TUKRAJHAR HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOL

TUKRAJHAR HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOL:

I joined the Post Graduate Training College, Shillong in the morning shift with the idea that I could get a job during the day time. But as luck would have it no jobs were forthcoming. I went on applying. Though I was enjoying the course I badly needed a job. During the mid of the session I received four calls. It was a difficult decision now. Two were interviews and two were Appointment letters. I started short-listing them. The interview at Kendriya Vidyalaya somewhere at Guwahati for the post of PGT (English) on a contract basis could be left out. Interview at Gohpur College was also left out – I needed a job. The lecturer’s post at Golakganj College was not very promising either. It promised of a fixed salary of Rs 500/- and free accommodation. The other job was that of a Subject Teacher in Tukrajhar Higher Secondary School. The Appointment had come from the Inspector of Schools, Dhubri and a scale was mentioned. This was the most lucrative of the lot. But where in the earth was this place Tukrajhar. Those that from Kokrajhar said there was no such place in the globe. I vaguely remembered an ex-colleague of mine from Zunheboto College that this place was near Bongaigaon (near his home town). A classmate of mine brought the news that buses plied from Bongaigaon to Bengtal and one has to walk from Bengtal onwards till Tukrajhar. There was no hiding my joy. I had conquered the world. I put in an application requesting the Principal to allow me leave till the exams, which was grudgingly accepted. I remember to have left with a heavy suitcase, a bedding and a guitar. No matter in which part of the globe was this place I was ready to move. I took a train to Bongaigaon. It reached in the morning. It was drizzling. I took a porter and asked him to take to the bus station from where buses for left. The porter took me round and round Bongaigaon and arrived at a bus station just adjacent to the railway station. There to my pleasant surprise was a bus meant for Tukrajhar itself! The porter charged heavily though! The passengers reacted at the porterage only after the porter had left satisfied. The passenger next to me was a Child Development Project Officer from Nongstoin, West Khasi Hills District of Meghalaya. He happened to be an ex student of Tukrajhar Higher Secondary. At least there was a school in that name really. Clanking and squeaking the bus reached Tukrajhar at last. All my enthusiasm left me at the sight of this hamlet. We somehow found a shed to save ourselves from the drizzle. After a lot of assurance from my co-passenger I agreed to enter an inn from where I could at least look after my luggage, though it would not have been possible for to run fast enough to catch a thief who might choose to run away with my luggage. I was asked to eat chicken’s head with tea – frankly, I was more confused than shocked at the suggestion. Unable to make a comment I found out to my pleasant surprise was that the chicken’s head was actually a sweet made out of dough which we use we use know as spring (lobongo is Bengali). I had to go to the school but did not know what to do with my luggage. After a lot persuasion and assurance that nothing will happen to my luggage and that a staff from the school will come back to collect my favourite guitar and the bedding I left with my heavy suitcase. The sight of the school was reassuring and the Principal even more. Grey (actually white) haired spoke English and that too with a lot of aspirations. I was bowled over. But my first query was about my luggage. I was assured that some one had already gone to fetch them. Next was that as I was still a student of B.Ed I needed Leave on two occasions – once during the Test and later for the Final Examination as also the Final Teaching. I was very politely asked to join first. But I insisted that these be granted first. After being assured I joined. I again wanted to know about the fate of my luggage. I was told that they had reached my quarters. I immediately wanted to leave for my quarters to check my belongings. A teacher of that school predicted that I was not going to last long in that school. True to his words I worked there for a little over than seven months.