bus full, train full to any possible destination that can provide them a piece of bread, a handful of rice just to sustain 37 degree temperature of them and their families. What a human calamity befallen on the people of these district. And it has been continuing like its inundation in past years and without any structured planning it will come in next year with its most likelihood.

 

What brought most prestige and hope, it took, almost one  hundred chastised year to get only a recognition to operate as a university in a rented premise. Though 75% of this magnificent heritage now will be mutilated with obscure constructions to house classrooms, that, if follows the legacies of other institutions which are much touted with reprehensible quality, morality and ethics, people of Rangpur have to hope that it does not repeats or induced into their place of enlightenment that situated much in their hearts. Only to hope.

 

I was so emotional while I took a tour around the area, which looked so small and so little for the purpose and what intended by those Zamindars who donated 750 thousand Rupees (in todays term as its present value can be calculated in financial term should be more than 100 crore taka roughly, it also demonstrates that Rangpur was wealthy hundred years ago). I am not belittling it, if it was, it was our successive governments in the name of nationalism, liberty and development they did nothing to improve our education rather pamper and breed bundles of cronies and their own sympathisers, who successfully hoodwinked, have been playing to their favours only, our national interests.

 

Much hated, Ayub Khan, most of the great monuments as our educational institutions were built or initiated (consider the design of Jahangir Nagar University), while our infamous nationalist (it does not mean BNP) while failed to even 'chunkum' them rather destroyed them literally (notice the Casanova teacher's acts and the action of the syndicate and the Teachers Somity).

 

Once I asked the popular writer who born in this district – do you have any write up/books on Carmichael College, answer was 'no sir'. Please try to relate this - when I asked another famous poet who was born in a district on the shore of Padma that often made destitute thousands of  his neighbors or own folks (if we can call it), he was silent and I couldn't find any with little search. Kindly bear with my arrogance here – do you see how it relates to our own Micheal, Madhushudhan Datta?

 

Another singer, who said on a TV show, who's all albums I have in my collection and love and enjoy listening to those, I am from Gaibanda but now settled in Dhaka. What this settlement mean? I would have no hesitation to say despite their many credibility they are much delinked from their roots, not only physically but in their thinking as well. After demise of Communism and its Communist International doctrine or even 'Internationalist', be it so, but if you do not know what at your own home, all other should appear as fictitious, rhetoric, nothing in real love for people.

 

Even the offspring of that great singer, his daughter and sons are well known people in our homestead, in our system, yet with due respect to them Rangpur's deprivation did not lead them to any outcry procession for their birthplace. Lobbying does many think in this world, even they could not share the little good of those tyrant Zamindars in today's context. None of them. I can make it louder, nothing to change the lives for better living. No wonder whole nation is paranoid with  'speeches' that has no underlying values or meaning beneath and let go unchallenged.

 

I was not crying but felt as 'have lost all', ask the driver to leave and since than I was cried in every personal gatherings or in few blogs.               

In the media people are crying wolf on monga and other severity, yet I would think no serious thinking, I mean with real intention, is made by any. Had it been so, the hundred of kilometre canals that was built, again by another dictator (who happen to be from this district) would not have dried up or its sources wouldn't  have let to be silted.

There was no enough attention for the people, men and women, even who fought hilariously during the liberation war, mocked as Bir protik, had to survive malnourished and almost dying of hunger (only rescued to save their faces).

 

Like in west (or as we live in a planet) or Federal Reserve who all of a sudden found trillion of dollars to rescue the wrongdoings that was derived from mainly greed, as doctrine by John M Cayenn or Milton Friedman, of nourished few while their education, healthcare found no enough allocations. Overnight a country with much touted highest per capita income go bankrupt, yet nothing happens to those economic theorists or financial plunderers.

 

If my information is correct, 16 crore taka to start a university (compare the private contribution of those Zamindars hundred years ago), an astounding paltry, what it will do, is it political rhetoric and belittling the prestige of such a monumental institution (albeit with its underutilisation).

 

I love Rangpur, I love vaoaia, I love Begum Rokeya, has no meanings until one link oneself with the plight of the people of their own folks.

You have to rise, and voice for good class rooms, where thousands of students from middle and lower middle class can gain quality education to equip themselves fighting poverty, physical and psychological hunger, bring back their lost glory.

 

The highest tax payer – Bharsha Pramanic, world famous model designer Bibi Russel, eminent singer writers, the famous actor, all should forge unity to look into the issues that are crippling human lives in their forefather's land. Should they come out of their current ghetto type thinking and embrace the issues and people as it should be embraced, to critically analyse and produce solutions to part of the marching nation - for well being of their own people.

 

Lets hope the opening and establishment of this university bring much hope to wipe off their past insult, to gain their lost pride.

 

Haque

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia



New Email addresses available on Yahoo!
Get the Email name you've always wanted on the new @ymail and @rocketmail.
Hurry before someone else does! __._,_.___

[Disclaimer: ALOCHONA Management is not liable for information contained in this message. The author takes full responsibility.]
To unsubscribe/subscribe, send request to alochona-owner@egroups.com




Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe

__,_._,___