WOMAN Central
Subhro Maitra | TNN
She has been fighting a quiet battle for the uplift of the minority community in this part of the world. And her weapon — the mighty pen. Or rather, the printing press.
Shahnaz Begum doesn’t have a moment to spare. Even at midnight, you may find the lights on in her Gorabazar house in Behrampore. Peeping in, you’ll find a pair of busy eyes running a final check through the drafts to be sent to press the next day. It is, after all, the publication day of Pratyush, the fortnightly newspaper Shahnaz calls her second child.
But life is certainly not easy for the 39-year-old. A wife, a mother, a part-time history teacher at two colleges, editor-cum-publisher of a newspaper — Shahnaz dons many a hat. After five hours of bus journey a day, teaching at Behrampore and Nagar colleges and daily household chores, she is left with little time for the newspaper she started publishing four years ago. But she insists that she has no “option”. “It is my passion. How could I live without it?” she smiles.
The popular teacher makes sure she doesn’t miss a single college day if she can help it. “Students will be looking for me.” After all, they voted her the ‘best teacher’ in college.
So, whatever little time Shahnaz can spare for her ‘baby’ is spent giving vent to her views on reservation of seats for Muslims or the condition of minority women. And, hers is not armchair journalism. Fighting against all odds, Shahnaz’s life is an example for all downtrodden Muslim girls.
Born in a conservative family at Dakkhin Garibpara, a remote village in Domkal subdivision of Murshidabad, Shahnaz’s childhood was, to put it in her own words, “lost in darkness”. The eldest of four children, Shahnaz grew up to find girls of her family did not have the right to go to school.
“My mother wore a burqa all the time. We did not even have the right to go out of home. I studied at home up to Class III under a tutor. We would take the exams at a nearby madarsa, that too, with our faces covered.”
Given the circumstances, it could well have been the end of road for Shahnaz had she been at her father Ahmed Hossain’s house for too long. “The girls of our house studied till Class V or VI before being married off. But I was determined to pass Class X at least. With my mother’s support, I came to my maternal uncle’s house at Salimpur from where I passed Class X.”
At that tender age, Shahnaz became an example for her villagers — she was the first to pass Class X among them. And she did not grow up one-sided — she even learned music. “I passed till the second year in music, but of course, without the knowledge of my father and grandfather,” Shahnaz reminisces.
But her days of bliss were numbered. “The news of my music classes reached my grandfather Hazi Asiruddin and the world came crashing down on me. It was ‘un-Islamic’ and he asked my father to bring me home at once and marry me off.”
Those were the worst days of Shahnaz’s life. Finally, she had to forsake music to delay marriage. The gutsy girl took admission in Class XI at Domkal High School with science. In those days, even studying science was a taboo for a Muslim woman, since they had to attend practical classes with men.
Shahnaz has no qualms in admitting that her grandfather’s death in 1988 was a “blessing in disguise”. “My father’s attitude was changing, too,” she says. She went on to pass Class XII and took up honours in history at Rabindra Bharati University. Breaking all barriers, she even stayed at the Muslim Girls’ Hostel at Park Circus. “Kolkata further opened my eyes. I completed my MA there,” she says.
Today, Shahnaz is happily married to Arefin Mehboob, an advocate by profession, and has a nine-year-old son Priyanto. But she insists she has two kids — “Priyanto and Pratyush”.
She has strong views on contemporary issues. “Without education, reservation in jobs is meaningless. Worse, it fosters casteism, which is anti-Quran.” ..published in TOI on 8.3.10
WORDLY WISE: Shahnaz works on her fortnightly, ‘Pratyush’
Monday, May 24, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Guv visits storm-hit Raiganj, wants list of damaged homes
TALES OF WOE
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Malda: For Sujala Roy, 20, of Hemtabad’s Sonabandh village, it was a pleasant surprise, even amid the gloom. On Monday, governor M K Narayanan himself spoke to her about her plight. Sujala became a widow after her husband, Dinesh, died in last week’s tornado, leaving her to stare at a very uncertain future. With the only earning member of the household gone, the hapless Sujala — who has two sons — has no means to repair her damaged house.
On Monday, the barriers of language melted in the face of a story of raw human emotion. Sujala’s tale of tears touched Narayanan’s heart even as he directed Hemtabad BDO Ananta Sarkar to take every possible measure to alleviate her condition, as also of the thousands of others for whom home and hearth lay in ruins. A visibly excited Sujala
could not control her emotions and broke down in tears.
