Intellectual Journey
Abdul Gani
You Pass Matric, You Leave Your Village, If You Pass IIT,
MBA You Will Leave the Country
Dr Dinesh Baishya, principal of B Borooah College, one of the
premiere educational institutes of the State, is a strict
disciplinarian. He is a warrior fighting against all the odds to build
an intellectual society. Abdul Gani profiles this prolific
personality….
Gani: It's not an easy task to be the principal of one of the premier colleges
of the state.
Baishya: Yes, it is not an easy task to be the principal not only of a
premier college but of any college. When I was interviewed for this
post, the chairman of the interview board had remarked, 'you have a
brilliant academic career, you have done a very good research work then
why you want to join this post? It is a thankless job. No body will
thank you for the works you would do'.
I answered, 'I have a vision in education. I want to develop an
intellectually sound environment within the college campus. I hope I can
do it. Now he is the chairman of the Governing body of our college and
whenever I express my dissatisfaction with the job he reminds me his
view on this job. He has been very helpful and encouraging so far. I
feel a principal's job is an excellent job if the people with whom he
works try to take him positively. But the present societal environment
itself is negative. It is difficult do any positive work in such an
environment. Many principals say a principal is a lone person inside the
campus. I am lucky that I have never felt in that way. I have several
supportive teacher friends, lovely students, helpful governing body
members and leading educationists and intellectuals who inspire me to do
something for the educational and intellectual development of the
society. I think they have made my job easier.
Gani: Tell me about your earlier days.
Baishya: I am basically a rural man. I become nostalgic when I
remember my early days in my village. I still roam nostalgically in the
paddy fields and walk through the grazing fields, hills and forests,
streams and rivers. Early in the morning I used to climb the nearby hill
to fetch fuel wood. After returning from the hill, I used to go to the
agricultural field to serve tea to the men tilling the fields. Then
collect fish from the ditches of the field or streams. Then late in the
morning, I went to the school. In the afternoon we used to visit the
village library to read news papers and to home books. I used to read
two to three books within two days. The librarian of the village library
did not allow us to take romantic novels; he allowed taking only
biographies, historical novels and non-fictions. My study time was only
early morning 4 am to 5 am and in the evening 5 pm to 10 pm. I was
always afraid of mathematics and loved to study literature. I had to
sell vegetables produced in the homestead in the local market. Many
friends of me laughed at me when I sat in the market to sale vegetable. I
proudly remember those days today and I have also spoken to my students
on my experience in my early days.
Gani: Zoology is your subject but you have a PhD in some other field.
Baishya: My parents and my teachers thought that I was a good student
in school. My result at that time was comparatively better than other
students, so I was admitted in Pre-University Science class in a college
at Guwahati. But I could not do well in Pre-University Science. I
intended to study Arts with honours in Assamese. But my mother did not
allow me to study Arts and admitted me in the science stream as her
dream was. The principal of the college asked me what my preferred
subject of honours is. I told the principal I don't have any preference
in science I like literature and hate mathematics. Then the principal
told me to take zoology as I would get a good job easily. Thus I became a
student of Zoology. However I scored first class first in M. Sc. in
Zoology. As my principal said, all of us who has appeared M.Sc. final
examination got jobs before the result was declared. As there was no
scarcity of jobs, students never wanted to join research and teachers
searched for research scholars because they need to produce Ph.D
students for their promotion. After exam, I joined Goalpara College as a
lecturer. My teacher called me to sign a document for Ph.D. That was
the synopsis for my research work for Ph.D. My research supervisor told
me that he had extended my M.Sc. dissertation for PH.D research. I
started research work, studied in the fields but I was not at all
satisfied with the work. I found little interest in the work. In the
mean time I joined as an education officer of Assam government. But I
was not happy in the job of education officer. After almost a year,
again I left that job and joined B Borooah College as lecturer in
Zoology. I was an active member of Assam science society when I was at
Goalpara College. Now became assistant secretary of the Society and
started contributing more. During this time I formed Students science
society of Assam with a number of students' science activists. Slowly I
stopped going to university and my research in that subject came to an
end. During the time of Assam movement I used to write a column on
science and society in a magazine published from Ulubari. I wrote an
article criticizing a principal of a science college who is not a
student of science. The Principal of my college who is a famous linguist
and folklorist read the article and came to meet me. He chewed out me
with resentment and said that the people of science are arrogant. They
thought that they only know science. But that is a wrong notion. Every
body knows science even a man who never attends a school. A farmer is a
good scientist; a fisherman is a good scientist, all the village people
are scientists. He explained me the background of his statement. I was
fully convinced. From that day onwards I started searching elements of
science and technology in the traditional culture of the people of old
Assam. I visited libraries, villages, and met tradition bearer people in
the villages in entire NE India to document their traditional
knowledge. After almost fifteen years of this search I wrote what I
found. Then I thought that I should compile my findings and approach a
university for a research degree. I approached concerned persons of
Gauhati University for registration of my research work. But the opinion
of the university was that as I have a basic degree in science so I
cannot do research in Arts, because my topic was on traditional culture.
