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Kishanganj Jute Mill Project : Victim of Politics

Insan School Kishanganj Weeping over its lost glory

Kishanganj: The heaven of peace and brotherhood

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Kishanganj Jute Mill Project : Victim of Politics

July 10th 2008 05:30

INTERNATIONAL WORKERS’ Day or Labour Day is being observed on Thursday (May 1) across the world. A day, especially dedicated to workers, it is celebrated for the social and economic achievements of labour movement and the labour fraternity.

Of course, the day is celebrated every year, but it hardly makes any difference in the daily curricula or status of workers. On this special day I focus on the flawed policies of our governments.

It’s true that development works go on in big cities and towns in India, but still the central and the state governments fail to give due attention to the backwardness of remote areas. Hardly in few suburbs across the country you will find government-run industries. In fact, governments at both the levels make tall claims of setting up industries in remote or backward areas.

However, after the inauguration of a project for setting up of an industry, remaining works run on paper not at the proposed site. There are hundreds of examples of state apathy, one being in Kishanganj district of north Bihar.

Considered as one of the most backward districts of Bihar and the country alike, Kishanganj is basically an agricultural belt. Here, majority of people depend on cultivation. They grow paddy, wheat, jute and other crops. Despite hard labour and huge investment, farmers get minimal benefit from their yield. Apart from cultivation, some educated people are in government and other private jobs. Rest of the population who do not have sufficient land or are not highly educated, unwillingly head towards cities like Delhi or Mumbai to earn their livelihood. The main reason behind urban migration is the absence of industries in the district.

In August, 2003, the Bhartiya Janata Party MP and the then Union textile minister, Shahnawaz Hussain, had laid the foundation of a jute mill at Simalbari, Kishanganj so as to support such people. The 50-tonne capacity jute mill was supposed to create permanent employment opportunities for at least 5,000 unemployed youths of the district. After its foundation, farmers were expecting that they would get good amount of money for jute, while youths were believing that they would not have to migrate for earning. Just few days after the foundation, work at the site begun. Localites expected they would see a jute mill in Kishanganj.

In early 2004, the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the centre, announced for early elections and it suffered major defeat. BJP’s candidate in Kishanganj, Shahnawaz Hussain also lost his seat to Mohammad Taslimuddin. After becoming the MP, Taslimuddin put hold on the jute mill project. Ever since, people have been anticipating that work at the site would restart, but in vain! The present government too has not given a thought for it.

Actually, one more development project of the country became a victim of ugly political indifferences. The jute mill in Kishanganj is still a dream for the local people but no local political leader comes forward. Shahnawaz Hussain did try to utilise his ministerial portfolio for the betterment of the unemployed youths of the district but his plan seems to have failed.

Before Hussain, many MPs of this constituency made fake promises to open a jute mill in Kishanganj, but they never did anything.
Even today, you can see a sign-board at the site, saying, ‘Kishanganj Jute Mill’ and a huge tin-shaded building surrounded by a boundary. Its present condition is pathetic. If the unfinished mill project is not undertaken, thousands of youths would be rendered useless.

On this auspicious Labour Day, I, on behalf of the people of Kishanganj, appeal to both the state and the central governments to mull over the proposed jute mill at Kishanganj.

The bottom line is that the government must give due attention to complete such unfinished project to make India a prosperous nation.

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Posted By: Md Mudassir Alam - Category: No Category

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Insan School Kishanganj Weeping over its lost glory

July 10th 2008 05:23

INSAAN BANENGE hum Insaan banayenge, Jeene ke tarkeeb ab seekhenge sikhanyenge, Insaan banenge hum Insaan banayenge (We will become humans and will spread the message of mankind, learn the way of living and spread the same lesson among others), the couplet belongs to the anthem of, once a famous school, Insan School or the temple of humanity.

Situated in the Kishanganj district of Bihar, the school is now going through a very bad phase. During its golden period that is 1970 to1995 the school had produced thousands of brilliant students, who have made their special mark in India and abroad as well. Luckily, I was one of the students of Insan School and have an emotional touch with the school.

Being a part of this great school, is a matter of pride for me and what I have achieved till date, Insan School has been a reason behind it. But today, when I see only a few buildings, teachers and a few hundred students studying in the school it really saddens me. Hence, being an alumni of Insan school it is my duty to bring the present dismal state of this school before the government and the people.

Kishanganj, one of the most backward districts in India is known for the least female literacy rate, all over India. At the same time, the district is famous for peace loving people, god gifted, pleasant climate and lush green environment. Ironically, since the country’s independence the area has its special place in the country’s map due to its closeness to international boundaries of Bangladesh and Nepal. But sadly, despite its important position in geographical and political maps of India, the area never got proper attention from the state or the central government.