The governor later directed officials of the North Dinajpur district administration to complete preparing a list of houses damaged in the storm in the next three days. The list would be sent to the state government soon in order to get compensation to repair the damaged houses.
It should be noted that the governor’s earlier scheduled visit, on April 17, could not take place owing to inclement weather, which prevented his flight from landing.
On Monday morning, however, the governor’s helicopter landed at Merual, the premises of the BSF headquarters in Raiganj, from where he was driven down to Kantar and Sonabadha villages in Hemtabad. He spent a considerable amount of time meeting storm-affected people...published in TOI on 27.04.10
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Malda: For Sujala Roy, 20, of Hemtabad’s Sonabandh village, it was a pleasant surprise, even amid the gloom. On Monday, governor M K Narayanan himself spoke to her about her plight. Sujala became a widow after her husband, Dinesh, died in last week’s tornado, leaving her to stare at a very uncertain future. With the only earning member of the household gone, the hapless Sujala — who has two sons — has no means to repair her damaged house.
On Monday, the barriers of language melted in the face of a story of raw human emotion. Sujala’s tale of tears touched Narayanan’s heart even as he directed Hemtabad BDO Ananta Sarkar to take every possible measure to alleviate her condition, as also of the thousands of others for whom home and hearth lay in ruins. A visibly excited Sujala
could not control her emotions and broke down in tears.
The governor later directed officials of the North Dinajpur district administration to complete preparing a list of houses damaged in the storm in the next three days. The list would be sent to the state government soon in order to get compensation to repair the damaged houses.
It should be noted that the governor’s earlier scheduled visit, on April 17, could not take place owing to inclement weather, which prevented his flight from landing.
On Monday morning, however, the governor’s helicopter landed at Merual, the premises of the BSF headquarters in Raiganj, from where he was driven down to Kantar and Sonabadha villages in Hemtabad. He spent a considerable amount of time meeting storm-affected people...published in TOI on 27.04.10
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Storm victims clash with cops, 30 hurt
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Malda: Clashes over relief materials for tornado victims broke out at Sitamari village in Raigunj on Monday afternoon, forcing police to open fire. At least 30 people, including 12 policemen, were injured the violence.
Lakhs were rendered homeless by the killer twister that struck last Wednesday. Six days on, most don’t have food or even a sheet of tarpaulin to shelter under. The anger burst forth on Monday tornado victims blocked National Highway 34 and attacked local leaders and gheraoed ministers and panchayat employees.
Civil defence minister Srikumar Mukherjee and cottage industries minister Narayan Biswas had to be rescued by police in Mahajanbari of Hemtabad block. Police fought off angry villagers to rescue panchayat employees who were locked up in Rampur gram panchayat in Raiganj.
But removing the NH-34 blockade proved more difficult as the mob brickbatted police and wrecked two police jeeps. Raiganj IC Sujit Ghosh said: “When we appealed to the agitators to vacate NH-34 they started throwing stones at us. We had no option but to lathicharge.” The caning had no effect. Finally, police had to open fire, said Ghosh. Five of the injured were admitted to Raiganj district hospital.
The Congress-led North Dinajpur zilla parishad has decided to build houses for the dependents of those who died in the storm. More than 1 lakh houses were razed and another 94,000 partially damaged in the twister. District magistrate Ramanuj Chakraborty has dismissed allegations of inadequate relief...published in TOI on 20.4.10
Malda: Clashes over relief materials for tornado victims broke out at Sitamari village in Raigunj on Monday afternoon, forcing police to open fire. At least 30 people, including 12 policemen, were injured the violence.
Lakhs were rendered homeless by the killer twister that struck last Wednesday. Six days on, most don’t have food or even a sheet of tarpaulin to shelter under. The anger burst forth on Monday tornado victims blocked National Highway 34 and attacked local leaders and gheraoed ministers and panchayat employees.
Civil defence minister Srikumar Mukherjee and cottage industries minister Narayan Biswas had to be rescued by police in Mahajanbari of Hemtabad block. Police fought off angry villagers to rescue panchayat employees who were locked up in Rampur gram panchayat in Raiganj.
