Jawahar High School Madhepur

'''Jawahar High School, Madhepur

Founder and secretary : BABU GUN PATI SINGH (1882–1958)

Courtesy : Dr. T.P. Singh

(Dr Tej Pati Singh)'''

s/o Late Ram Nandan Singh

Grandson of Lt Babu Gunpati Singh, Madhepur. Deorhi

Admitted in Jawahar High School in 1964-with District Merit scholarship &

passed out in 1968 with National Merit Scholarship. At present;

Dermatologist, Sadar Hospital, Deoghar.

Mob: 09431163660

Known, unknown and little-known facts

Jawahar High School previously known as Coronation High English schoolwas founded on 24 June 1914. Late Babu Gun Pati Singh a noble man of Madhepur Deorhi (a scion of Raj Darbhanga Family-great grand son of Maharaj Madhav Singh grandson of Maharaj Kumar Ramapati Singh and the youngest son of Babu Ghan Pati Singh) was its founder and he became the first Secretary of the school and remained so till 7 August 1951. He resigned on his personal grounds and thereafter left for 'Kashi Pravas'. He was born in 1882. When Sri Guni Babu was merely 3 years old, his father left for heavenly abode. As there was no school in the area he got"Deodhi Education" by Pandits and Maulvis. Perhaps this absence of school gave him an inspiration in the early childhood to have an educational institution in this area.

In the year 1914 when the entire world was agog with the news of impending World War (whistle for the war was blown on 28 July 1914-though it was perceived to be "A War to end all wars" but unfortunately & eventually it became World War 1"- commemoration for this war is being observed from 2014–2018), Shri Guni Babu had a meeting of the elites and the nobles of Pachahi Pragana. In the meeting it was unanimously decided to have an "English High School" at Madhepur and some of the attending members promised to contribute 200 rupees per month (Hefty amount - gold price in 1914 was 18.99rupees/ten gms). Guni Babu with a team of his own moved from village to village and door to door and collected contributions in cash and kind. At the same time begged for students - Dr. Lakshaman Jha acclaimed academician who later on became V.C of Mithila University was one of them. Finally the high school was inaugurated on 24 June 1914 by Mahamohopadhyay Dr. Sir Ganga Nath Jha-V.C of Allahabad University- Oxford of the East (perhaps the only Mahamohopadhyay having the title of Sir). Dr. Amarnath jha, his first son succeeded him as a regular V.C of that University ~ a unique example in the world - a son succeeding his father as V.C. The high school was named "Coronation High ENGLISH SCHOOL" Madhepur, so named to memorise the coronation of George 5th on 22nd June 1911- King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions & Emperor of India. Infact High school was upgradation of already existing middle school.(Present Darbhanga Medical College was also a medical school in the beginning). Temple Medical School was started in 1874 at Patna & shifted to Darbhanga in 1925 and became a college in 1946. Sir Richard Temple a member of Bengal Civil Service was the pioneer of Medical Education in Bihar. He later on became the Lieutenant Governor of Bengal. Late Raghu Chandra Chaudhary was appointed the first headmaster of the school. Mr.R.S. King President and Babu Gun Pati Singh became the secretary of the school. Since then Guni Babu was popularly known as " Secretary Sahib " in the area.The school got its registration from Calcutta University vide letter number 5268 on 6 December 1915, its serial number became DB-4 in old Darghanga District (present Darbhanga, Samastipur and Madhubanionly 2nd in present Madhubani District).

