It was a long wait for the 1400 English class at 16- a little confusing nah! But the students and teachers here had grown up a habit of using such codes; outsiders and freshers takes a little time to get suited. Actually this is the notation how our classes’ time and halls are awarded in the routine. 0840, 0920, 1000, 1040, 1120 and so on which means 08.40am, 09.20am, 10.00am, 10.40am, 11.20am etc. Our General English class was determined to be taken, that day, in the hall number 16 which is more like a gallery with steps.
The class was to be taken by Mayuri Mam. I had to wait for about 2 hours to attend the class. My major class ended at 12 noon and then followed the long wait. My friends from Science had their practicals and so they remained busy. I had nothing to do- no practicals. I was searching for a nice place to sit. The Media Centre was closed- the operator, Porag’da had went for lunch. I looked at the Canopy- it was occupied already, no seat there. The Boys' Common Room remained locked- an injustice to the boys. At last I found an empty classroom. I opened my bag took out my tiffin box which my mother had put there forcibly in the morning. I then took out a magazine and started reading it. The time in the mobile phone now seemed to take a faster pace.
After sometime I heard somebody calling me. It was Deep, my new friend. Behind him was Lohit. Lohit had finished his Physics Practical and came looking for me; we go home together. Both entered the room and came near me. “Bolaa, Duita Baajilei Dekhun, Claasot Bohuge”- said Deep. (Let’s go, its about 2pm, let’s sit in the classroom). Lohit said- “Aami Ki Kori?? Eklaa-Eklaa Kothay Ghuri, Bolto??” (What should I do? Where should I roam alone?). I told Lohit to attend the English class with me; after all he is also having the same English paper. He refused at first but then agreed.
We all headed towards the gallery. The bell rang. The students who were having their class there started coming out. Everybody tried to enter the class at the same time. This rush brought to my feeling the situation I had to face to place my foot on the board of the Jorhat Passenger. We went and occupied the second bench of the third row. Lohit suggested that we should sit a little backwards so that we don’t come in sight of the teacher but soon dropped the idea saying that the teacher would never recognize him within the 150 odd faces.
Soon unexpectedly, Rana Kr. Changmai, the HoD English entered the room. Everybody shuffled to their own seats. We all were expecting Mayuri Mam- the sudden entering of Sir made Lohit uncomfortable.
Sir changes his behavior with his classes- his behavior with students of Arts is completely different from the way he behaves with the students of Science. He assumes the Science students to be far more hard working from those of Arts and thus behaves with them very sweetly. The case with Arts is completely different- he feels that students of Arts enjoy the college life more and hence he keeps on pulling strings.
That day was no exception. Sir came and asked what Mayuri Mam had taught us in the earlier classes. A buzz followed- the teacher is familiar with such replies. Sir pointed at me and asked the same question again. I replied that Mam was teaching us ‘Precis Writing’. Sir corrected my pronunciation and suggested to pronounce it as ‘Preci^ Writing’. I sat down on my bench. Sir, then asked a girl to stand up and say what she meant by Precis Writing. She too gave the correct answer and sat down. “Precis writing means to summarize a given piece of writing.” Sir gave a more vivid description on the topic.
Our classes are of 40 minutes. It usually takes 5 minutes for the students to get out of one hall and to get into another. The teachers usually take another 5 minutes to arrive leaving 30 minutes of reading time. Now, included in this reading time are Attendance-registering, Topic introduction etc. So to be true a teacher gets about only 15-20 minutes to teach. In this 15-20 minutes’ time the teacher has to keep in mind his rush of completion of the syllabus.
I could see that most teachers neglect the duty of Attendance-registering when it is to be done in a class of about 200 students. This is clearly visible from Sir’s face. He picked up the register a number of times and then moved on to another topic dropping the register back to the table. At last the time came when he was completely determined to take the attendance. He started it- simultaneously my friend turned uneasy for the fear of being discovered by sir. But nothing bad happened. By the time my turn of giving attendance came the bell had already rung. Sir hurried away after giving us a paragraph to summarize.. to write the Precis.. errr.. Preci^.. remember, the ‘S’ is silent...
Till someday before there was only one thing disappearing with the setting of the sun- the power supply of the ASEB. Now there are more to provide company- the BSNL network and the power voltage.