But removing the NH-34 blockade proved more difficult as the mob brickbatted police and wrecked two police jeeps. Raiganj IC Sujit Ghosh said: “When we appealed to the agitators to vacate NH-34 they started throwing stones at us. We had no option but to lathicharge.” The caning had no effect. Finally, police had to open fire, said Ghosh. Five of the injured were admitted to Raiganj district hospital.
The Congress-led North Dinajpur zilla parishad has decided to build houses for the dependents of those who died in the storm. More than 1 lakh houses were razed and another 94,000 partially damaged in the twister. District magistrate Ramanuj Chakraborty has dismissed allegations of inadequate relief...published in TOI on 20.4.10
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Guv chopper fails to land at Raiganj
Subhro Maitra | TNN
Raiganj: The stage was set, journalists were milling around and all the officials were on their toes. And all pairs of eyes were scanning the skies for the helicopter that was to bring governor M K Narayanan to Raiganj for a tour of the tornado-affected areas. But for the ministers, district-level officials and the general public, the wait turned out to be futile. Narayanan could not reach Raiganj and reports later came in that his helicopter had been unable to land due to bad weather.
The governor was to arrive in Raiganj at 9 am. The scheduled visit had sparked a flurry of activity, with the North Dinajpur district administration putting together a report overnight on the relief and rehabilitation work after the tornado. Four ministers —Mortaja Hossain (health), Srikumar Mukherjee (civil defence), Paresh Adhikary (food) and Anwarul Haque (MoS, health) — and a host of administrative officers, including the North Dinajpur DM, were present at the BSF helipad at Merual to receive the governor. A fleet of cars was waiting to take Narayanan to the affected areas.
As the clock touched 9.45 am and the crowd got restless, the first hum of rotors could be heard. The black speck far away soon turned into a helicopter. But after circling the area for a while, the helicopter flew away. Finally, around 10.30 am, a message came in that the governor’s trip had been cancelled. “Due to inclement weather, the Governor’s helicopter could not land,” North Dinajpur DM Ramanuj Chakraborty told the media.
News filtered in later that the governor had started from Siliguri in a helicopter with principal secretary (disaster management) B L Meena and IG North Bengal K L Tamta for Raiganj in the morning. But the pilot failed to locate the helipad and flew to Balurghat instead. From there, the helicopter took off but again failed to locate the Raiganj landing pad and flew back to Siliguri.
An IAF spokesperson said later that the dense clouds over Raiganj made it impossible to spot the BSF camp despite smoke canisters being burst. The pilot did not risk the l a n d i n g with a highprofile passenger as he had to depend solely on visual estimation to touch down.
U n a b l e to meet the g ove r n o r, the tornado victims continued with their agitation for the second day in different parts of North Dinajpur. At Beldanga in Hemtabad block, aggrieved villagers blocked the Raigunj-Balurghat state highway for hours to demand foodgrain. Later Divisional Commissioner A K Singh visited the area to pacify the mob and assure them of help.
In Altapur under Karandighi block, people blocked National Highway-34 to demand relief materials. Minister Paresh Adhikary got stranded because of this blockade. Relief Minister Mortaza Hossain faced the wrath of villagers at Khoyashpur under Karandighi. Agitating villagers also confronted officials at Tunibhita, Raypara, Bhabanipara and Sadhanpur in Karandighi....published in TOI on 18.04.10
Raiganj: The stage was set, journalists were milling around and all the officials were on their toes. And all pairs of eyes were scanning the skies for the helicopter that was to bring governor M K Narayanan to Raiganj for a tour of the tornado-affected areas. But for the ministers, district-level officials and the general public, the wait turned out to be futile. Narayanan could not reach Raiganj and reports later came in that his helicopter had been unable to land due to bad weather.
The governor was to arrive in Raiganj at 9 am. The scheduled visit had sparked a flurry of activity, with the North Dinajpur district administration putting together a report overnight on the relief and rehabilitation work after the tornado. Four ministers —Mortaja Hossain (health), Srikumar Mukherjee (civil defence), Paresh Adhikary (food) and Anwarul Haque (MoS, health) — and a host of administrative officers, including the North Dinajpur DM, were present at the BSF helipad at Merual to receive the governor. A fleet of cars was waiting to take Narayanan to the affected areas.