Finally Professor Birendranath Datta told me that he is joining Tezpur
University in the Dept of Cultural Studies. Then he will try to register
me as a research scholar in that subject. I joined Tezpur University as
a research scholar. Prof. Datta taught me theories of cultural studies
and finally I got my Ph.D from Tezpur University in cultural studies. My
thesis was highly praised by scholars abroad. My thesis was first of
its kind in North-east India.
Gani: Tell something about your writing experiences.
Baishya: Since my childhood I was crazy for writing. When I was a
student of class IV I wrote my first poem. In school I was a singer, I
sung modern songs whose lyrics and tunes were composed by me. I also
bagged prizes for my songs. Along with some of my friends, I produced a
hand written magazine. That was also first of its kind in our school.
When I came to college I started writing for news papers and small
magazines. At that time there were only two vernacular news papers
Dainik Asom and Asom Bani. I wrote for both the papers. Till today I am
writing for both these two news papers. Initially I started writing on
popular science. I was editor of three science magazines including
Bigyan Jeuti the popular science monthly of Assam science society. In
eighties I was editor of a film and cultural magazine. I started
criticism of music albums and singers in that magazine.
As I had composed lyrics since my school days, I submitted my
compositions to all India radio Guwahati for approval. I became a
recognized lyricist of All India Radio in 1977. Since then I have been
composing lyrics. I also write stories and novels, but I believe that I
am not a good story or novel writer. But I believe that I am a good
lyricist and essayist. Till date I have published 40 books on various
subjects, including science, culture, education, traditional knowledge,
globalization, children science, poetry, lyrics etc. My book on Material
Culture of early Assam has received international recognition. It is my
best seller. Now I am writing a number of books on traditional
knowledge and culture of North-east India. I hope these will be world
class publications.
Gani: An ideal teacher in your view.
Baishya: I believe one is an ideal teacher who can inspire students.
An ideal teacher should have knowledge in many subjects. He should be
socially aware. He should be politically sensitive but should not be an
active member of any political party. An ideal teacher should always be
student friendly but it does not mean that he will indulge his students
for gaining cheap popularity. I have seen many teachers who are
dedicated to the cause. I have also seen some teachers who are not at
all fit to be a teacher. Mere getting a degree as per norms cannot be a
qualification for getting the job of a teacher. I have seen many people
with brilliant careers are mediocre as teacher. His attitude towards
everything is negative. A teacher should always be updated with
knowledge. But many teachers of our state do not study. They do not
spend money purchasing books. They are not at all aware of what is
happening in his world. Anti-intellectual gossips have polluted the
teachers' common rooms of many educational institutions. Socially
irresponsible and anti-intellectual kind of teachers has crippled the
educational scenario of our country.
Gani: Difference between the students of today and your time? Good and bad?
Baishya: Many people said that students of yester years were good and
the students of to day are bad. I don not agree with this statement.
