Mal Adarsha Bidya Bhaban
Chronicle
1944
Before Independence
It was that time when there was not even a single primary school exists in Mal-Bazar, the hilly area of North-Bengal. It was once predominated by the persons of colonial, interests and mood, in one hand, and the depressed hummanity, distressed on the other. For reasons, best known to the landholders and nerrowminded Tea-Planters of the locality, light of education was not vouchsafed and radiated. They knew it full-well that eduction was the only weapon that could remove the maldies of their administrative wrongs and it was the interest of interested many to steal even more.
Black-Water Fever
Mal-Bazar was notorious for Black-water fever. Many had succumbed to death by this deadly disease. When the wife of the Medical Officer lost her life due to same a panic caused amongst all other doctors of the Board and they point blank refused to come to Mal-Bazar even at the cost of their service. When all seems lost, one man stood up against all the odds and volunteered himself to come here. He is Dr. Narayan Chandra Banerjee, a renowned physician of that time and more of the social ailments. Later he became the very firsy founder-secretary of Mal Adarsha Bidya Bhaban. He not only fought against the Black-Water fever but also take the initiative and came forward and took a lead to set up a school, what he truly believed is the only weapon in bringing an enormous change in the current situation.
An Insult to Remember
The public of Mal though not a big one felt acutely the burning need of a School. Though some abortive attempt were made to run private school on primary basis their longivity was short. It was clearly perceived that a public school on a public ground was necessary. At that time every inch of land of Mal including Post Office, Thana, Railway Station and Bazar was being owned by Haihaipatha T.E., now known as Rupali T.E.
One day Dr. Narayan Chandra Banarjee and some gentlemen of the locality went to the Bunglow of the Manager to request him for a grant of a piece of his waste-land on which a thatched house could be constructed for a primary school. It was in 1944. But they were not only rudely refused but actually driven out his Bunglow. To add insult to injury, Dr. Narayan Chandra Banarjee was stoped on the road next day and ordered to forget the idea of the school.
"Doc, forget the idea of your school. If you don't we shall chase you out of Duars. We don't like to have any school this side school will bring all the problems"
Freedom and Birth of Mal Adarsha Bidya Bhaban
Darker the night nearer the dawn. The day of Independence at last dawned on the morning of 15th August 1947, which served the shackle of slavery. The very attitute and autocracy of the planter changed overnight. The picture and atmosphere looked different. The people of Mal not for a single moment forgot their crying need of the school, now in a bigger and higher scale. They lost no time to fulfil their long cherished idea.
A public meeting was convened in the premises of the local cinema hall on 1st January, 1948. Sri K.N Das Gupta, M.L.A., Jalpaiguri was the president and Sri D.N. Mukharjee, S.D.O., Jalpaiguri was the Chief Guest. There was a mammoth gathering as all the Tea Garden employees attended it. It was unanimously resolved that for the time being the abandoned "Sergeant Kuthi" be occupied and a Schhol, not a primary this time nut a full fledged High Schhol be started immediately. A big organising committe representing all sections was formed in that meeting with Sri D. N. Mukherjee and Dr N.C Banarjee as the President and Secretary respectively. The School was named as Mal Adarsha Bidya Bhaban before it was born. Sri Mukharjee being an orthodox Brahmin demanded for an Almanac for an auspecious day for the opening of the school. 23rd January was the auspicious birth day of Netajee and that was the target day for the birth of Adarsha Bidya Bhaban.
The Old "Sergent Kuthi"
The old dilapidated ‘Sergeant Kuthi’ which was built in the second part of nineteenth century mainly for the cause of newly set up tea gardens managers at the time when this vast foot hill area was mainly wasteful land full of jungles and bushes with ferocious wild beast and almost uninhabited. The British sergeant with cavalry troop works from this Kuthi to maintain laws and order safety and security of the planters.
"Time has changed. India has got freedom. Colonial empire is now history. "
In this vacant Kuthi Mal Adarsha Bidyabhaban was started in 1948 and with the progress of the school many dignitaries blessed it at different times and evaluated the importance of this ‘Kuthi’ in shaping Mal and its development.