As the clock touched 9.45 am and the crowd got restless, the first hum of rotors could be heard. The black speck far away soon turned into a helicopter. But after circling the area for a while, the helicopter flew away. Finally, around 10.30 am, a message came in that the governor’s trip had been cancelled. “Due to inclement weather, the Governor’s helicopter could not land,” North Dinajpur DM Ramanuj Chakraborty told the media.
News filtered in later that the governor had started from Siliguri in a helicopter with principal secretary (disaster management) B L Meena and IG North Bengal K L Tamta for Raiganj in the morning. But the pilot failed to locate the helipad and flew to Balurghat instead. From there, the helicopter took off but again failed to locate the Raiganj landing pad and flew back to Siliguri.
An IAF spokesperson said later that the dense clouds over Raiganj made it impossible to spot the BSF camp despite smoke canisters being burst. The pilot did not risk the l a n d i n g with a highprofile passenger as he had to depend solely on visual estimation to touch down.
U n a b l e to meet the g ove r n o r, the tornado victims continued with their agitation for the second day in different parts of North Dinajpur. At Beldanga in Hemtabad block, aggrieved villagers blocked the Raigunj-Balurghat state highway for hours to demand foodgrain. Later Divisional Commissioner A K Singh visited the area to pacify the mob and assure them of help.
In Altapur under Karandighi block, people blocked National Highway-34 to demand relief materials. Minister Paresh Adhikary got stranded because of this blockade. Relief Minister Mortaza Hossain faced the wrath of villagers at Khoyashpur under Karandighi. Agitating villagers also confronted officials at Tunibhita, Raypara, Bhabanipara and Sadhanpur in Karandighi....published in TOI on 18.04.10
Storm leaves N Dinajpur denuded of greenery
Prithvijit Mitra & Subhro Maitra | TNN
Raiganj: Mammoth uprooted trunks, heaps of branches and twigs and mounds of earth wrenched from their base greet you almost everywhere at Karandighi and Raiganj. As the twister raced through the villages, wreaking havoc, it left this trail of toppled trees. They fell everywhere – in backyards, along the paddy fields, on the edge of the highway and deep inside villages.
The district administration has no mechanism for taking a count or even to remove them and clear the roads, many of which remained blocked till Thursday night. The damage done to the environment by the tornado could be substantial, said officials.
While some put the number of uprooted trees at 50,000 in Karandighi alone, others said the figure could cross 2 lakh in the five affected blocks of Raiganj, Karandighi, Hemtabad, Kaliaganj, and Goalpokhor 2.
The tree-lined avenue at Karnajora in Raiganj that is flanked by the bungalows of senior district officials including the district magistrate, additional DM, and the divisional forest officer, resembled a graveyard of greenery. Huge uprooted trees lay strewn all over. Two banyan trees – one from the DFO’s bungalow and the other from the SDO’s quarters on the opposite side formed a bridge across the road. Both trees damaged the boundary walls of their respective premises, making them collapse and landing the overhead network of cable and electrical wires in a tangled mess. It has taken nearly two days for workers to clear the debris.
The most common tree species in North Dinajpur are sissoo, simul, siris, akashmoni, khair, lali, khadam, mingiri, eucalyphus, sidha, jarul, sal, sheora and arjun. Teak is also available sporadically in some patches. The forests in this district are mainly plantations. Sal is mainly of coppice origin. The total forest area is hardly 0.19 per cent of the total geographical area of the district. It has taken a further beating following the tornado. Sal , arjun and siris trees are estimated to have suffered the highest casualties. “It is difficult to arrange for the trees to be removed.
We can clear some on the borders of the highway but elsewhere villagers must help themselves,” said a forest official.
While officials are at a loss and can’t decide what to do with the trees, villagers have taken it upon themselves to remove them. At Kumargari in Raiganj, villagers have formed a committee to supervise the operation. “We don’t have machines to cut the trunks and remove them. So, we are lopping off the branches and pushing the trunks as far as we can to make room for vehicles to pass. We have no idea if the administration is going to take up the job,” said Budhmohan Das, a resident of Kumargari.
Hundreds of branches and trunks lying along the NH 34 have been taken away. While some are being sold, the rest are being whisked away to be used as fuel at home...published in TOI on 17.04.2010
Raiganj: Mammoth uprooted trunks, heaps of branches and twigs and mounds of earth wrenched from their base greet you almost everywhere at Karandighi and Raiganj. As the twister raced through the villages, wreaking havoc, it left this trail of toppled trees. They fell everywhere – in backyards, along the paddy fields, on the edge of the highway and deep inside villages.
