By M Shah Jamal Alam, TwoCircles.net,
Guwahati: This is the story of a very common man, whom we never bothered to remember. He was a man with a vision of spiritual attainment and an interesting personality whom everyone loved. A person born during the British rule and died in independent India, Mr.Shawkat Ali created his image among the locals as a fakir (saint) who knew English. There was a time when he used to be a much talked topic of discussion for the educated class of the entire Dhubri district and beyond that. Shawkat Ali Sheikh was a real man of English literature who left behind for us, thousands of English sonnets and poems in other prominent languages including Persian. Unfortunately, his works are still in waiting to be published.
Shawkat Ali Sk was often seen around the hillock cleaning it. A simple lungi tied to his waist and an old shirt worn daily and an old cowboy hat on his head, a khukuri (a kind of knife) hanging about his waist, a plastic carpet lying by him with a teakettle on it to take tea during short leisure ; at all with an ordinary look, actually he was an extraordinary person.
The man in Lungi is the Sufi Poet.
This was none but (late) Shawkat Ali Sk , a post-graduate in political science. Late Shawkat Ali Sk was born in the village of Natun Sastarghat of Patamari under Dhubri sub-division of district of Dhubri (It was old Goalpara district of British India at that time) of the Indian state of Assam. The names of his parents were (late) Mamud Ali Sk (father) and (late) Shoriton Bibi (mother). Father Mamud Ali was a traditional physician in the system of Unani and Ayurved. Hisfamily was very religious. Though the economic condition of the family was poor but they paid attention to the education of children. That is why, Shawkat Ali got admitted in the P.C.Institution of Gauripur town which was established by the then Gauripur zamindar (feudal lord) Prakritish Chandra Baruah (P.C.Baruah) and was among few of that time in the entire district.
Gauripur zamindar Prakritish Chandra Baruah(P.C.Baruah) had taken an initiative, at that time, of keeping some talented and brilliant boys from his area of authority at his palace, giving them free food and lodging and took complete responsibility of their education unto matriculation. Shawkat Ali Sk was most noted among them. The famous folk singer late Pratima Baruah Pandey was daughter of this house. Like her, Shawkat Ali Sk was much attracted to Goalpariya (a local dialect) folk songs. In this connection, he had a good relation with this empress of folk song.
The first part of his school life belongs to last part of pre-independence period. The medium in his school was English. He learnt English writing and conversation to such extent that its influence could be seen till his death; the 1000 poems written by him is the strong proof. Though he was so much attached to English language and literature, he was among the leading figures in this area during the Assamese Medium movement started during his student life.
However, Shawkat Ali completed his matriculation from P.C.Institution in 1952 with good marks along with letter mark in the subject of Farsi (Persian). In 1954, he passed intermediate from B.N.College of Dhubri town with first division and graduated with distinction in 1957 from the same college. Later he completed his post graduation in political science as private examinee from Gauhati University. At that time, the head of the department(HOD) of political science in Gauhati university was the founder of the department, late V.Venkatrao.
Late Shawkat Ali Sk worked in several schools as teacher. Among them Dharmashala High School, Rupashi J.N. Academy,Agomoni Higher Secondary School, Hamidabad Higher Secondary School and F.A.Memorial High Shool, Alamganj can be named. But a strict philosophy of his mind took him away to a complete ordinary life where there was no trace of luxury. If he would have intended, he could lead an economically sound life; his eligibility and capacity was beyond question. But he took voluntary retirement from his posts with the reason that he did not want to enjoy pension money which is without any labour. After retirement Shawkat Ali selected the hillock, a few steps from Alomganj bazaar, 9 km east to the Gauripur town, as his shelter. It seemed he was waiting for such a natural and green place which was necessary for the nourishment and development of his sufi and literary mind.
He was seen all the time around wandering the hillock and cleaning the necessary areas offering his five times prayer there. In the afternoon, a few students used to come for tuition. Sometimes he used to play on dotara, a traditional guitar-like musical instrument. He could attract attention of the passerby people by singing folk songs with his own lyrics. He wrote 500 numbers of Goalpariya folk songs. Sometimes he would self-quote the lines from the Bible. Sometimes during deep night he used to make very soft music with his dotara. If asked, he would say-“The music in the deep night strucks only in the praise of Almighty.” On such response, some would call him mad but he was only genius and reverent.
He was sympathizer of extreme humanity. People without the discrimination of caste, creed, tribe and religion would come to him for their peace of mind and some valuable intellectual suggestion and some would come asking for some fruits he would grow in his garden. He would give them free; we never saw him said no in this matter. He had the biggest heart. He was very much popular among the local tribal people like Garo, Rabha, Bodo. They would come to him to learn the English Bible. With eight sons and three daughters it was a big happy family but by an unfortunate incident it was shattered. Two among his three daughters in a very younger age died only within a span of fourteen days due to some unknown causes. This accident influenced all aspects of his life.
Significantly he descended from this hillock for only two times in last 24 years of his life. It is a very well-known fact among the locals.
His literary works:
Late Shawkat Ali Sheikh was expert both in Bible and Quran. That is why most of his works reflect praise of Almighty. He wrote a collection of one thousand English poems those include lyrical, ballad and sonnet all three types; an English grammar. He also authored collections of Assamese, Persian and Bangla poems five hundred in each language along with a collection of five hundred Goalpariya(a local dialect) folk songs.
All of his works are very highly expressed and invaluable. In one of his English poem ‘I Will Rise’ he has compared his heavy sorrow of premature demise of his two lovely daughters, with the rise and set of the Sun and relieved himself that with the rise of the Sun everyday the unfaded memories of his daughters will also rise in his heart, what he has written as below-
I will rise. (4/8/1992)
Am I sorrowing over my state,
The state of a being,
Or the empirical beggar,
Virtually, in mind, a king.
I am a ship-wrecked Selkirk,
In an isle of the world.
I have lost my two eyes, my daughters dual.
Nothingness of the world gives me
A drop of comfort,
In extra-abundance, I have built my sorrow’s red fort.
Today I looked at the Sun gliding slowly west;
It back-looked at me with a smile
In myriad shafts,
It told me be not perturbed over the sad demise;
I am with you far and near and everyday
His Demise:
It is really very astonishing and amazing fact that he had left a piece of paper with the counting of his lifespan (his total duration of life on earth) written on it in his pocket on the day of his demise and also invited a beggar close to him on that same date to take his cloths. It may seem to be unbelievable but we were witness to these facts. The day was 11th February, 1998, Shawkat Ali Sheikh left for his heavenly abode.
(M Shah Jamal Alam is the Editor of an Assamese bi-monthly Obobahika and can be contacted at [email protected])