India became independent on 15 August 1947 and the managing committee decided to rename the school. Secretary Sahib himself suggested that school should be named" Jawahar High English School"- in the name of the great leader Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru (very incidentally the lowest-paid staff of the school had also the same name-Jamahir i.e Jawahar) In the beginning the school was situated in front of Madhepur Deodhi on the other side of the main road-Madhepur-Tamuriya. It was running very smoothly. Number of students went increasing day by day. The entire population of the area was working for its upliftment. Then suddenly came "The Great Disastrous Earthquake of Bihar", one of the worst in India, on January 15, 1934, at around 2:13 PM (IST)- the Hindus were celebrating Somvari Amavasya and the Muslims were preparing for the Eid, which were to come off on the next day. The entire infrastructure of the school almost came to ground. Secretary Sahib was most perturbed during this period in his life. After the earthquake evaluation of the loss was done by a competent body and the Govt of Bihar sanctioned a huge amount for new buildings. School shifted to its new sprawling campus. Foundation stone of new buildings was laid by the then inspector of schools Tirhut- Roy Bahadur Bechu Narayan I.S.T.D, B.A B.T on 1 st June 1937 and inaugurated by Mr.J.S. Archar on 17 April 1939. The school had three hostels- 1st hostel (in the name of Baldeo Mishra; Inspector of schools; Tirhut division), Muslim Hostel (Baxi Ishlamiya Hall;1933);3rd hostel (Krishnan Hostel in the name of H.R. Krishna;SDO;Madhubani). First hostel has the honour to nurture the neonatal stage of local college-Harsh Pati Singh College. Right from first headmaster Raghuchandra Chaudhary to present HM Sri Rajendra Babu everyone has been well qualified and dedicated to welfare of school but I would like to tell two very interesting stories - exception among them was Nityanand Prasad 1943 who succeeded renowned HM Jayanarayan Mallick. Nityanand Prasad frauduently became HM of the school but soon his fraud was detected by the teachers of the school as he repeatedly committed spelling mistakes. It was reported to secretary sahib one evening. Sri Prasad sensed it and fled away that night itself. Sri Ramanath Babu who succeeded Sri Govind Lal Das had high academic qualifications and brilliant carrier also. Secretary Sahib decided to pay him Rs 10 per month more and his salary became Rs 110 per month (gold was almost 19 rupees per tola those days so about 7 tolas of gold per month- if you compare it to today's package it was a very very handsome amount). He was also given a free bungalow.

On August 27, 1951 Babu Gun pati Singh who nourished the school as his child since its birth declined to continue as its Secretary due to old age.He resigned and soon after left for "KASI- PRAVAS" but gave an instruction to his three sons to give fourth share of the property to school if any financial problem was there. In Kasi (Varanasi) also he was kept well informed about the good news of the school nothing bad was communicated to him as per his wish. Not only school, but also Guni Babu had some other colours in his life -jury in the court of District n Session Judge, Darbhanga repeatedly. In the great famine of 1908 he represented Govt for relief works, Member of District Board, Darbhanga, helpful in the foundation of Budhani Pustakalaya, Laufa (it was inaugurated by His Highness Maharajadhiraj Lt. Col. Dr. Sir Kameswar Singh Bahadur K.C.I.E. D.Litt. L.L.D of Darbhanga), organizing meeting of Maithil Mahasabha at Madhepur. He dug out a well in front of school on the other side of the road to facilitate drinking water to students as well as inhabitants of near by muslim tola. For making drinking water available to musahars of Baliya (Umari-Baliya) he got a tank constructed there - it still belongs to the family. Raj Dharbhabga founded and helped several educational institutions all over India-Headquarters of two universities in one campus at Dharbganga is perhaps unique in the world. Secretary Sahib also became a trend setter among more affluent members of his family- collaterals of Raj Dharbhanga. Several educational institutions were founded or funded by them- to name-Chandradhari Mithila College, J.N. College Madhubani, J.N. School, Babubarhi, High Schools at Bergoriya, Anandpur and Lakhnaur etc. Perhaps the last in the list is HarshmPati Singh College founded by Lt. Professor Dharmanand Singh (student of this school) at Madhepur in the name of his father (immediate elder brother of Babu Gunpati Singh). Prof Singh had a premature death but till his death he nourished the college which later on became a constituent unit of Mithala University. Some of the institutions founded at Madhepur could not survive due to apathy of the people who mattered those days. Even the alumni of Madhepur High School had a great desire for educational institutions - all the three persons who first raised a voice to have a Mithila University at Dharbhanga were Babu Janaki Nandan Singh, Dr. Lakshman Jha, Prof L.N. Singh - alumni of the school (Ref - TOI on the occasion of 4th annual convocation of Mithila University, His Excellency President of India Sri Pranav Mukerjee to attend)

In our times Sri Lakshmi Babu was HM a strong disciplinarian and the ability to teach every subject. Md Abbash Sahib, Mahamud Alam, Devnarayan Babu (later on became H M), Ram Bihari Babu - encyclopedia of the school, Bankhandi Babu, Md Samsul Sahib, Sri Batahu Babu, Jagdish Pratihast, Kranti Bihari Babu, Pt Lakshikant Babu, Pt Jishnu Babu, Rataneswar Babu (later on I/C HM), Tripti Babu, Sri Budheswar Babu,Nitiswar Babu, Shri Mohan Babu, Mukti Babu, Phani Babu all were teachers par excellence.