The district administration has no mechanism for taking a count or even to remove them and clear the roads, many of which remained blocked till Thursday night. The damage done to the environment by the tornado could be substantial, said officials.
While some put the number of uprooted trees at 50,000 in Karandighi alone, others said the figure could cross 2 lakh in the five affected blocks of Raiganj, Karandighi, Hemtabad, Kaliaganj, and Goalpokhor 2.
The tree-lined avenue at Karnajora in Raiganj that is flanked by the bungalows of senior district officials including the district magistrate, additional DM, and the divisional forest officer, resembled a graveyard of greenery. Huge uprooted trees lay strewn all over. Two banyan trees – one from the DFO’s bungalow and the other from the SDO’s quarters on the opposite side formed a bridge across the road. Both trees damaged the boundary walls of their respective premises, making them collapse and landing the overhead network of cable and electrical wires in a tangled mess. It has taken nearly two days for workers to clear the debris.
The most common tree species in North Dinajpur are sissoo, simul, siris, akashmoni, khair, lali, khadam, mingiri, eucalyphus, sidha, jarul, sal, sheora and arjun. Teak is also available sporadically in some patches. The forests in this district are mainly plantations. Sal is mainly of coppice origin. The total forest area is hardly 0.19 per cent of the total geographical area of the district. It has taken a further beating following the tornado. Sal , arjun and siris trees are estimated to have suffered the highest casualties. “It is difficult to arrange for the trees to be removed.
We can clear some on the borders of the highway but elsewhere villagers must help themselves,” said a forest official.
While officials are at a loss and can’t decide what to do with the trees, villagers have taken it upon themselves to remove them. At Kumargari in Raiganj, villagers have formed a committee to supervise the operation. “We don’t have machines to cut the trunks and remove them. So, we are lopping off the branches and pushing the trunks as far as we can to make room for vehicles to pass. We have no idea if the administration is going to take up the job,” said Budhmohan Das, a resident of Kumargari.
Hundreds of branches and trunks lying along the NH 34 have been taken away. While some are being sold, the rest are being whisked away to be used as fuel at home...published in TOI on 17.04.2010
Tornado relief delay sparks protests
Subhro Maitra & Prithvijit Mitra | TNN
Karandighi (North Dinajpur): The simmering discontent over relief distribution in the storm-struck areas flared up into violent protests. Thousands of tornado victims took to the street on Friday, demanding quick and better relief in the five affected blocks of North Dinajpur.
They blocked roads and laid a siege around the BDO office at Hemtabad and blocked the state highway between Raiganj
and Kaliaganj, demanding relief and restoration of power supply. All this happened a day before the visit of governor M K Narayanan to the tornado-hit areas. Kaliaganj BDO Soumalya Ghosh held an all-party meeting in the morning to lift the road blockade. It was attended by IC Swapan Dasgupta. A huge police force had to be posted at the Karandighi block office to keep off angry protesters who threatened to assault BDO Anandashankar Ray. It was alleged that relief material was not being distributed properly and the local administration was making no effort to speed up the process.
The district administration had claimed that 14,000 tarpaulins have been allotted for Karandighi, 9000 for Hemtabad and 6000 for Raiganj.
Residents of Karandighi alleged that while the block needed 26,000 tarpaulins, just 600 had actually arrived. “The administration is lying. A visit to any of the affected villages will make it clear that almost no material has been distributed,” said Raju Ray, a resident of Karandighi.
The North Dinajpur administration admitted that the distribution process has been hit by anomalies in the list of victims. “Hundreds of names have appeared twice on the list which has led to confusion. We are trying to verify the list and make sure that the real victims get assistance,” said P K Dutta, additional DM.
But the storm victims were not ready to listen to excuses. They erupted in anger across Hemtabad, Raiganj and Karandighi. At Hemtabad block, agitation started around 10 am at the BDO Office More. At Haat Kaliaganj in Hemtabad, there was a similar agitation at the panchayat office. The victims there alleged that the relief material were distributed among the supporters of a particular party. The agitation went on till late into the evening.
At Baghanbattali under Bhandarpur panchayat, people blocked the road. Dalkhola, too, witnessed similar protests.