In a 100 m of overhead wire one may find at least three joints anywhere in Asom. Each month one of these would snap and then follows a full day of ‘no electricity’. After that one may go on dropping applications in the complaint box, dialing the number of the control room (which will often go on ringing without response)- No help, No power!
Now-a-days, costly digital meter-boxes are installed in most households, service tax of the department has also been increased, still the situation is same, no development in the basic need- production of electricity. The pace of production doesn’t increase at the same rate of the number of new connections provided each day- No regular development!
A common story of the newspapers of Asom is that students don’t get to study under electric lamps, even before the exams. I would add by saying that they don’t even get the kerosene required for the lanterns! In a state where at an average area of each 100 sq. kms. one can dig up oil, the administration fails to provide kerosene for its brilliant students, what a joke! No support in education!
There is more to add; a student in Asom may also have to sleep with an empty stomach- no gas cylinder at home. This is a story of the same state where unused natural gas is burnt at Gaurisagar, Rudrasagar, Sivsagar, Tengakhat every year; but no fuel to cook a hand-full of rice, no kerosene to light a lamp in a place where there is no electric-connection and also where there is! Yesterday, PET’s NewsLive revealed a story ‘Black market of Blue kerosene’. Kerosene which are provided to be supplied in the rural areas of the state are sold at Rs. 40 / litre against the original cost of Rs. 13 / litre, how sad! No fuel!
हिन्दुस्तान बोल रहा है..India is speaking.. But what about the disturbances in speaking. A person with a BSNL connection in Asom is familiar with all sorts of error messages that his cell phone can pop-up. Thanks to BSNL, one may easily see such a message while having an important discussion over the phone. ‘Out of Coverage’, ‘No network connection’, ‘Error in Connection’, etc or just a ‘!’ sign- inserted a BSNL SIM and one can be much sure to find one like that. No network!
The main fact is that we don’t even have the time. No time for studying, no time for completing the day’s works, no time for carrying out official works, কাইলৈ আহক, আজি একেবাৰে সময নাই , no time to go to the bank. Finally, no time for dying also. Still atleast we have time for going round and round around the college, time for going on haha-hihi, hi-bye on road sides, time for stunts on the bike, time for tick-tuck-tick-tock in the cell phone, time for forming unions and call Asom bandhs, Tinsukia bandh and also for making way through the highways in hundreds and ‘Ei jui jolise..’, ‘Tarun Gogoi Murdaabaad.. Jindaabaad..’ No time, but a bit!
At a time when all the roads in big cities of the country gets a ‘day in night’ experience, we are deprived of it. We have to sit in homes in a plunge of darkness for hours. No technology!
If we don’t have good marks and money, even the government colleges have no seats for you. No seats!
Oh, we have something- pride of the dying tea industry, illegal refugees or IBM (Illegal Bangladeshi Migrants)- a name preffered by most of my friends, now-and-then called bandhs, study-void-students and lots more. I think it will not matter much even if we don’t have these, but we have and will stay forever! Yo, we have something!
It’s 2010, my friend. We are so buzy. We have no time, nothing to support ourselves.
Only that we have the oil resources and the Asom tea- we can rest in peace. Oops sorry, সুজলা-সুফলা আমাৰ সকলোৰে মৰমৰ অসমভূমিত শান্তিও যে নাই!No peace!
-Shubhadeep Paul-
(The idea of this content has been taken from the book, ‘আড্ডাৰ সোণালী সপোন‘)
Clarification:Even if Asom doesn't have the facilities to bring ease to life, it is the best place to live for me.
ব্যাখ্যাকরণঃ যদিও অসমে সহজ জীবন যাপনের সুবিধা কম, তবুও আমার কাছে এটাই সবচেযে ভালো জাযগা
Located on the banks of the Burhi-Dihing, Nahorkatiya (sometimes spelt as Naharkatia) is a small town of the Dibrugarh District of Asom (India). It is bounded by Duliajan, Namrup, Jeyopore (Joypur) and the hill town of Deomali (Khonsa, AP).
At an average elevation of 120m, Nahorkatiya lies between 27°17′N 95°20′E and 27.28°N 95.33°E longitude-latitudes.
