Big Achievement

Guwahati, Aug. 22: Khargeswar Talukdar High School in Assam’s Baksa district is as proud of its students today as of the name it bears.

After languishing in neglect for more than three decades, the school, which takes its name from the first martyr of anti-foreigners movement, is poised on the springboard of glory with five of its students awaiting laptops from chief minister Tarun Gogoi for the first time.

The school was set up at Chenimara village soon after Talukdar was bludgeoned to death by police in December 1979 during the Assam Agitation.

The martyr’s father, Gauri Kanta Talukdar, who visited the school in 1981, had urged the teachers to produce patriots like his son who could do anything for their motherland.

Finally, hope has dawned with the school registering its best-ever performance in matric exams this year although it still has a long way to go.

An elated headmaster, Prafulla Kalita, told The Telegraph that Shabina Yasmin of the school has scored an aggregate of more than 50 per cent. She missed the first division by a close margin. Four other students have also managed to get second division.

“We are all proud of Shabina’s performance. The school is proud that five students will receive the prestigious Anundoram Borooah Award, which carries a laptop and a certificate from the chief minister. It will give the school instant recognition and boost its morale to perform better in future,” he said. “Since 2005, I and my colleagues have been watching the laptop distribution on television. This time we will see students from my school also in the ceremony. The school will leave no stone unturned to produce first division holders next year,” he added.

The school, however, still does not have even the basic infrastructure like proper classrooms, desks, benches and electricity. Kalita said most students were very poor and could not afford uniforms and textbooks.

Since the Anundoram Borooah award was instituted in 2005, more than 1 lakh matric first division holders have been given computers and laptops. From this year, the government is giving the award to second division holders as well with the objective of making more students IT savvy.

A study conducted by TechAtEdu, a website, on behalf of Assam Electronics Development Corporation Ltd (Amtron) has found that the award has helped mobilise a change in social attitude towards the award’s recipients in general and girls in particular, raising hopes of taking education for girls another step forward.