Don Bosco's 100 years of service in North East

Story by ATV | Posted by Aasha Khosa | Date 27-03-2022

Father Sebastian interacting with students of Don Bosco School, Pan Bazar, Guawahti

Daulat Rahman/Guwahati

What is common among present Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, former Chief Justice of India Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Ambassador of India to Austria Jaideep Mazumdar, founder of Credence Management Solutions in Washington D.C. Siddhartha Choudhury, a renowned professor in US Reja Taher, swimmer Elvis Ali Hazarika, senior bureaucrat Syed Tanwir Alam and cricketer Syed Zakaria Zuffri? The answer: they are Bosconians; alumni of Don Bosco Schools situated across Assam.

The list of former Bosconians from Assam and the other North Eastern States doing extremely well in different fields in various parts of India and the globe does not end here.

Father VM Thomas, one of the brains behind setting up Don Bosco Group of Institutions in the North East, said it will not be an exaggeration to say that former Bosconians are doing well in all walks of life whether social service, health, bureaucracy, technology, sports, politics, etc.“We have been able to produce brilliant products because of our quality education," Fr. Thomas said.

For every parent in Assam and other parts of the North East the first choice of sending their children to receive a quality education is the Don Bosco group of institutions. It is a common sight every year when thousands of parents make long queues in front of Don Bosco School at Pan Bazar in Guwahati to collect admission forms. The same is the situation in different parts of Assam where Don Bosco schools, colleges are located.

Students in a Don Bosco school

The success of Don Bosco has not happened overnight. It took years and decades to make it the most sought-after group of educational institutes. Untiring hard work, dedication, devotion, and sincerity of the Salesians missionaries are behind the making of this brand.

In 1922, eleven valiant Salesians of Don Bosco from Italy, France, Spain, and San Marino came as missionaries to Northeast India. The eleven Salesian pioneering missionaries namely Mgr. Louis Mathias as the leader, Fr. Giovanni Deponti, Fr. Emmanuel Bars, Fr. Giuseppe Gill, Fr. Giuseppe Hauber, Fr. Paolo Bonardi, Bro. Pietro Aprile, Bro. Mario Calzi, Bro. Agostino Conti, Bro. Laureano Santana and Bro. Gumersindo Cid first landed in Guwahati on January 12, 1922, and then went to Shillong on January 13 in the same year.

Today after 100 years, the Salesian Congregation looks back with a sense of pride and satisfaction for the work accomplished for having produced talented professionals in diverse fields but also created a huge pool of manpower with moral values.

Besides, the Salesians have set up institutes to impart technical, professional, and job-oriented education at an affordable cost. They also provide free education to students from poor and marginalized sections of society. The Salesians have set up schools and colleges in remote and geographically difficult areas of the North East where others cannot even dare to go.

Students at Don Bosco School, Pan Bazar

In a conversation with Awaz-The Voice, Father Sebastian Mathew, Principal and Rector of Don Bosco School, Pan Bazar,said at 100, it is also a time for introspection as to how to keep the ideals and work of Saint John Bosco or Don Bosco alive for future generations.He says wherever Don Bosco education institute is set up, that place automatically shines.

“We are not only producing extraordinarily brilliant students in science, humanity, and commerce streams but also creating useful citizens for the society through value-based education. We first teach students to become good & honest human beings. With all humility, I can say that one command respect whenever and wherever an individual says that he is from Don Bosco institute,” Father Sebastian says.

Dr. Monali Das, a college teacher whose daughter was recently admitted into the KG class of Don Bosco School, Pan Bazar says “I must thank the Almighty that my daughter has got the admission. Having studied in convent schools, I can understand the importance of Don Bosco’s education. Don Bosco not only teaches you bookish lessons but also high moral values.”

For Class XI students of Don Bosco School, Pan Bazar Lovlin Nath and Sambhit Poddar their school is more than a building where they are taught formal education. “It is more than a school; it is our home for receiving education for life,” Sambhit said.

Centenery celebrations of Don Bosco

To commemorate the centenary, the Don Bosco Society has started the year-long celebrations in January. The centenary celebrations are spread out in the five different sub-regions of Guwahati Province: Garo Hills in Meghalaya, Bodoland, Assam Plains, Karbi Anglong, and Kamrup in Lower Assam; where there will be a cultural extravaganza, books releases, installation of centenary monuments, and memorial awards for people for outstanding services in the region.

Father Sebastian says that the Head of Don Bosco Society from Rome will visit Guwahati. Besides other programs, is scheduled to meet Bishops, Fathers, Brothers, and Sisters associated with Don Bosco institutions, youngsters from different schools, colleges, and Assam Don Bosco University, underprivileged children and youth of Snehalaya, and child-friendly Guwahati.

"We have every reason to celebrate the 100 glorious years of Don Bosco's services to the people of Northeast. The Pioneers had their motto: Dare and Hope. We are celebrating the success of this motto," Father Sebastian said.