Among the population of 15528, males are 53% and the rest 47% females. With a literacy rate of 78%, this town is more literate than the average of the nation which is only 60% (app). This population is an amalgam of people from various communities- Assamese, Bengalis, Biharis, Rajasthanis, Marwaris, Punjabis and also a descendant tribe of the Buddhist-Mongolians known as TaiPhaakis (Locally known as the Phaakiaals).
Nahorkatiya Railway Station
An hour of journey by train from New Tinsukia Jn. and one can land at the Nahorkatiya Rly. Station which is a distance of 28 Kms. Also buses ply daily from Tinsukia, Namrup, Duliajan, Jorhat and DibrugarhTown. Now-a-days, also Winger, Magic and Tempo service has been introduced into the town. The only connected roadway from the Tirap district of Arunachal Pradesh is to passes through this town.
There are many views of how the town got its name. History speaks that it is related to the beheading of Prince Nahor, the adopted son of Tai-Ahom King Suecafaa ( titled as Khora Roja). Prince Nahor has many atrocities with the respected people of the time and so he was entrusted to be killed to Kola Chaodung ( locally called as Kaalia). Thus resulted his death at a place near the modern day Nahorkatiya Railway Station and Shaantipaara Colony. Thus, Nahokatiya got its name from Nahor-Katiya which means beheading of Nahor. Nahorkatiya was also ruled by the Kacharis and the Maans (Burmese). Another view is that there was a large forest of Nahor trees and people cleared these by cutting the trees and so came the name of Naharkatia. Also it is believed that the big Railway Line Slipper Factory used Nahor wood for making the wooden slippers.
Sriraam Ata has founded a Neo-Vaishnavite Satra here. This is the first satra of the state where a Nocte chief Narrotama accepted faith here. Narrotama ruled at the place of present day Narrotam Nagar of Tirap District. Now, Narrotam Nagar house a Ramkrishna Mission. Nahorkatiya also has a Ramkrishna Sevashram.
A fort was created at nearby Joypur (now Jeypore) by Ahom General Patalsing Barbarua to block the Maans (Burmese) from entering the Kingdom. Now there is a big forest in the Joypur area which recently been awarded the status of a ReserveForest. Historical places like Tipam and Namruk (now Namrup) surrounds the town. The oldest oil pool is located here.
The Naamphaake Village
There is a big Buddhist Monastery in the village of Naamphaake (locally called as PhaakialGaon). This monastery has the biggest dome in the country. The handicraft of the women of the village are famous nationally and internationally. Other villages are Saasoni (GaajPuria), Achabam, Kaliapani. One can find the simple village life here.
The Langharjaan Tea-Estate
The town is a commercial center for the nearby tea-gardens. The tea-gardens and the markets are the present day business for the people of the town. The sudden ban on timber-cutting has largely affected the people of the town. This forced closure of the saw-mills, plywood factories and even the large slipper factory.
When talked about drama, perhaps Nahorkatiya leads in the region. Famous drama groups like the Nahorkatiya Durgabari Drama Group, Sporters’ Union Club and Pooberoon Naatya Gustee originated from Nahorkatiya. Some famous dramatists were Sri Bishnu Kumar Dutta (my maternal grandfather by relation), Sri Devananda Das, Sri Nikhil Ch. Saha, Sri Probod Biswas, Tejendra Lal Banerjee, Sri Nagendra Nath Bhattashaali, Sri Laxxan Chenglari, Sri Rohen Sonowal, Dr. Mukut Sarmah, Sri Punaa Gogoi, Sri Basanta Dowerah (1st class 1st from Calcutta University; now a senior officer at ONGC), Sri Kumud Basu, Sri Jogesh Mazumdar, Sri Kali Sarkar, Srimati Shefali Banerjee. Some of the dramas that were played between 1960-90 are Pocket Maar (Bn), Greehodaah (Bn), Tipu Sultan (Bn), Chaand Raay – Kedar Raay(Bn), Bhog Jora (Bn), Chandragupta (Bn), Hokunir Protishode (As), Dhaatri Paana (As), Buri Baalaar Tirey (Bn), Shahjahan (Mahendra Gupta script, Bn), Bhorat Milon (Bn). The saddest part is that the only permanent stage-cum-hall, Bangiya Durgabari Jaamini Ranggalaya had to be handed to be converted into a school. No other stage could be made and dramas started to be staged only in Durga Puja and Bihu, when the school remained closed. But this couldn’t last long and the dramas companies were disbanded. A sad death of the drama companies! Only if the government wants it can still give a rebirth to those drama companies; the youths still has the potential and interest.
