Father’s Death – The family scatters
In 1933 we all went to Rajabari in Jorhat, Assam – our home – for marriage of our eldest sister Saleha Sultana with Dianuddin Ahmed of Dibrugarh. On return to Calcutta after the marriage we again continued our studies in Calcutta. Motika passed his B.A and joined the University for his M.A. Hoontika on finishing his I.Sc joined the East India Railway School at Jamalpur, in Bihar as and apprentice to become Electrical and Mechanical Engineer. Noquika joined Presidency College as and Arts students. Sonaka and myself were in Class VI. Eileen and Babu were in primary classes.
Fathers love and affection towards us made our lives full of fun and activities. Since we were born and brought up in Bengal we could only speak in Bengali and did not know a word in Assamese– our mother tongue. This did not in any way curb our activities as Father always allowed us to do whatever we wanted. I now realise that he did not like to curb our initiatives. One day I met a British soldier on the road and invited him to our house for my birthday. He came and was well received by Father. We learnt to ride cycle by paying two annas for half-an-hour hire charge. Sonaka was very fond of kite flying and he had a large stock of pigeons. We often use to go to the big park to play football. As a matter of fact we all brothers were reasonably good football players.
In 1934 when our lives seem(ed) to be progressing smoothly, Father, who was a diabetic patient, suddenly fell ill with a big carbuncle on his back. He suffered for a few days remaining unconscious most of the time. Whenever for a short while he regained his sense he used to call us by his bedside and look at us speechless but tears rolling down his eyes, for he knew the end was nearing.
Hoontika arrived from Jamalapur. Uncles Badaruddin and Danish Mohammad reached from Jorhat and telegrams were sent to Dibrugarh asking my sister to come. By this time all the Doctors attending to him gave up hope since he had then developed septicemia due to diabetes and that dreaded carbuncle at his back. At last on 14th February 1934 Father also left us for good, thus we all became complete orphans at very tender age without any support or subsistence.
His untimely death at the age of 52 years was mourned by everyone in Calcutta and elsewhere in Bengal and Assam. His ‘janaza’ prayer at Park Circus Maidan was attended by all his admirers from all communities. He was finally laid to his eternal rest at the Gobra Muslim graveyard in Calcutta. The once lively house of ours became a gloomy place. Two day later Baity and Dian Bhinty arrived from Dibrugarh to the empty house. Baity fainted when I told her, as she was climbing up the staircase, that Father was no more with us.
Father did not leave behind much of property except his house in Rajabari. For the marriage of our sister he had taken money from his Provident Fund. So with his death we not only became orphans but also penniless.
Mr. Osman a friend of Father took charge of Motika, Hoontika left for Jamalpur to continue his apprenticeship with E.I Railway. Noquika left for Gauhati to continue his studies at Cotton College. Sister and brother-in-law left for Dibrugarh along with Eileen. Our uncle Badaruddin took charge of Sonaka, self and Babu. We left with him for Rajabari, Jorhat by Assam Mail to start our most difficult period, which in retrospect helped us to face the world boldly. It was the first time we got scattered due to force of circumstances, never to rejoin or reunite together under the same roof.
Fathers love and affection towards us made our lives full of fun and activities. Since we were born and brought up in Bengal we could only speak in Bengali and did not know a word in Assamese– our mother tongue. This did not in any way curb our activities as Father always allowed us to do whatever we wanted. I now realise that he did not like to curb our initiatives. One day I met a British soldier on the road and invited him to our house for my birthday. He came and was well received by Father. We learnt to ride cycle by paying two annas for half-an-hour hire charge. Sonaka was very fond of kite flying and he had a large stock of pigeons. We often use to go to the big park to play football. As a matter of fact we all brothers were reasonably good football players.
In 1934 when our lives seem(ed) to be progressing smoothly, Father, who was a diabetic patient, suddenly fell ill with a big carbuncle on his back. He suffered for a few days remaining unconscious most of the time. Whenever for a short while he regained his sense he used to call us by his bedside and look at us speechless but tears rolling down his eyes, for he knew the end was nearing.
Hoontika arrived from Jamalapur. Uncles Badaruddin and Danish Mohammad reached from Jorhat and telegrams were sent to Dibrugarh asking my sister to come. By this time all the Doctors attending to him gave up hope since he had then developed septicemia due to diabetes and that dreaded carbuncle at his back. At last on 14th February 1934 Father also left us for good, thus we all became complete orphans at very tender age without any support or subsistence.
His untimely death at the age of 52 years was mourned by everyone in Calcutta and elsewhere in Bengal and Assam. His ‘janaza’ prayer at Park Circus Maidan was attended by all his admirers from all communities. He was finally laid to his eternal rest at the Gobra Muslim graveyard in Calcutta. The once lively house of ours became a gloomy place. Two day later Baity and Dian Bhinty arrived from Dibrugarh to the empty house. Baity fainted when I told her, as she was climbing up the staircase, that Father was no more with us.
Father did not leave behind much of property except his house in Rajabari. For the marriage of our sister he had taken money from his Provident Fund. So with his death we not only became orphans but also penniless.
Mr. Osman a friend of Father took charge of Motika, Hoontika left for Jamalpur to continue his apprenticeship with E.I Railway. Noquika left for Gauhati to continue his studies at Cotton College. Sister and brother-in-law left for Dibrugarh along with Eileen. Our uncle Badaruddin took charge of Sonaka, self and Babu. We left with him for Rajabari, Jorhat by Assam Mail to start our most difficult period, which in retrospect helped us to face the world boldly. It was the first time we got scattered due to force of circumstances, never to rejoin or reunite together under the same roof.
posted by Mac Haque at 8:29 PM
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