Naresh and Amita: Sibling love

Nakashipara, July 28: Nineteen-year-old Naresh always stood first in high school, but he will not go to college any more. He will be a labourer in Mumbai instead, so that his sister can study longer.

Naresh Mondal, a resident of Shibpur village in Nadia, scored 644 in Madhyamik in 2005. He got over 90 per cent in the science subjects and Bengali. In his HS exams, he scored 375 out of 500, with over 80 per cent in mathematics and physics.

But he did not study BSc because the college fees were too high. He settled for geography (honours), taking admission to Krishnagar Government College last year.

Naresh’s father Shrishtidhar, a sharecropper, died of tuberculosis five years ago, leaving eldest son Ramesh, 22, as the family’s sole earning member.

Working as a farm labourer, Ramesh earned Rs 1,200 a month. It was not enough to pay for the education of both Naresh and sister Amita, who is in Class XI.

So their mother Basanti, 40, asked Amita to quit Shibpur High School last month and stay at home. “Amita is a girl and she doesn’t need to study more. It is Naresh who should study,” Basanti said.

“I knew her world would crumble. She shut the door and wept for hours.”

Naresh returned from college and learnt about his mother’s decision.

Amita said: “I was crying when dada came home. He heard everything and told me, ‘Don’t worry. You will study. I will quit college’.”

“Dada’s decision stunned us and I broke down again. He said he would go to Mumbai to work as a labourer. It is a very painful decision for him. He was a better student (in Shibpur High School) and the pride of the village,” said Amita.

Basanti, shocked by Naresh’s decision, told him to think it over. But last month, Naresh left for Mumbai with about 150 jobless youths, all school dropouts, to work as a construction labourer.

In a society where families put the education of boys far higher on the priority list than that of girls, Naresh’s decision has left Shibpur, about 140km from Calcutta, stunned.

Three years ago, Shibpur residents had raised money so that Naresh could get admission to Class XI.

Prabhat Joardar, a villager, said: “When we saw him leaving last month, we were shocked. He was such a good student. I tried to convince the villagers to raise funds for Amita, but they did not agree. After all, the education of girls is still considered secondary.”

Panchayat pradhan Sujata Haldar said the rural body did not have enough money to help needy students. “Our hands are tied,” she said.

“Both were good students,” said Shibpur High School headmaster Nikunja Bihari Majhi.

“We had helped them with books before their Madhyamik. Naresh’s decision was so sudden that he was gone before we could decide anything about Amita. It is shocking to think he will become a labourer. From Class V, he never stood second.”