Bhalessa Online: Ghulam Rasool Azad put Bhalessa on driver's seat

By sadaket Malik

"Ghulam Rasool Azad was one of the most renowned educationists in J&K. Hailing from a poor peasant family, he went on to study till post graduation and took up teaching soon after. He was part of the National Conference"

OVER TIME many families in Kashmir have migrated from one part to another in search of habitation and livelihood. One such family was the Batt family which migrated to the Chamba District of Himachal Pradesh while a few factions stayed in Bhalessa's Soti village. The family at Soti took up peasant work. Ghulam Rasool Azad was born in the year 1916 to this peasant family. There were only two schools then in Bhalessa - the Primary school Kilhotran and the Bhaderwah Amar Singh school. Rasool's father Kh. Khazra Batt sent him to both.

In 1935, Ghulam Rasool Azad passed the graduate entrance examination from Jammu Centre. He graduated in Mathematics. He did his post graduation from Punjab University in 1943. During this period, he was appointed Publicity secretary of the Punjab University Students Union. To democratise the system of education and to familarise the poor farmers of Bhalessa with education, Ghulam Rasool Azad launched an intensive awareness mission to change their mindset. He would get children to make a pledge to education. In 1946, he was appointed as a teacher in Shri Ranbir High School, Jammu. During his tenure, he strived hard and worked honestly. The salary was too small but Azad proved an ideal teacher. He started Jammu Provincial Teachers Association and pleaded the cause of teachers. Due to an indefinite struggle for the cause of teachers, He and his associates were dismissed from service in 1946 by the government. In 1947, Azad was entrusted the responsibility of looking after the welfare and prosperity of the masses of the Doda region. He reached out to every nook and corner of Doda to spread the massage of love and friendship. The need was to unite the scattered Hindus and Muslims. The government rewarded Ghulam Rasool Azad for his outstanding contribution in that period.

Keeping in mind his political sense, he was appointed General Secretary National Conference in 1947 and in 1948 he was appointed as Assistant Inspector of Schools for Rajouri, Nowshera and Poonch. During this period, he visited every school and reached every teacher for educational advancement. In 1950, Azad was appointed as Field Publicity Officer, Jammu. From 1949-51 he was District Vice President National Conference of Rajouri. In the same period, he was appointed PA to the Director Education. He was appointed a member of the All J&K General Council NC. His top priory was to look after the welfare of the people, and for this he won a special place in the hearts of poor people.

He was once deputed to England for a DAATP training course, which introduced him to educational institutions in the UK, England, Wales, Scotland, Belgium, Thailand, West Germany, Australia, Italy, Switzerland, USA and France. After his return from England, he was appointed to analyse the economic conditions of Doda, Poonch and Rajouri in 1956. He was appointed as principal of the Government Higher Secondary School, R S Pura, in 1956-1957. This was the only higher secondary school in Jammu region. He resigned from service soon after and contested election on the behalf of teacher fraternity. In 1955, he founded the All Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh Teachers' Association. From 1955-69, he pleaded the cause of teachers. In 1958-59, 1959-60, and 1960-61 he remained vice president of the All India Federation of Education Profession. In 1961,he was one of the delegates attending the 10th Conference of the World Confederation of Organisations of Teaching Profession for the cause of education.