Eminent visitors of the school:

• Maha Mahopadhaya Dr Sir Ganga Nath Jha V.C. Allahabad University 1914

• Babu Chandradhari Singh (in his name CM College and Chandradhari Museum, Darbhanga)

• Sri Braj Kishore Prasad-1915

• Raja Bahadur Viseswar Singh-1932

• George Ruther Ford I.C.S., Governor of Bihar (1945)

• Aacharya Badrinath Verma, Education Minister of Bihar 1946

• Babu Indra Pati Singh 1915

• Jay Prakash Narayan 1947

• Pt Ram Nandan Mishra-socialist leader MLC

• S.M. Alam- The then Inspector of schools

• Babu Chitreswar Singh, Bargoriya Deorhi

• J.S. Archer, Education Director, Tirhut

• P.T. Mensfield-commissioner, Tirhut

• Akhouri G.K. Lal, DM, Darbhanga

• Dr. Shri Krishana Singh-1st Chief Minister of Bihar 1953

• Lalit Narayan Mishra, Railway Minister

• Pt Binodanand Jha- Chief Minister of Bihar

• Dr. Jaganath Mishra-Chief Minister of Bihar

• Babu Janki Nandan Singh-Mithila kesari

• Satyendra Narayan Singh-Education Minister of Bihar

• K.B. Sahay- Chief Minister of Bihar

• George Jacob-DM Darbhanga

• Prof Ramanath Jha 1952 (later on became Member of Sahitya Academy)

• Radha Nandan Jha, Speaker, Vidhan Sabha, Bihar.

• Shri Nitish Kumar, CM, Bihar.

Alumni (list is incomplete)

• Ram Krishana Jha, Loha-1933 (Principal M.L Academy, President's award)

• Dr. Sachi Nath Jha, Ujan 1937 (America, renowned scientist)

• Dr. Lakshman Jha, Raseyari (Acclaimed Scholar, VC Mithila University)

• Janardan Das- 1941 (Chief Eng, Civil, NCDC)

• Nandiswar Mishra (Chief Eng, Irrigation, Govt of Bihar)

• Dr. Prof Mahiuddin-1944 (former VC, Patna University, 6th position in P.U)

• Kranti Bihari Verma (teacher Jawahar High School)

• Dr. Ganesh Prasad (Patna Med. College Hospital)3rd position in Bihar Boards

• Sri Chandra Mohan Jha IAS

• Vimal Kumar Mishra IRS

• Chunchun Jha, IAS

• Parmanand Jha 1961 (Eng,11th position in Bihar Board)

• Dr. Yojendra Pathak 1963 (5th position in Bihar Board)

• Sri Jay Govind Prasad 7th position 1965 (retired DGM Telecom)

• Dr. Amar Kant Jha, Amar (Principal Patna Medical College)

• Lakshmi Pati Singh (Scholar)

• Dr. Braj Kishore Verma "Mani Paddam"(Novelist)

• Dr. Nageswar Prasad (Minister, Royal Cabinet, Nepal)

• Bipin Bihari Verma

• Dr. B.D. Roy

• Dr. Manas Bihari Verma (eminent scientist)

• Dr. Fajlur Rahman M S, FRC

• Dr. Pratap Narayan Labh-Prof and Head Anatomy RMCH

• Dr. Anirudh Jha- Prof and Head Philosophy, PU (MLA Jansangh, Ghanshayampur)

• Dr. Rajendra Prasad Singh (Principal of commerce college, Patna)

• Dr. Lakshmi Narayan Singh - Bhagabanpur (Prof of Economics Bihar University)

• Dr. Ravindra Mishra (The then Anodhya Naresh)

• Lt. Col. Dr. Megh Pati Singh

• Sri Hari Vansh Lal (Renowned Electrical Eng, former chairman, Bihar Elec. Board)

• Jaganath Mishra-(M.P.-Lower House.)

• Radha Nandan Jha, Speaker Vidhan Sabha, Bihar.

* KEERTIH YASYA S JEEVATI