There were bad students in our days or earlier days there are very good
students today. But I have seen these days students donot show respect
to the teachers. I believe it is because of the society. The present
society does not show respect to the teachers, do not show respect to
the thoughtful personalities. This is the time of globalization. Under
the process of globalization people discuss only about materials not
thoughts. Now the people are more selfish then earlier. Students are now
exposed to vary hard competition. Marks in the mark-sheet are more
important than knowledge in the brain and love and respect in the heart.
It is the education system, responsible for deterioration in the
society. The globalized education system does not intend to impart
values and morals to the students. This education system only produces
servants to the market forces. Now the society has been transformed into
a market. A market can not inculcate values. But it is a matter of
great pleasure that even under this system there are many very
thoughtful, intellectual and socially responsible students. By the
measurement of present examination system they are not considered as
brilliant but they are the future of the society.
Gani: Your take on privatization of education.
Baishya: I strongly oppose privatization of education at any level.
But the agenda of globalization is privatization of education at all
level. Privatization means commercialization. A commercial system of
education can not provide values to the people. Many people believe that
in private schools and college education is better. I disagree with
this view. In private schools and colleges results of the students are
generally better but it does not prove that education is better there.
Education is something different from the result. In private
institutions the sole aim of education is to provide the student a good
mark sheet. But in government schools and colleges education is
holistic. I agree in many government schools many teachers are appointed
politically and by a corrupt process. Still I believe these teachers
can give better education if the education department sincerely wants
it. Since a long time a force is trying to demoralize the government
education system. There is a hidden agenda of killing the government
education system so that the whole system comes under the traders of
education. Now under the active supervision of globalized forces this
agenda is working successfully. I do not hesitate to say that media in
this respect has been irresponsible.
Gani: What do you think about the 'brain drain'?
Baishya: Sometimes I have questioned in my writings for what we have
developed world class educational institutions like IITs and IIMs? Are
these world class institutions serving the purpose of our society? How
many of the brilliant students of these institutions are serving their
people in their own country? We have developed so called good education
institutions to serve others purpose. The main aim of these institutions
is to drain brains. Now even technologists and MBAs of general class
institutions are not staying in their own state or country. They are not
serving the purpose of their own people rather they are exploiting
their very own people. We made them exploiters, cheaters. We are now
living in an independent country. We always try to remind our people
about our sovereignty. But the present system of education, economy
and politics do not allow us to live like people of an independent
country. Probably we have lost our sovereignty under the agenda of
globalization, liberalization and privatization. We are draining our own
brains to others to snatch our own independence and sovereignty.
Gani: Piece of advice.
Baishya: I do not have the capacity to advice anybody. I feel very
sad when I visit my own village where I was born and grew up, my own
school where I received education, my own agricultural field where I
worked as a cultivator, my own forest from where I collected fuel woods.
Everything has changed. My village is lost, my school is lost, my
agricultural field is lost, and the forest is no more. I weep sometimes
when I spent a day and night in my own village. Young people in my
village do not go to the field, they do not produce their own food, and
they purchase everything. Early in the morning all the young people in
my village go for tuitions. Almost all of them have a mobile phone and
some of them have motor bikes. Those who dropped out from school or
college they do nothing to earn their bread and butter. They roam around
aimlessly, gossip, play cards, drink alcohol work as "dalals" of
political parties and some of them work as broker for selling land to
outsiders. Party politics and immorality killed our young generation.
Political leaders and political "dalals" in the villages have destroyed
our village economy and society. I like to remind them that they are
digging their own burial grounds by using innocent young people for
political purpose. I like to request my young friends to understand the
situation in which they have destroyed their own valuable time and life.
I want to blame the society and the education system we have now. One
leading educationist of India made a comment on the role of the
education in alienating our people from our society. Now the people said
"you pass ten years of schooling, you leave your village, if you pass
twelve years of schooling, you leave that bigger area, and if you pass
your graduation, you leave that district, and if you pass IIT, MBA you
will leave the country". Now this is the reality, educated people do not
take care of their own village, region, district or state or the
country, because they live in a global village now.
http://www.sentinelassam.com/sunday/melange_cover_story.php?sec=7&subsec=0&id=531&dtP=2010-08-22&ppr=2#531
(Melange,The Sentinel,22.08.2010)
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