A Year-long Series on Education, Sponsored by The Aligarh Forum : – A Mirror on our Efforts, our Successes & our Shortcomings ; Stories of triumphs, tribulations and struggles of the Indian Muslims in improving their educational status, in illiteracy alleviation, and in their professional and social uplift.
By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net,
Kolkata: Kamrun Nehar, first generation learner of a Muslim family in remote West Medinipur district of West Bengal,stood at rank 91 in JELET (West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination for Lateral Entry) in 2006. She also cleared counseling and was selected for admission in undergraduate engineering course at Jalpaiguri Government Engineering College. But she could not take admission as she could not arrange for the admission fee on time. When she got the money, the last date of admission had passed. However, she approached the college and sought sympathetic consideration of her case but the college authorities refused to give her admission.
Kamrun Nehar : awaiting for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s call
Disappointed, Kamrun wrote a letter to the then Chief Minister Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharya and the Education Minister seeking their intervention for her admission at the Jalpaiguri Government Engineering College and waiver of the admission fee. She did not get any response from either for the next five years. When the Left Front was dethroned in assembly elections in May 2011 and Mamata Banerjee assumed power at Writers’ Building, Kamrun’s hope revived. She wrote a letter to CM Banerjee and State Higher Education Minister Bratya Basu in June 2011, seeking their help for a job, not admission at the college or waiver of fee as six long years had passed and she was already 27. She told she is living in very poor condition, her parents have no option but to sell the house for her marriage but she is resisting and desperately looking for a job. Thankfully, she got a response from the new government about one year later but alas, of no use.
After six years of wait a letter has come to Kamrun Nehar’s home from Directorate of Technical Education, Government of West Bengal. The letter dated 9th January 2012 reached Kamrun’s home in April 2012. The Directorate has asked the Principal of Jalpaiguri Government Engineering College for granting freeship to Kamrun Nehar “who is student of your institute of 2nd yr, B.Tech, CSE discipline admitted under JELET Scheme.” Kamrun is unable to decide if she should laugh with joy or weep at the letter. The government thinks she is already admitted in the college, although the fact is she never took admission. “What is the use of this letter now? I am already 27. Even if I take admission with this help of the government, when I complete the course I will be 31. Who will give me job at that age?” asks Kamrun.
Kamrun Neher’s Father Shaikh Alauddin & Mother Jesminara Begum
Talking to TCN she said after 31 it will be too difficult to get a job and that too for a Muslim girl. Instead of admission in engineering college now, she needs a job. She has again appealed in her new letter to the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee that given her family condition she is given a government job. She has also detailed her as to how she was discriminated in recruitment interviews in last six years during the Left Front regime despite having qualified in written tests.
Kamrun Nehar narrated her sorrow saga to TCN.
Family
Kamrunis living in a small house in a small village of Mugbasan, under the Keshpur police station of West Medinipur district. Though her father Shaikh Alauddin somehow opened a small shoe shop in Keshpur Market with loan but it may soon shut down due to lack of capital. Once they mortgaged the home to get loan for the shop. The family somehow repaid the loan. They were afraid that if they lost the home against the loan where they will go.
Kamrun Nehar’s Polytechnic Engineering Certificate : First Class with Distinction
Kamrun Nehar has two sisters and two brothers. Second sister Samsunnehar is graduate, another sister Nazmun Neharis studying in class XI. Bother Natibuddin stopped his education when he was in class VIII while the youngest brother Naimuddin is studying in class VIII now. Her mother Jesminara Begum and father Shaikh Allauddin did not have any formal education.
Education
Kamrun Nehar passed the Madhyamik Examination from Mugbasan Hakkania High School in 2000. She ranked high in the examination. She got 75.4% with 92 in Mathematics and 80 in Life Science. After Secondary Examination she took admission in Science Stream at Bidyasagar Bidyapith Girls High School at Medinipur Town and achieved 58.1% marks in Higher Secondary Examination in 2002. Kamrun appeared in JEXPO, the Entrance Examination of Polytechnic Engineering College. She stood rank 58 in JEXPO 2003 and took admission in Computer Engineering course at Jodhpur Park Women’ Polytechnic College in Kolkata. She saw Kolkata city first time in 2003.
Between the hostel and the college there was a distance of three kms. Poor Kamrun had no money to catch a bus or any public transport. She had to walk the distance every morning to attend the class. She cleared polytechnic in Computer Science and Technology with 81% marks and then she cracked JELET with 91 Rank in 2006.
Kamrun Nehar : discriminated for religion?
For counseling at Jalpaiguri College, she had to deposit Rs. 5300 which was not refundable. She cleared counseling but could not take admission as she could not raise money for the admission fee. When she did not get admission in Jalpaigur College she applied for return of the counseling fee Rs5300. But the college refused. Kamrunthen approached the Consumer forum and got back her money. Since then she began looking for a job which she hasn’t yet got.
Discrimination
Kamrun says she has been discriminated several times. She told TCN that a few years ago West Bengal Government (led by Left Front) was recruiting Primary school teachers on the basis of Madhyamik Examination marks. Kamrun also applied, but she did not get chance while persons with lower marks were recruited. She complained, but in vain.
After six year : Letter from Directorate of Technical Education, Government of West Bengal
Desperate for a job, she applied for the post of Technical Assistant in BSNL and then Data Entry operator in Panchayet Samity. Everywhere, she claimed, she got qualified in written examination, but was rejected after interview. Now she asks: Was she discriminated for being a Muslim?
In her new letter to CM Banerjee, Kamrun has demanded an enquiry into the recruitment of primary teachers in West Medinipur district. She says the enquiry will expose that persons with lower marks than her were selected.
Acknowledgement of the letter of Kamrun Nehar from Chief Mister Mamata Banerjee’s office, june, 2011.
Poverty
Kamrun could not stop her tears while narrating the poverty of her family. She said her mother moves around the village collecting old newspapers. She makes paper envelop (Thonga)with the papers and supplies them to grocery shops. She spends the money on education of her sisters and brother. The small shoe store of her father is suffering due to the lack of capital.
Saradha Kalyan Bhandar, an NGO in Saratpally of Medinpur Town, gives her stipend of Rs 800 per month. Kamrun just one time got scholarship of Rs 1000 from State Waqf Board. She has got no scholarship or financial assistance from West Bengal Minority Finance Development Corporation or any Muslim organization.
Waiting for CM’s call
Kamrun had written a letter to CM Banerjee in June 2011 just after she became chief minister, she had sent the letter to her office and official residence also but she has not got any call from the CM. Kamrun now wants to meet Chief Minister Banerjee. If she gets the chance she will tell her the sad story of her life and family. She hopes the CM can do something for her family. At her small home in a remote village of West Medinipur district, Kamrun is awaiting CM Mamata Banerjee’s call. Will she ever get one?