Feature

Unforgettable 'tomtomani nok':
Modhupur's Shantiniketon

Dr. Bijoy Bhushon Das

MADHUPUR is a sweet name to those who like pineapples of great quality and of big size. However, AIUB's Anthropology students in collaboration with the Departments of Mass Communication and Advertisements did not visit Modhupur for any 'pineapplic' reason! It was a study tour as a part of their course to get acquainted with the lifestyle of the Garo community, the original ethnic group of the place. In this regard, we gratefully acknowledge the benevolent assistant of Mr. Philip Gain, Director of the Society for Environment and Human Development, who finalized all arrangements in Modhupur.

Accordingly, two new Nissan buses of the university carrying 40 students under the guidance of four teachers of the respective departments started from the Banani campus at 7.25 am for Modhupur.

After about three hours, as we reached the Upazila headquarter of Modhupur, we were awestruck at the dazzling sight of stacks of pineapples and bananas. We were, so to say, in the sea of juicy golden pineapples.

For collecting data, that was the main purpose of the tour, we entered the Corpus Christy Parish (with prior permission of course), a Christian mission meant for the over all development of the Christian members of the Garo community. An environment of quietness, neatness and cleanness reigned there supreme. In the meantime, the teachers Dr. Buddha Dev Biswas, Ms. Farhana Zaman, Ms. Sumaiya Habib, Mr. Niaz Majumder, gave their briefing to the students. Like a captivating orator, Dr. Buddha Dev described the entire purpose of this tour and asked all students to act in such a manner so that future researchers of AIUB will be received cordially. Soon the Fathers of the local church received us with cordial hospitality and helped us in all possible ways. We looked around the entire socio-educational system of the Garo community maintained immaculately by the Church authority.

Our girls spent some time singing and dancing with the Garo female students who enjoyed our program very much. Then we went to Garo houses; got first hand experience on their lives & living. We were amazed to see all the houses very neat and clean.

Soon we started for our last destinationanother Christian mission. We were passing through hilly areas amid the pineapple fields on both sides. When reached the mission, we were surprised again seeing the natural beauties of the surrounding. All houses were mud built but the atmosphere gave us a feeling that we were in the lap of Mother Nature. It was lunch time. We sat for lunch because it was arranged earlier. Most of us the taste of Garo food taste for the first time in our life. The Garo ladies have prepared the dal, the fried vegetables and meat but in Bangali delicacy. At the end desert was served with pineapples which were as fresh as juicy.

Our students very well realized the essence of Bangladeshi-ness, the lesson that irrespective of class, creed and ethnicity, we are one nation with one destinylet us be educated and thrive for success. As we left Modhupur, the sweet memories started cropping in our minds. The good-looking Garo people, the charming behavior of missionary fathers, the Garo ladies who cooked our lunch, and the beautiful nature…all became a part of our memoryin a permanently mesmerizing way!

(The writer is an Assistant Professor of English department, AIUB)