Around 25 tarpaulins were looted by a mob at Bazargaon at Karandighi before the police moved in and drove away the crowd. The administration arranged for 9000 more tarpaulins for Karandighi in addition to the 14,000 that reached on Thursday.
Sheikh Shamsul Haque,a panchayat member at Karandighi alleged that the number of tarpaulins that had arrived was still insufficient. A claim which was reiterated by Congress MP Dipa Das Munshi....published in TOI on 17.04.2010
Karandighi (North Dinajpur): The simmering discontent over relief distribution in the storm-struck areas flared up into violent protests. Thousands of tornado victims took to the street on Friday, demanding quick and better relief in the five affected blocks of North Dinajpur.
They blocked roads and laid a siege around the BDO office at Hemtabad and blocked the state highway between Raiganj
and Kaliaganj, demanding relief and restoration of power supply. All this happened a day before the visit of governor M K Narayanan to the tornado-hit areas. Kaliaganj BDO Soumalya Ghosh held an all-party meeting in the morning to lift the road blockade. It was attended by IC Swapan Dasgupta. A huge police force had to be posted at the Karandighi block office to keep off angry protesters who threatened to assault BDO Anandashankar Ray. It was alleged that relief material was not being distributed properly and the local administration was making no effort to speed up the process.
The district administration had claimed that 14,000 tarpaulins have been allotted for Karandighi, 9000 for Hemtabad and 6000 for Raiganj.
Residents of Karandighi alleged that while the block needed 26,000 tarpaulins, just 600 had actually arrived. “The administration is lying. A visit to any of the affected villages will make it clear that almost no material has been distributed,” said Raju Ray, a resident of Karandighi.
The North Dinajpur administration admitted that the distribution process has been hit by anomalies in the list of victims. “Hundreds of names have appeared twice on the list which has led to confusion. We are trying to verify the list and make sure that the real victims get assistance,” said P K Dutta, additional DM.
But the storm victims were not ready to listen to excuses. They erupted in anger across Hemtabad, Raiganj and Karandighi. At Hemtabad block, agitation started around 10 am at the BDO Office More. At Haat Kaliaganj in Hemtabad, there was a similar agitation at the panchayat office. The victims there alleged that the relief material were distributed among the supporters of a particular party. The agitation went on till late into the evening.
At Baghanbattali under Bhandarpur panchayat, people blocked the road. Dalkhola, too, witnessed similar protests.
Around 25 tarpaulins were looted by a mob at Bazargaon at Karandighi before the police moved in and drove away the crowd. The administration arranged for 9000 more tarpaulins for Karandighi in addition to the 14,000 that reached on Thursday.
Sheikh Shamsul Haque,a panchayat member at Karandighi alleged that the number of tarpaulins that had arrived was still insufficient. A claim which was reiterated by Congress MP Dipa Das Munshi....published in TOI on 17.04.2010
One death and a dozen mouths to feed
Prithvijit Mitra & Subhro Maitra | TNN
Karandighi (North Dinajpur): Her head covered with a veil, she treads gingerly through the ruins of her hut, guiding her siblings — a dozen of them — like a protective mother hen. Even as they run around, tugging at the bamboo poles of the hut felled by the tornado on Tuesday night, 16-year-old Mamera Khatun huddles them together and leads them to her grandfather’s house at the other end of Haldibari village. Their mother Rabeya Khatun was buried under the hut with their youngest sister Arifa, who was just-one-and-half.
Theirs is just one of the 400 huts flattened by the killer tornado in Haldibari of Karandighi block. It has left nearly 1,000 homeless in this North Dinajpur village, inhabited largely by Muslims. But none faces as uncertain a future as Mamera and her siblings. Deserted by their father Ismail Sheikh, the family made ends meet by tying bidis. Rabeya was assisted by Mamera and younger sister Nadira. The three made around Rs 80 a day, hardly enough to feed the 15-member family. Neighbours and grandparents helped. Often they had to skip meals.
On Tuesday night, the children had taken shelter in the village mosque while Rabeya hid under the bed with little Arifa in her lap. The roof collapsed on them, killing both on the spot. Rabeya was pregnant. With Rabeya dead, the family income is set to drop further. This is nothing short of a calamity for Mamera who now has to fend for her minor siblings.
