By Tarique Anwar and Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
Siwan (Bihar): You must be surprised at the combination of Sarita Kumari and Urdu graduate. But it is true. And your surprise is also true. She has cleared 1st and 2nd year of graduation with Urdu as major subject, but she could not clear final year and for this she blames her university.
When majority of Muslims in North India where their first language is Urdu is not showing much interest in studying the language, it is surprising that Sarita Kumari is doing B.A. (Urdu Hons.).
Daughter of Munshi Prasad of Barharia block in Siwan district, Sarita, as a student of Z A Islamia College in Siwan, has successfully completed Part I and Part II of the three-year degree course from Jai Prakash University in Chapra. The college is affiliated with the university.
She is not first in her family to opt Urdu as study subject. In fact, the family of Munshi Prasad has been deeply and long attached with Urdu and Persian languages.
Talking to TwoCircles.net on phone Sarita’s father Munshi Prasad, who runs a medicine shop in Siwan, said his father had good knowledge of Urdu and Persian. His uncle also had opted for the subjects in Intermediate and graduation. But he himself was unfortunate that he could not study the languages, admits Prasad, an Intermediate pass-out.
Lest the family tradition dies down with him, he inspired his children to study Urdu and Persian. Sarita’s younger brother has cleared Intermediate this year wherein he studied Urdu and Persian also. Prasad is giving his children Urdu education in the age of English and Hindi. There is much to learn for “Urdu wallas.”
But now it seems that Sarita’s career is deliberately or otherwise being jeopardized. She has failed twice in final year. She blames for this the irresponsible attitude of authorities of Jai Prakash University. She is continuing to suffer from mental tension.
She appeared in Part III examination in 2006 and failed. She got 28 marks in 5th, 50 in 6th, 45 in 7th and 10 in 8th paper. She again appeared in the same examination in 2007 and surprisingly she got 0 in 6th paper although she got 50 in 5th, 48 in 7th paper.
One thing to be noted is that Sarita Kumari got 50 marks in 6th paper in 2006 and she was given 0 in the same paper in 2007.
Munshi Prasad is surprised how it can happen. She is a good student. Her past academic record is good. Similar is the feeling of Prof Mahmoodul Hasan, HoD of Persian in Z A Islamia College. Hasan, who is also member of the senate of Jai Prakash University, told TwoCircles.net he knew Sarita well. She is a good student and has secured around 50% in other papers. He is surprised how she can get zero in one paper.
When she gave application for reevaluation of her answer sheets she was told that reevaluation of the copy is not done at the university and she was suggested to knock at the door of High Court. She sent a memorandum to her college and university authorities. She wrote to Vice Chancellor of Jai Prakash University, Controller of Examination, and Principal of Z A Islamia College. She also met them personally but everywhere she got nothing but disappointment and received the same answer: knock the door of High Court.
TwoCircles.net contacted Prof. M. G. Mustafa, Registrar of the university. He gave the same answer given to Sarita by the university’s other officials. He said there is no provision of reevaluation at his university. When reminded that UGC rules allow reevaluation of papers at university, he said he was not in position to answer the question and the reporter should contact the vice chancellor. Interestingly, the website of the university does not give contact no. of any other official except the registrar.
What is more disappointing is that those who considers themselves the heir of Urdu and Persian have not shown any interest in the case.
The biased attitude of the university has raised many questions. Why is reevaluation not done in this university while other universities of the state have this provision? They re-examine answer sheets on request of the examinee. Why have the student to take examination of all papers at the university when they fail in a particular paper while in other universities they have to take the examination of only that particular paper in which they fail.
This episode makes it clear that the university can declare any student pass and fail whoever it wants to pass or fail as per its wish because it has confidence that no student has capacity to go to High Court to get his or her answer sheet reexamined.