ANWARUL HODA / AMN /
PATNA: Educationist, founder of INSAN School in Kishanganj, Padam Shri Dr. Syed Hassan passed away Monday morning. Syed Hasan, popularly known as Syed Bhai, was known for his pioneering efforts to bring education to Kishanganj, formerly an educationally backward district of Bihar.
He was a nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003. The Government of India awarded him with the Padma Shri, in 1991. During his early education at Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), Hassan had the opportunity to assist Mahatma Gandhi and also came under the tutelage of Zakir Hussain, who would later become the first President of India. He graduated from JMI and started his career as a teacher there where he stayed till he moved to the US, on a fellowship from Lincoln University, Pennsylvania in 1955. He moved, subsequently, to Southern Illinois University, Carbondale and stayed there till 1962 during which time, he obtained a doctoral degree (PhD). He also became a member of the educational societies of the Phi Delta Kappa and Kappa Delta Pi and is reported to have financially assisted some of the students from JMI to pursue education in the US. In 1962, he took up the post of the assistant professor of Psychology at Frostburg State University, Maryland, and during the three years he spent there, he was awarded the Instructor of the Year once.
Hassan returned to India in 1965 to commence a tour of Bihar to bring awareness to the masses about the importance of education and founded, Taleemi Mission Corp (Educational Mission Corp), an educational mission and Taleemi Biradri (Educational Brotherhood), an educational journal. In order to start a school, he first assisted the founders of the National School of Kishanganj to start the institution, and with their consent, established a school of his own, INSAN School, on 14 November 1966, with 36 students, initially working inside the premises of the National School before or after its school hours. Later, he moved the school to a rented hut. The institution grew over the years to include INSAN School, INSAN College and INSAN Adult School, operating still from huts, around 200 in number, housed in a campus extending to over 200 acres.
Hasan has been honoured with the Jawaharlal Nehru Education Award for his services to the educational sector. The Government of India included him in the 1991 Republic Day honours list for the civilian honour of the Padma Shri. In 2003, he was shortlisted for the Nobel Peace Prize, the honour eventually going to Shirin Ebadi, the Iranian human rights activist.