By Dr. Syed Ahmed for TwoCircles.net,
Guwahati: Eminent educationist, social worker and former Principal of Cotton College, Professor Ashraf Ali passed away on 12 May 2012 at his residence at F.A. Road in Machkhowa, Guwahati. He was 91.
Prof. Ashraf was born to an illustrious family. He cleared matriculation examination from Cotton Collegiate School in 1938. He then graduated from Cotton College and got his Master’s degree from Dacca University majoring in Economics and Political Science.
Prof. Ashraf joined Murarichand College in Sylhet, which was then a district of Assam, as Lecturer in Civics, Political Science and Economics. Just a year before independence he joined Cotton College, the premier college of North-East India, established on May 27, 1901 with the support of the then Chief Commissioner of Assam Province, Sir Henry John Stedman Cotton (1896-1902). By 1968 he became the head of the Department of Civics, Political Science and Economics.
Later that year he was appointed as the Principal of Fazal Ali College in Mokokchung, Nagaland. Established as a private college on September 8, 1959, the college was taken over by the Government of Nagaland in 1962. He joined the college at the request of the then Chief Minister of Nagaland, T.N. Angami and Chief Minister of Assam, Bimala Prasad Chaliha. He served at the college for 4 years. Then he returned to Assam and joined the Education Department as the Inspector of Schools in Dibrugarh. Later he was deputed as Joint Director of Public Instructions in Shillong.
Prof. Ashraf again joined Cotton College in 1974; this time as it’s Principal. He served as Principal of the college till 1979. Then he served as the Director of Public Instruction. He retired from service in November 1981.
Prof. Ashraf was also associated with the National Cadet Crops (NCC) in its early days in Assam. He was the Commanding Officer of the First Battalion at Guwahati. He got his training at the Nagpur Institute of Civil Defence.
As a social worker, Prof. Ashraf was involved in various socio-cultural and literary activities during his lifetime. He served as Secretary of the Bharat Sevak Samaj, a National Development Agency promoted by the Planning Commission to ensure public co-operation for implementing government plans. He was also associated with numerous organizations, including Gandhi Mandap, West Guwahati Bihu Sanmilan, committees of Guwahati Kabarstan, Bura Masjid at Machkhowa and Guwahati Idgah.
Prof. Ashraf was a firm believer in Indian democracy. He held that voting could cure the ills that plagued the system. So he took it upon himself to campaign his neighbours, friends and relatives in his locality to cast their votes. During elections, he reminded people of their right to vote and the responsibility attached to it. However, he used to lament at the deterioration of the value system in Indian politics. During an interview he had said, “I had cast my vote for politicians like Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi (Assam’s first chief minister) and Bimala Prasad Chaliha, whose only mission was the welfare of the people. Now we are electing MPs who do not speak a single word in Parliament… I think such circumstances have made my children and grandchildren disillusioned with the electoral process.”
Prof. Ashraf was humble and straightforward man. He was also known as a disciplinarian and a competent administrator. Many of the prominent personalities of Assam were his students, including the former Chief Minister of Assam, Hiteswar Saikia and former Member of Parliament, Dinesh Goswami.
Condolence meetings are held in many parts of the State. Chief Minister of Assam, Tarun Gogoi also condole the death of Prof. Ashraf. He said, “With the death of Professor Ashraf Ali the State has lost a great educationist. His contribution in the field of education would be remembered forever.”
The janajah of Prof. Ashraf was performed at the Guwahati Kabarstan at Hatigaon on May 12. He is survived by 3 daughters and 2 sons.