‘My Hero’ series: Honoring a teacher - Rokho

That's Rokho with Daughter
All Photo taken from Rokho's facebook page with permission

The first time I heard his soft yet deep toned voice was over the phone. He was then serving in the Border Security Force (BSF) and was posted somewhere in Punjab. It was very rare or rather the only time that my husband, then my fiancé, would make me talk to his friends over phone. Later, I learned that it was him who insisted to talk to me. He was one of my husband’s childhood friends. His name is Rokho Duomai.

A year later after the telephonic talk, I met him in person during our wedding where he was a signatory witness. He along with some other friends and my husband took me around introducing me to all the fields, jungles and the people of their village, Phuba Thapham. He and his wife have two beautiful kids, a girl and a boy. The daughter, the older one, happens to be of the same age as my daughter. Upon my request, they have also agreed to make our daughters ‘khyo’, a lifelong friendship bond traditionally made between boys and hopefully some day soon we can complete the ritual that seals the ‘khyo’. After the death of his father, as the elder son he also took the responsibility of raising his younger siblings, one of them whom I happen know well is currently studying in the prestigious IIT, Delhi. He and some other friends also started an initiative of giving scholarships to deserving girl students studying in the village. These are some of the many reasons why I value him and his family. But above all these, he’s a hero and here’s why…

Most people from Manipur who got education from outside the state prefer pursuing their career outside the state including the likes of me. Reasons may vary from lack of opportunity to corruption to occasionally security concerns (though outsider may see that as the main reason). But here was one who decided to go back, not because he did not find other greener pastures elsewhere, but because he wanted to. And unlike many others who do go back for want of easy living where no one dares to question insincerity at workplace, he went to make a difference. Not only did he go back but he also joined education department, the most notorious (according to my judgment) of all departments in corruption. Either the enthusiastic new employee (how they are recruited is another story I’m choosing to ignore at the moment) is greeted with a school that does not exist or a school whose building has become a cow shed.

The School Campus

Experience had made me a little skeptical even about ‘good’ people who do go back home with positive determination but eventually becoming part of the system, if not worst. I don’t necessarily blame them for what becomes of them as the state of affairs happen to be against anybody who tries to be better. So, few years into his service as the Assistant Head Master at the Government High school at Phuba, when I met him last winter I did not have much expectation.

Meeting him and seeing his work however was an excitingly new experience. I was informed that he didn’t bribe anyone to get his job! This piece of information definitely did rekindle my lost hope in Manipur.  Besides, he still had the motivation and his work reflected genuine passion. The school didn’t have a Head Master for some reason but I’m glad they didn’t have one as Rokho can function as the Head. He literally brought the dead school alive. Along with the rejuvenation of the school hopes returned for the most vulnerable children of the village. Among my definition of the most vulnerable includes orphans, whose responsibilities are usually shared among relatives, children of widows, children of single mothers, girl children of big family whose parents can only afford the education of their boys, disabled children and the likes.  Despite many struggling in the process most other people were somehow able to send their children away from the village to the nearby towns and cities for education.

I saw the joy on his face when he took us to show the buildings that were coming up in school campus. He informed us that some of the rooms would be used to accommodate the growing numbers of students in the school. Some others were to be used as hostels for students from neighboring villages where schools don’t exist or rather don’t function. And to add to the good news was that the villagers themselves mobilized and contributed to the building of these structures coming up. I am of the opinion that it is the government’s duty to provide such infrastructure, but when the government mechanism fails to work and the common people are able to take over for a time being while advocating at the government level, I’m happy about it.

Students During PT class

Running the school without having the full strength of appointed teachers is another issue he had to deal with. He, along with few of the appointed teachers who make it to school, take extra classes whenever possible. Besides, other educated people from the village are also taken in as substitute teachers to make up for those teachers who refuse to work for the salary they get from the government. I’m told that few of these so called ‘teachers’ donate to the actual teachers who are teaching on their behalf some amount from their pay. Besides, the community people again contribute to the salary of the substitute teachers.

Lost in my own dreams for the school, I asked him what his dream was for the school. That the school will become the best in the region or that the school produces board exam toppers were some of the answers I was expecting. However, he very nicely brought me back to reality with this simple answer, “I wish more children will get enrolled to the school and start studying.”

This is the kind of teacher I celebrate this day. Happy Teachers Day! 

***If anyone is interested in contributing some amount to Rokho’s car project, you can email to veiopou@gmail.com.