There are no Sergeants, no British planters present now but the kuthi is still telling its story of the past. The old sergeant Kuthi which was once stamped as civil administrative building, now known as school administrative building of Mal Adarsha Bidyabhabar.
On the Auspicious Day
23rd January, 1948
On the auspicious day of 23rd January, 1948 the School came to existence and the register of the School for admission of students was opened by Sri Rai Mohan Goswami, the first and one of the best teachers of the School. About 56 students including boys and girls were admitted on that day.
Subsequently, a banking account was opened with Dooars Union Bank, Mal (Jalpaiguri). Students had to pay Tution Fees as shown below :
- Rs. 2.00 for Class V
- Rs. 2.50 for Class VI
- Rs. 3.00 for Class VII
- Rs. 3.50 for Class VIII
First Committe Members
In the very infancy of this school, a Sub-Committe was formed for raising an adequate fund. The members are as follows.
- Dulal Chandra Sengupta
- Dr. Narayan Chandra Banerjee
- Makhanlal Basu
- K. C. Saha
- Kalipada Dutta
- Sarat Chandra Ghosh
- B. Banerjee
- Agnidayal Singh
- Md. Omer Ali Ahmed
Sj. Raimohon Goswami was entrusted with the charge of Headmaster of the proposed school. Sj. Sumati Datta was the Headmaster for the second time of this school and his time was fruitful in the sense that the school in the meantime had awaken in the public a wide enthusiasm.
Thankless Contribution
Well, to pass a resolution is one thing but to implement the same is quite different. There was breathing time of 3 weeks only. There was no fund, no furniture and no teacher even the site selected for the school was inaccessible for jungles. The first contribution came from Sri K.P Dutta, Head-Clerk of Haihaipatha T.E for clearing the jungles. Expenses to run the school had to depend absolutely on public contributions. A group of volunteers came forward with a smiling face and indomitable energy to shoulder the thankless job of collecting contributions from all sections of people of every villages of Mal, matelli and Nagrakata Thanas. They were Agni Dayal Singh, N.G. Kar, Makhan Lal Bose, Robi Chakroborty, Sudhangshu Das Gupta, Dulal Sen Gupta, Kamakshya Chakroborty, Paresh Biswas, Phani Das Gupta many others.
Amongst the high Govt. officials Sri H. Banarjee, I.C.S., Sri R. Roy, I.C.S., Sri K. K. Sengupta, Sri B. Mazumder, I.C.S., helped the school in various ways. Sri Roy, then D.C. of Darjeeling took the trouble to coming down to Siliguri for the sole purpose of arranging a considerable quantity of Sal Timbers of high quality at special concession rate. Dr. K. K. Sengupta escorted Dr. D. M. Sen, Education Secretary and D.P.I. without his knowledge from Jalpaiguri straight to Mal Adarsha Bidya Bhaban only to show him the progress of the school and the amount of money and energy the public had spent, and extracted promise from him about Govt. recognition and financial help. Dr. Sen kept his promise.
Higher Secondary Status
The School took the concrete shape when Sri Tara Kanta Mitra, B.A. B.T. took over the charge of the schhol as the Headmaster. He was an experienced Headmaster and was fully conversant with all the rules and regulations of Educational Code. It was due to his untiring energy that the School was put into its stride and made a rapid progress. He was also very good at accounting. After sometime the School was upgraded to Higher Secondary School with Hummanities and Commerce stream. But for want of science stream the Doors of Higher Technical colleges such as Medical and Engineering remain closed for the students of the School. In the mean time the committe was formed according to the Educational Code with Sri S. P. Roy, M. P. and Dr N. C. Banarjee as President and secretary respectively.
Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy
Many Schools envied Mal Adarsha Bidya Bhaban for the rare fortune of being blessed by the august visit of Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy, of dynamic personality. The School ows the sanction of much coveted Science stream and grant for Science building and boys' hostel to the visit of Dr. Roy. The Committe under Sri S. P. Roy , M.P. and Headmaster Sri Tara Kanta Mitra had to bear the burden of guiding the toddling School to take a firm stand on its legs.
