The year was 1966 when I started off my educational career and got admission into school. At that time, the system was that if a student did not complete five years of age, he was put in the ‘Shishu’ or nursery class. So, I had to spend a few months in it before being promoted to class I or standard I. The school was Dhanupali U.P. School. Dhanupali was then a village near the town of Sambalpur in the western part of Odisha. Now Sambalpur has turned out to be a bustling big city, with Dhanupali coming within its city municipal corporation area.
The school
The Dhanupali U.P. School was quite reputed in the area, with Nauranglal M.E. School in the same compound. In the U.P. School, students studied up to the 5th class, and in the M.E. School, there was provision for 6th and 7th class. In both schools, there were students from nearby Govindtola area and villages of Dhanupali, Putibandh, Bhatra, and Mathpali. Since there were schools in the nearby villages of Sindurpank and Maneswar, students did not come from these areas.
The staff
The teaching staff was sincere, loving, and knowledgeable. Prominent amongst them were Sri Indrajit Barik, Sri Akrura Sanbad, and Sri Duryodhan Mishra. I also remember Rushava sir, Rahasa sir, and Sulochana madam. All of them were very nice towards the students, and their teaching style was so impressive that even now I remember what they have taught. They not only loved the students but also gave slight physical punishment, which could hardly be called atrocity. Since it was for the good of the students, we did not complain about it to our guardians. I don’t remember ever seeing any guardian coming to the school and complaining against any teacher for physical punishment.
What I did in the school
Though our house was near the school, I did not go home during recess or ‘khai chhuti,’ which came at about 2 PM, and managed with ‘chana,’ ‘mugphali,’ and ‘murhi’ for twenty-five paise given to me daily by my mother. It was called ‘Ghini khia’ or pocket money, which reached fifty paise by the time I went to the fifth class. Rahasa sir was our drawing teacher, and when we drew the picture of a brinjal, we had to write BRINJAL below it since it looked like a pumpkin. But by the time I passed third standard, I was very good in drawing, and most teachers encouraged me to go ahead with the art. I appeared in the scholarship examination both in standard III and standard V and was selected for the same. I remember receiving some money towards the scholarship twice or thrice, which my class teacher put in my shirt pocket and asked me to hand it over to my parents.
I got admission to Chandra Shekhar Behera Zilla School, Sambalpur, when I completed the fifth standard from Dhanupali U.P. School. It was the most reputed high school in Sambalpur for study up to standard XI. At that time, the 10+2 pattern had not been introduced in Odisha.
The school
Though the school was old and functioned elsewhere, it was shifted to the new building in the Pensionpara area of Sambalpur by the time we got admission in the year 1971. The school had an impressive building and infrastructure with a huge field and pandal in front of it. Once, Balraj Sahni, the famous theatre and film artist, had come over here to address the students, guardians, and public. The school, with a hostel, had a good reputation in western Odisha, and students who came from nearby districts stayed in it.
The staff
The teaching staff was sincere, loving, and knowledgeable. Their teaching style was impressive. In addition to our class teachers, there were teachers who specialized in subjects like English and Mathematics. There were also Sanskrit, Hindi, and Urdu teachers. Sri Kulamani Tripathy, Sri Prema Padhi, Sri Bankanidhi Shatrushalya, and Sri Kunjabihari Mohapatra were prominent amongst them. There were also Dehury sir, Pujari sir, Babu sir, Majhi sir, Loknath sir, Satpathy sir, Meher sir, Shashi sir, Siba sir, and Tribikram sir, who were quite popular with the students. Occasionally, the principal of the local B.Ed. college came to the school for supervision. There was slight physical punishment by the teachers, which can hardly be called atrocity. We never complained about it to our parents.
What I did in the school
I had to travel by cycle daily to cover the odd three to four kilometers from Dhanupali to the school. I had accepted subjects like Physiology and Hygiene and Sanskrit in place of Mathematics and Hindi as optionals. We had to attend weekly compulsory classes on drill and carpentry. I had to work hard on Mathematics, for which I had to take tuition, and on overall standards, which I had maintained during my career up to the fifth standard. In the midst of studies, there were usual boyish pranks with friends.
After passing out my Matriculation (H.S.C.) examination, I got admission to Intermediate in Arts at Gangadhar Meher College, Sambalpur, in the year 1977.
The college
Gangadhar Meher College had a good reputation in the whole of western Odisha, and students from nearby districts like Sundargarh, Boudh-Phulbani, Bolangir, and Kalahandi came and studied here. The college had a massive building, huge area, and four to five hostels, including one for girls. It also had an enormous strength of students. There was facility for studies up to postgraduate level in the college, which has been given the status of an autonomous university in recent times.
The staff
The teaching staff was very sincere, knowledgeable, and loving. Prominent amongst them were Sri Manish Chakravorty, Sri Harishankar Panda, Sri Makta Bhoi, Sri Anthony Nag, Sri Sisir Kumar Swain, Sri Dilip Kumar Panda, Sri Ashok Pujari, Sri Giridhari Prasad Guru, Sri Dadhibaban Mishra, and Sri Nandi Pujari. All the teachers were sincere and never forgot to take extra classes on holidays. Their teaching style was so impressive that even today I remember what they have taught. What was conspicuous by its absence in the college was physical punishment.
What I did in the college
I concentrated on my studies in Intermediate in Arts and secured good marks in the final examination. I also got some scholarship for my marks in it. Then I opted for English Honours in graduation. With English and two optional subjects, I passed out with Honours and distinction. I was too engrossed in studies to think of any other matter. I did play games like cricket and football for their own sake. I mixed up with all my friends and played indoor games like carrom with them.
After graduation, I got admission to Sambalpur University for my post-graduation in English in the year 1981.
The University
Sambalpur University was the only university then in western Odisha. It had a massive campus with four to five hostels, including one or two for girls. Students from the whole of western Odisha came over here for studies.
The staff
The teaching staff was sincere, loving, and knowledgeable. In the PG Department of English, Dr. Madhusudan Pati, Dr. Haladhar Panda, Dr. Jugal Kishore Chand, and Dr. Vijay Kumar Tripathy taught us English literature and Linguistics. They were all well-versed in the subjects that they taught.
What I did in the University
I concentrated on my studies and opted for English literature with Linguistics as an optional. I was a day scholar and went from Sambalpur to attend classes in government as well as private buses. With my concentration on studies of English literature, Linguistics, and Phonetics, along with masterpieces of English literature and magazines, I scored good marks and passed out from the University in the year 1983.
I was lucky enough to get the best of friends, study atmosphere, schools, college, and University, teaching and non-teaching staff during the period from 1966 to 1983. Whatever I am today and whatever success I have achieved in life, I owe a great deal to my schools, college, University, and teachers.
(The views expressed are the writer’s own)
Mr. Prafulla Kumar Majhi,
Retired Asst. Director, A. I. R, is an eminent Scholar and freelance writer in English & Odia. His areas of interests are sociocultural, economic, literary, historical and analytical studies and writings.
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