Golf Players of Nahorkatiya
The people of Nahorkatiya are very active in sports, mainly Soccer, Golf, Cricket, Chess, Carrom and Korean Martial Arts (Taey-Qon-Doh). The field at the Langharjan TE has recently been converted into a stadium with facilities of both outdoor and indoor games.
A view of the Langharjan Field
The people of Nahorkatiya has always been keen towards social work, sports and culture. Dattaraam Dass was a great social worker. Dr Tonkeswar Swargari, a retired military surgeon who had his clinic in the town, gave free medical service to the poor. Ven. Gyanpal, Mahathero of Namphake Buddhist Monastery is another personality in this regard. Also Sri Birendra Ch. Nandi, was always ready to suffer losses if it helped somebody else. He always kept giving free medicines to the needy people from his pharmacy, Modern Pharmacy. Sri Debendra Das represented the state football team. Sri Bishnu Kumar Dutta was a pioneer in chess in the state. Sri Phatik Gogoi, retired headmaster of NaharkatiaHigherSecondary School and Dr Kalyan Baruah, principal of NaharkatiyaCollege are respected by the people of Nahorkatiya. Sasha Kumar Handique and Pranoti Phookan are MLAs from Nahorkatia. Both of them had a great name in the field of social work here. Other people in the field of culture are Sri Madan Sarma (locally known as Beejling sir) and Sri Gadadhar Thakur.
The St. Mary's School Church
The aspects of Higher Education in the town are very poor. The NahorkatiyaCollege is the only degree college in the town. It offers courses in Arts and Commerce from DibrugarhUniversity. Recently introduced it now also offers courses under Krishna Kanta Handique State Open University. Other schools of the town are NaharkatiaHigherSecondary School, St. Mary's School, NewHigh School, R K Jitani Hindi Vidyalaya, Naharkatia Vidyamandir H.E.School and St.XaviersHigh School (recently opened).
Bihu, the state festival of Asom is celebrated during the Bihu season at the Langharjan Field. Many competions are held during the process. Another big festival is the Durga Puja. It is celebrated in a big manner. The oldest puja is of the Durgabari at Shaantipaara. Now-a-days, many pujas are done.
Now talking about the conditions prevailing in the present days, Nahorkatiya is sadly going to achieve nothing more than a poor remark. The bad roads, the present communal clashes, the recent accidents at the Burhi-Dihing brought a bad name to the town. The roads are in dilapidated condition, but the active organitions of the town don’t pay an eye to it. Some organizations are upto pulling down shops to widen the roads, but even don’t pay an eye to the condition of the roads. Sadly, there had been some clashes between the bengali community and the supporters of the Hodou Axom Jaatiyataabadi Jubo Chaatro Parishad (AAJYCP) over a matter of frequents collection of donations from the businessmen community. This led to an agitation and even went up to the level of disrespect to Kala Guru Bishnu Prasad Rabha. The Sara Aasaam Bangaalee Jubo Chaatro Parishad is another such organization. The All Assam Students’ Union, Nahorkatiya office bearers are also not taking a praiseworthy part. The land where the office is house belonged to a sweet shop. It was the time of the Bangladeshi Aandolon (also famous as the Bongali Kheda Aandolon), a college gang would visit the shop everyday and have food free of cost. As one day the owner objected to it, the gang became violent and torched the shop with the people inside having no place to escape. At this the workers of the shop sprayed hot oil at the gang and one of the students died. Though a nearby household helped the owner out of the shop, the worked were burnt alive. After the incident there were no news of the sweetshop owner and his family and the land was taken by the AASU, Nahorkatiya and a Swahid Bedi was built there. There were also news about an union pressing the uniform of the NahorkatiyaCollege girls to only Mekhela-Chaador forcibly but the demand was lifted up following a strong opposition from the girls. The girls said that they would wear Salwar, Mekhela-Chaador and Saree upon their choices and no force put on them. If it were to happen, the girls said, the boys must also wear Dhooti strictly and no exception made to the rule. The only social organization which is taking good steps is the Rotary/Rotaract Club of Naharkatia, Rotary International:District 3240, which is one of the oldest social origination of Nahorkatiya. In the year 2008-09 a new page was added when Rtr. Saurav Bajoria was appointed as District Rotaract Representative of Rotary International District 3240.
