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Remember the
famous Bran Adams number – summer of 69! Well this summer is
going flamboyant for Ramanimohan Pal, who at his age of 69 years
has every reason to smile. This sexagenarian came to
 the media
limelight in Northeast when he appeared for the Higher Secondary
examination in Tripura at the age of 69. He once again finds the
cameras flashing hard at him because he has created a record of
some sort by cracking the higher secondary examinations. Pal has
successfully passed the examination for which result were
declared recently by the Tripura Board of Secondary Education,
as an external candidate.
While
talking to this reporter he was totally elated. "I am not
surprised because I felt that I could clear it, but I am glad
that I have tasted success at this old age." He was so delighted
that tears of happiness trickled down. "I have no words to thank
the local media here for highlighting my effort. I hope old
people like me will find encouragement by reading my story on
the website" Pal added.
Ramanimohan
Pal is a retired government employee and a proud father of two
sons and one daughter, all of them well established as
engineers, Pal toiled hard to provide proper education to his
children. Now that they are established in their respective
fields, still a young student at heart, Pal felt that the best
way to utilise his retired life would be to sit for the H.S.
Examinations and crack it. Pal's perseverance is all the more
praise worthy when he decided to continue with studies at an age
when he finds himself mostly bothered with heart ailments.
“It was in
1967, when I last appeared for the intermediate examinations.
The venue was the prestigious Maharaja Bir Bikram College. But
on the very first day, soon after the invigilator distributed
the question papers, I decided not to write the examination and
left the hall," recalled Pal, while interacting with this
reporter over a plate of sweets.
He was then
an employee of the Tripura Territorial Council, now a defunct
body. Later, he was engaged in the Public Works Department from
where he retired in 1996. He joined the Tripura government
service in 1958.
His extreme
urge to realize his dreams made him determined to sit for the
examinations amidst the teenagers. "It was not easy for me. I
took some time to make up my mind. Last year also I filled up
the form but ultimately did not go ahead with the plan. I was
not totally convinced, but this year was determined. I was never
worried about the outcome, I feel education is for all at any
age," Pal said.
The subjects
that he is appeared and passed are Economics, Political Science
and Economics and Geography, apart from Bengali and English. He
scored 356 out of 1000 to succeed in the examination.
Pal had his
initial schooling at Belonia Vidyapeeth in South Tripura
district. He studied up to Class IX there and always came first
in the class. This fact obviously confirms that he was indeed a
good student.
Later, his
family shifted to Agartala and he joined the government service
bringing an abrupt end to his educational career. "After
retirement I had enough time to concentrate on my studies and it
was then when I felt I should complete the unfinished task," Pal
said.
Back home,
his family members are ecstatic with his success. His wife Leela
Pal was so happy that she could not utter a word. "We are simply
proud of him. I don’t have words to express my happiness. It's
like a dream for us."
As this reporter prepared to leave
Pal's premises he suddenly asked “will I get admission in
college?” the query itself speaks of his next step, which
according to him would be pursuing his graduation from
prestigious Maharaja Bir Bikram College at Agartala.
Time will
say if Pal manages to put on the tag of a grad but it is for
sure that Pal would go down to the memory lanes as an iconic
figures of adult literacy in Northeastern India.
June 2007
Ratnadeep
Choudhury is a freelance journalist based in Agartala, the
capital of Northeastern India state of Tripura. He can be
contacted at ratnadeepscribe@gmail.com |
