Patna: With 70% Muslim population Kishanganj district has the highest minority concentration in Bihar, but with just 24% literacy rate the community is the most backward educationally. However, there is a silver lining in the dark Kishanganj cloud – the young children now have the required ‘spark’ in their heart to ignite ‘fire’ to remove the darkness.
She is just 8 years old but ambitious to become a mechanical engineer. Why? “It is the goal of my life,” she replies. Aafia Arshi is a class 4 student at INSAN SCHOOL in Kishanganj. She looks very serious while expressing her determination.
Of course, there are many Muslim girls in country who have become engineers and doctors and there are many who see their bright future in other professional courses. But hearing such high ambition from a small girl in a place like Kishanganj, which has least women literacy rate (14%) in the country, was really amazing and delightful.
Hostel building of INSAN SCHOOL
Mohammad Shahid, who teaches at the school, said: “When I came here first time in late 70s, I saw most of the local people strictly prohibiting their girls from joining educational centres but now the situation is not so worst and today you would find girls at every school and college of the area.”
His point was strengthened when Mohammad Shariq Alam, a young resident of Kishanganj city, narrated the case of his own family: “My father is government teacher and a religious person but he did not allow my sister to go school or any educational centre leaving her illiterate. Five year back when I reached the age of sense, I got my sister admitted to an educational centre though my father was not yet ready for that.”
Building of INSAN College
While the case of Shariq’s sister showing the reckless behavior of Muslim families regarding girls education, the case of Aafia indicates a revolution is in the formation.
Boys are also not behind in having strong enthusiasm for achieving big dreams. They too have intention to fly on the heaven of success.
Meet 7-year-old Amber Nawaz who is studying in class 3. He is aspiring to become a doctor. He was busy in game with his friends when but responded to me: “I want to be doctor so that I serve the people,” said Nawaz.
Nawaz is not alone with so high dream. There are others like Mohammad Ehsan of class 7 who also wants to be doctor to serve the humanity while Mohammad Shah Afzal of the same class wants to be electronic engineer.
Students busy in making model on the occasion of the school's foundation day
A class 7 student Naseem Akhter has quite different goal of life among his friends. He wants to be police officer to serve the country. For him to serve the country is foremost thing and the police department is a platform for that.
During my short stay at the school I talked to a dozen of students who were studying in class 7 or bellow. It was pleasing to see most of them expressing their ambition to adopt professional courses. If such thinking is generated at least in half of the new generation here then days are not far when the district will be among the highest literate ones.
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