It’s a daunting task that would unsettle most teenagers, but Mamera displays a maturity far beyond her age. She has already been talking to village elders, seeking information on how to augment income by working with self-help groups. “I am not going to let my brothers and sisters grow up on charity. They are not old enough to earn, so I have to work hard. I don’t even expect my grandfather to help us. And I am certainly not going to let my father take charge,” Mamera declared proudly.
While 15-year-old Nadira nods her head in agreement, the rest are still too young to gauge the seriousness of the situation. Villagers fear they might take to the wrong path, lured by the prospect of easy money.
“Rabeya had suffered all her life and we can only hope that Mamera manages to pull through the crisis. There is little else that we can do for the family,” said Harej Ali, a village elder.
Till Thursday evening, no relief had reached Haldibari. The only primary school in the vicinity was too small to accommodate the 1,000-odd, who have been left without a roof. With the land not fertile enough, people depend on tying bidi or work as labourers in cities. A thousand bidis earn them Rs 65 a day, but contractors claim a substantial chunk. “This tornado can’t leave us poorer and more miserable than we already were. It has just made us homeless now. But if you don’t have enough to eat, what difference does a roof or its absence makes?” asked Barjahan Sheik, Mamera’s grandfather.
But Mamera isn’t ready to give up yet. Like her siblings she has never been to a school in her life. “But if studying helps, I am ready to start learning. I know I can do it,” she said, gathering the pieces of bamboo poles and straws that have been left strewn all over the place where her hut stood till a night ago....published in TOI on 16.04.2010
Karandighi (North Dinajpur): Her head covered with a veil, she treads gingerly through the ruins of her hut, guiding her siblings — a dozen of them — like a protective mother hen. Even as they run around, tugging at the bamboo poles of the hut felled by the tornado on Tuesday night, 16-year-old Mamera Khatun huddles them together and leads them to her grandfather’s house at the other end of Haldibari village. Their mother Rabeya Khatun was buried under the hut with their youngest sister Arifa, who was just-one-and-half.
Theirs is just one of the 400 huts flattened by the killer tornado in Haldibari of Karandighi block. It has left nearly 1,000 homeless in this North Dinajpur village, inhabited largely by Muslims. But none faces as uncertain a future as Mamera and her siblings. Deserted by their father Ismail Sheikh, the family made ends meet by tying bidis. Rabeya was assisted by Mamera and younger sister Nadira. The three made around Rs 80 a day, hardly enough to feed the 15-member family. Neighbours and grandparents helped. Often they had to skip meals.
On Tuesday night, the children had taken shelter in the village mosque while Rabeya hid under the bed with little Arifa in her lap. The roof collapsed on them, killing both on the spot. Rabeya was pregnant. With Rabeya dead, the family income is set to drop further. This is nothing short of a calamity for Mamera who now has to fend for her minor siblings.
It’s a daunting task that would unsettle most teenagers, but Mamera displays a maturity far beyond her age. She has already been talking to village elders, seeking information on how to augment income by working with self-help groups. “I am not going to let my brothers and sisters grow up on charity. They are not old enough to earn, so I have to work hard. I don’t even expect my grandfather to help us. And I am certainly not going to let my father take charge,” Mamera declared proudly.
While 15-year-old Nadira nods her head in agreement, the rest are still too young to gauge the seriousness of the situation. Villagers fear they might take to the wrong path, lured by the prospect of easy money.
“Rabeya had suffered all her life and we can only hope that Mamera manages to pull through the crisis. There is little else that we can do for the family,” said Harej Ali, a village elder.
Till Thursday evening, no relief had reached Haldibari. The only primary school in the vicinity was too small to accommodate the 1,000-odd, who have been left without a roof. With the land not fertile enough, people depend on tying bidi or work as labourers in cities. A thousand bidis earn them Rs 65 a day, but contractors claim a substantial chunk. “This tornado can’t leave us poorer and more miserable than we already were. It has just made us homeless now. But if you don’t have enough to eat, what difference does a roof or its absence makes?” asked Barjahan Sheik, Mamera’s grandfather.
But Mamera isn’t ready to give up yet. Like her siblings she has never been to a school in her life. “But if studying helps, I am ready to start learning. I know I can do it,” she said, gathering the pieces of bamboo poles and straws that have been left strewn all over the place where her hut stood till a night ago....published in TOI on 16.04.2010
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