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Age no bar for 65-year-old widow to study

By Tejesh Tripathi

BONGAIGAON, March 10 � A 65-year-old widow is studying in class VI after formally passing class V from a village primary school in Bongaigaon district.

Amina Bewa, a mother of six sons and three daughters and resident of No 1 Basbari, 45 km south-east from Bongaigaon district head quarters, joined Salabila Middle English Madrasa this year in class VI after passing her final exam of class V in third division from No 1 Basbari Madhyapara Lower Primary School.

Amina, widow of late Taif Ali, a farmer, took admission in class I in 2009 and was a regular student in the primary school, which is close to her residence, said the head mistress Rahima Khatun. �Amina was studious and did her class work sincerely�, she said.

Three of Anima�s sons are farmers, one is a teacher, one is a trader and the youngest one is doing his Masters in Education from the Institute of Distance and Open Learning under Gauhati University. Her three daughters are married.

�My mother studies for long at night but in the morning she studies less�, said Akbar Badsah, Amina�s youngest son.

In class VI, Amina�s roll number is 24 in the school register and she sits with 13-year old class mate Arjina Khatun in the front bench.�Amina can read, write and learn lessons like us, but she feels a little tired to come regularly to school�, said Arjina.

Amina�s Middle English school is around 4 km from her residence, hence she skips classes these days but she is sincere in her studies at home, said Rahima.

�Though Amina is a slow learner, we feel no problem to teach her in the class�, said Abdul Baten, a Science teacher.

Who would give me a job at this age? Amina questioned and said, �But after being literate at least I can read religious books (Haadis) at home�.

The All Assam Minority Students� Union would felicitate Amina for her achievement in their conference at Jogighopa in Bongaigaon on March 22, said Rezaul Karim Sarkar, general secretary of the student body.

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