Last but not the least, there is a genuine demand of declaration of a separate district of Asom comprising of Nahorkatiya, Duliajan, Namrup, etc. from the students’ organization and the political groups. I too think that this must be done as the last decades’ records show no major progress of the town. There is not a single hospital in the town till today. Anyone serious must be brought to Dibrugarh or Tinsukia by hiring vans. I remember the troubles my maternals had to take when suddenly my grandma had a stroke. The 108 service was at a strike, no ambulances were available and atlast she had to be put on a van and brought to AMCH, Dibrugarh. In a similar incident a respected person, Mr. Ghose passed on the way because an ambulance couldn’t be found at time. Recently there was an accident by boat capsize which killed a dozen of students. Still today people use the dilapidated fishing-boats to cross the Burhi-Dihing. Many students have to cross it daily to attend school. Though a walk-through-bridge has been built, its is no more than another way of risking lives.
Nahorkatiya still has a life and if all the organizations take an active part in advancement of the town, it can still retain its earlier name and fame.
(All the informations put here are based on verbal discussions with the general public of Nahorkatiya)
‘Yaha Mein Ghar-Ghar Kheli..!’ Yes! In the evening I find the TV tuned to Star Utsav and my sister and maa hooked up in it. Though I am much interested in watching channels like NewsLive, NHK World, KBS World etc. but at this time I am left with not much choice but to join my family in the Utsavs’ soaps. But between the long chain of soaps followed one after another the part I find the most irritating is the commercial ads of some special machines (‘yantras’ as they say) of some business organization like the Saptarishi Sangstaan, Dibyarishi Sangstaan and so-on. I cannot help my head from being heated whenever I see the falsely prepared beneficiaries narrating some false stories of themselves.
And even worse these would sometimes continue for and an hour or half. Repeated continuously, I feel that these ads are made only to irritate me.
Some of these even have a pinch of comic in them. I can see one of those ads depicting an imaginary antennae. I called the material as antennae because it is shown as a blessing booster for the homes which keeps the material at the door-hood. Some are even radar-like which you can fix in your vehicle. As told by them once you put the yantras at your home and vehiches you will be always under the ‘Chatra Chaaya’ (Canopy) of God.
And the promises, ‘Dhan Hai Toh Sab Kuch Hai’ (You have everything if you have money), this is how one of these starts with. You need to please the ‘Goddess of Wealth’ Maa Laxmi. Its okay till here though I have some objections but that can be pressed by my religious beliefs. But next comes another quote which cannot escape my veins, that is when they say that their yantras can trick the Goddess. They say that it requires ‘Kathor Tapashya’ (Vigorous Meditation) to please the Goddess, but once you put the yantras, She will not mind whether you meditate or not, but will fill your pockets with money. My brain fails to work out the meaning of the statement. I feel it hard to believe that they are trying to make us feel that the Goddess is corrupt. She accepts bribe! Is it what they mean? If not what other explainations would you put?
During all these drama one thing that they will not forget is to remind you of the telephone numbers that remain scrolling from one end of the screen to the other. So if you still believe them and have faith in their description of God/Goddesses, you may go and get one yantra for yourself.
English Concentration Student at Tinsukia College, Tinsukia, Asom.
The choices that we made years ago has a lot to do with our 'TODAY' and so we must take our choices carefully today to live a happy 'TOMMOROW'.
"...I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."
তখন বিদ্যাসাগর এবং এখন
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(ঈশ্বর চন্দ্র বিদ্যাসাগরের জন্মমাসে নিখিল ভারত বঙ্গ সাহিত্য সম্মেলনের
তিনসুকিয়া শাখার আমন্ত্রণে ৬ সেপ্টেম্বর, ২০২৬-শে দেওয়া বক্তৃতার লিখিত রূপ )
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