Books Were The Only Crutches This Lone Woman Needed

An invalid child of a poor weaver family, Bibi managed to clear her intermediate examination-an achievement, considering that her six other normal siblings failed on that count. But her achievement has not been able to exorcise her of her nightmarish childhood memories. When other children jumped and ran about she simply watched them. "Sometimes I tried to imitate them but I fell down," she recalls. At school too she was a laughing stock. "Nobody helped me with my studies and I had to give tuitions to pay my school fees," Bibi says, a little bitter with the way life treated her at that stage. Her childhood friend Kushari was perhaps the sole exception. She not only encouraged her to study but also lent her books to Bibi. "Some of my teachers helped me with mathematics and English and I taught their children Arabic and Urdu in return."

In fact, this was the time-while she was still studying-that she decided to start a school of her own. That was in 1983. Initially, there were around 50 students. Now she teaches over 300 children in three shifts. Students from other schools come to her to learn Arabic and Urdu. At her school, Mohammadia Arabia (named after her), Arabic, Urdu, Hindi, English and Mathematics are taught.

Keeping in view the poor economic condition of her locality-dominated by weavers-she charges a token fees of only Rs 10 from each student. Amid all this, however, she still continues with her own studies.

Interestingly, she is the lone teacher and manages all the classes single-handedly. With slippers in her hands, she crawls from one corner to the other of the dingy, thatched-roof classroom. "I had to crawl this way to school as I was not in a position to afford a rickshaw," she explains. What kept her going were words of inspiration from Qari Saheb, Imam of the Nathnagar mosque. He told her to continue with her education so that by teaching children she could become financially independent and not feel handicapped. And he has been proved right. Bibi's school has lit up not only the lives of illiterate children who can now, thanks to her, appreciate knowledge's worth, but has also made her seemingly dark existence bright and sunny.

She is so involved with her school now that Bibi does not even have the time to think about her own life. "I have given up even thinking about marriage now," says the unrelenting crusader who seems to be wedded to her cause. She has been felicitated for her courage by local organisations like Safari Yuva Club and Social Justice Foundation in 1996 and 1997 respectively. Faroque Ali, a professor with the TNB College in Bhagalpur, often provides her with reading material. He regrets that the government has not done its promised bit for handicapped people like Bibi.

This explains Bibi's moments of dejection. "I will close down the school, then people will know my worth," she bursts out when questioned about the community's support.

However, she manages to tide over such states of her mind and dares to dream. She plans to shape her school in accordance with the curriculum of modern education. For this, she expects good samaritans to join her crusade.

Anybody who wishes to extend assistance to her project should contact Bibi Mohammadi at Naya Tola, Nathnagar, Bhagalpur, Bihar. She can also be contacted on Khushtari's phone: Tel no: 0641 (425782).