I have lived away from India for a long time, almost eight years now. Although I am not physically there, my thoughts are always with my country and my state Assam. My attachment to my homeland constantly finds expression in an innate desire to contribute something for the people who live there. We often discuss the situation back home in Assam, through AssamNet , a mailing list of Assamese people. I am also a regular subscriber to Prantik, a well-regarded magazine founded by late Bhabendra Nath Saikia. It was through an issue of Prantik that I came to know of Prajnalaya. Prajnalaya is an institution where children of poor and uneducated parents get opportunities to learn, grow and flourish in a congenial environment. I was so moved by the story of Prajnalaya that I decided to contact the organization. I visited Prajnalaya in the month of April 2006 while I was on a trip to Assam. Prajnalaya is located in the interior village of Saraipani near the town of Titabar, Jorhat.
Prajnalaya was established by Mr. Jugal Bhuyan. Jugal Bhuyan had genuine love for the people of Assam when he joined the insurgency; he thought that he would be able to bring justice to the poor and underprivileged. However, it did not take long for him to realize the futility of violence and back to the mainstream. But, unlike many others who accepted government money for self-promotion, Bhuyan decided to serve the people by starting a residential school in his village. He brought meaning and purpose into his life by opening the institution of Prajnalaya. Diverting from a path leading to darkness to a path showing light, Jugal Bhuyan, with advice and inspiration of his long-term teacher and mentor Suresh Rajkhowa, realized that a prosperous society could be created not through violence but through noble work and sacrifice.
Jugal decided to do something for society by engaging himself with these children, who had no parents to look after them. That is how Prajnalaya was born. Without taking a single penny from any government or private agency, Jugal built a bamboo house for the children on his ancestral land. His only capital at that time was a piece of land obtained from his grandmother’s property and a few thousand rupees he had earned through manual labor. He started the school building with that money. His friend Bitu Gogoi, encouraged by Jugal’s work obtained a loan of Rs 50,000, and with that money Jugal completed the school building and the residential building of Prajnalaya, called the Ashtha. In Ashtha, the children get free food, clothing and education.
Today, Prajnalaya, the school, has more than 180 students, and around eighty of them stay in the dormitory. Some of the students are orphans. Some of the parents are too poor to provide them education. Prajnalaya aims for the overall personality development of these kids, teaching them the rich cultural heritage of Assam along with the regular coursework.
The residential dormitory Ashtha also houses Anamika, a physically retarded girl. The girl, with serious wounds on her body, was found at the Gauhati Medical College Hospital. The parents of that girl apparently left her without any trace.
Childline, a Non-Governmental Organization based in Guwahati, rescued the girl in May of 2004 and bore all her medical expenses, but it had to keep her in the office as no city orphanage was ready to accept her. These orphanages refused to take the child in, saying they did not have the facilities to keep a mentally challenged child. Prajnalaya got in touch with Childline as soon as they came to know of the girl. “We have named her Anamika, the girl without a name. We are glad that we were able to provide her with shelter,” Jugal Bhuyan narrated the moving story to me. Anamika now not only has a home of her own with a loving and caring family, but she has also shown remarkable recovery. The girl is now beginning to feel comfortable, and the once shy Anamika is slowly opening up, making friends with the other children.
The activities of Prajnalaya are interesting and innovative for a small town like Titabor. It has its own constitution. The Prajnalaya constitution states its mission as “Prajnalaya has been formed in a crucial period when everywhere one can see the ravages of human values. The principal objective of Prajnalaya is enhancing the eagerness and devotion of people to their culture, language, heritage, literature etc. and to indicate the goodness in man. Prajnalaya will try to restore the social values, which have been gradually lost. With deep optimism, Prajnalaya will try to influence its learners by taking sturdy steps towards guiding them to a more secured and self reliant future.”
Prajnalaya emphasizes teaching knowledge of self-reliance through manual labor and knowledge of native art and culture. They also teach the children to be responsive to society and serve their neighbors at the times of need such as during natural calamities.
Jugal Bhuyan along with other teachers and volunteers of Prajnalaya have shown tremendous dedication in working towards the upliftment of the Titabor area. I observed this clearly through my interactions at the institution and through my discussions with the nearby villagers. However, Prajnalaya will need outside help for its continued existence. Today, Prajnalaya, with its 180 students and around eighty of them staying in the dormitory, requires about twenty thousand rupees per month on average for its expenses, the school also needs filter for clean drinking water, mosquito nets for the children, school uniforms and utensils. Prajnalaya is also planning on innovative schemes such starting organic fertilizer plants, building fisheries, and establishing weaving and handlooms to generate income and self-sustain these plans are capital intensive and any amount of generous monetary help from well-wishers will surely help them.
I sincerely wish that Prajnalaya will succeed and it will also inspire other Assamese youth to come forward for such noble efforts.
by Ankur Bora
Note : Please contact Ankur Bora at ankurbora@hotmail.com to know more about Prajnalaya or if you plan to visit the institution.
(Ankur Bora is a Computer Engineer by profession and lives with his family in Austin, Texas, USA)
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