For last few years, the district has seen some developments in areas like education, road communication, electrification etc, but the seeds of development were sown by the great thinker, Padmashree Dr Hasan. It was in the year 1951 when Syed Hasan, a young teacher from New Delhi visited the backward area of Kishanganj. At that time, education in Kishanganj and nearby areas were almost nil. Female education was a taboo in the society and socio-economic conditions of the area was very bad. As Hasan was still a young man and needed time to establish himself, so he came back to Delhi.

In the year 1955, Hasan left for America on a fellowship by Lincoln University, Pennsylvania and was later transferred to Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. Hasan stayed in America for 10 years and completed his Phd in education from the university. After spending 10 years in America, Hasan returned to India and headed towards Kishanganj to carry on his mission.

Though, Hasan was not a native of Kishanganj, but due to his broad vision he opted to make the region prosperous, in the field of education. Hasan started his mission with 36 students on November 14, 1966 on the premises of National High School. As his motive was fair and for the welfare of the people of Kishanganj, it took little time to get land for the establishment of a school. From few ’gaj’ (metres) land in the early days, the school gradually spread over a hundred acres of land in a few years time. Due to bamboo huts being used as classroom and residence, the school was nicknamed as ’Jhonpron Ka Sahar’, (Town of Huts).

Later a college named as Insan College was also started. Thousands of boys and girls from Bihar and other states of India were studying in Insan school and college, who were competing neck-to-neck with students of other top schools and colleges of the country. Like students, the teachers of the school were well-qualified and they had mastery over their particular subject. In fact, it became a dream for students to study in Insan School and teachers to teach there.

Discipline was one of the key to the success of the school. Hasan emphasised to bridge the teacher and student gap. Instead of the usual trend, of calling the teachers ’sir’, he told the students to call the male teachers ‘bhai’ (brother)and female teacher ‘baji’(sister), that worked and gave fruitful results. Students addressed their seniors as ‘bade bhai’ (big brother).

Every aspect of curriculum in Insan school was special. For instance, after the school prayer, a news reading session was scheduled. At the news reading session, the assigned two or three students were required to gather the latest news from the radio and newspapers and read it loudly before the who;e assembly. From this example, you can understand how far-sightedness Hasan was. He had the motive to keep the students updated with the latest happenings around the world.

From the 1970s, the school was reaching to newer heights and everything was going fine, till the end of 1990s. However, we can’t deny the fact that ‘every top position has its bottom position as well’, or ‘good and bad phases are two sides of coins’ and applies for every thing. The same fact applied to Insan School which suddenly started declining. A fight between Hasan and some teachers started due to some reasons; irregularity in payments to teachers was one of them. The intensity of fight between Hasan and the faculty increased day-by-day, at the cost of growth and education of the students. From 1995 onwards, the environment of school started to change, the healthy relation between students and teachers and Hasan itself soured. Dozens of teachers left the school, new enrollments of students also dropped and the future of Insan School became dark.

With few teachers, Hasan and his son tried to re-establish the school again, but they were not successful. Presently, there’s only the head office and hundreds of brick hut of the school is left. But, even with that it is still possible to make it one of the prosperous schools of Bihar, if it gets proper attention. According to national statistics, Kishanganj is lagging behind in the field of education from other districts of the country. Hence, Kishanganj needs more and more good schools and colleges for making the people of the district literate.

Personally I think, instead of spending millions of rupees in the opening of new schools, the government should give some attention to Insan School. If the local people and the state government make any proper strategy for Insan School, surely the school can again gain its lost glory, that would be beneficial for the development of the Kishanganj, Bihar and the country alike.

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Posted By: Md Mudassir Alam - Category: No Category

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Kishanganj: The heaven of peace and brotherhood

February 7th 2008 15:32

FAMOUS PERSIAN quote “Agar firdaus bar roo-e zameen ast, Hameen ast-o hameen ast-o hameen ast”(if there is a paradise on earth, it is this, it is this, it is this) had been used by Mughal Emperor Jehangir to refer the beauty of Kashmir Valley and its gardens. Here I would like to refer to Kishanganj, a small district of Bihar, with the same famous quote.

Carved out from Purnea district about two decades ago, Kishanganj is going to celebrate its foundation day on 14th January. Local people, district administration and politicians are eagerly waiting for the foundation day and preparations for the celebration are in full swing. Being a proud citizen of the land, I also eagerly await the day and wish to show my gratitude through a brief account of the district.

Of course, Kishanganj is not bestowed with natural wonders like verdant valleys, shimmering rivers or lakes or snow-clad mountains, but the small town is a paradise in another way. One of the most backward districts of the country, Kishanganj is heaven of peace and brotherhood. Today when the whole country is suffering from the curse of communalism, Kishanganj still maintains its century old charm of peace.

After Kashmir Valley, Kishanganj is the second biggest Muslim populated area having 80 per cent Muslim population. Despite the majority constituting of Muslims, the non-Muslims live here in complete peace. Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs and people of other religions together present an excellent example of communal harmony here. Here the Gujarat riots or other such communal riots happening across the country have no any impact on the mindset of people. Kishanganj is dotted with a number of temples, mosques and dargahs. No religious site has ever been damaged in the past on account of communal riots in other part of the country. In fact, here the morning begins with Azan of Fazr and Bhajans in temples. During festivals, one will find a totally different environment here, as local people celebrate all festivals with equal enthusiasm.

Little is known about the earlier history of Kishanganj, but some say that the district has its connection with great epics Ramayana and Mahabharata. Historic record says, that during Mughal period Kishanganj was the part of Kingdom of Nepal and known as Nepalgarh. For administration of the place, Mughal Emperor Shah Alam appointed Mohammed Raza at Surajapur. Mohammad Raza captured the Nepalgarh fort and the name was converted to Alamganj and administration also shifted to Khagara.

Legend has it that during the period of Khagada Nawab, Mohammed Fakiruddin, a Hindu saint arrived here. The said saint was very tired and wished to rest, but when he came to know that the name of the place is Alamganj, he refused to enter. Hence, Nawab Fakiruddin changed the name of some portion of the place as Krishnakunj that later became Kishanganj. In the post-Independence era Kishanganj was the important sub-division of Purnea district till the year 1990, when it was formed. Every year the historic Khagra Mela is held near the residence of Nawab Fakiruddin, which is famous as cattle fair.

Situated in northeastern portion of Bihar, Kishangani is bordered by the Indian state of West Bengal and neighbouring Kingdom of Nepal. Bangladesh border is also at a short distance from Kishanganj. Earlier the part of Purnea district, Kishanganj became a separate district on 14th January 1990. People of the region welcomed the constitution of the new district. The big challenge before the local people was the development of newly formed district in various sectors including education and communication. Despite the continuous negligence of the state government in the past, people of Kishanganj took the district headquarters on the path of progress with their hard work.

Seventeen years since its constitution, Kishanganj has changed and conditions here are really inspiring. In the brief period of time, the district has developed in the sectors of education, communication, employment and other fields. Inhabitants of the district have made their mark in various fields like management, medicine, technology, journalism and education. Kishanganj has produced a number of IITians, doctors, engineers, journalist, lawyers, management gurus and politicians, who are serving the nation. Many political leaders had represented the district at national level. MJ Akbar, Syed Shahnawaz, Syed Shahbuddin and Taslimuddin are the prominent political leaders of the district, who are also well known across the country.

Very few people know that Kishanganj is the place in Bihar, where Sarva Siksha Abhiyaan remained most successful. Though according to national literacy figures, Kishanganj has country’s least female literacy rate, education is spreading rapidly across the district and very soon the literacy percentage will improve. Under the supervision of Bihar Education Project, the training programmes namely Ujala and Angna Vidyalaya are run in the district. Kishanganj town has two boys and one girls high school namely, National High School, Inter High School and Girls High School. Marwari College, a degree college is situated in the district headquarters, while Nehru College is another government affiliated degree college situated at Bahadurganj. Kendriya Vidyalaya (BSF Camp), Navodaya Vidyalaya, Insan School, Bal Mandir, LBM School and Tauheed Educational Institute are other schools of the town. Kishanganj has its own medical college known as MGM College where students from various parts of the county come for pursuing MBBS. Town Hall, Khagra Stadium, Nehru Shanti Park and Kargil Park are some of the attractions of the town.

Geographically as well as commercially Kishanganj is in the agricultural belt. Soil of Kishanganj is fertile and Mahanadi River and its tributaries, which are main source of irrigation, cross the district. Kishanganj is called the ‘Cherapunji of Bihar’ as maximum rainfall is recorded here during rainy season. Sadly during monsoon, the Mahanadi River gets over-flooded and destroys the crops. Every year due to flood farmers lose lakhs of rupees, but the district administration is unable to cope with this natural calamity. Some years back, with the financial support and co-operation of the government, the cultivation of tea has started in Kishanganj. Big businessmen of the district have developed a number of tea gardens at Belwa, just 10 kilometres from the district headquarters. Kishanganj tea is available in the market and is also sent to various parts of the country.

On the whole, it is not possible to describe the beauty of the place in words. Better one visits Kishanganj itself to experience its uniqueness. Kishanganj and its people are on path of development. Hopefully, the district would be able to make its distinct identity felt on the national map. Central and state governments should also sanction more development projects for the district. Your text goes here

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