Daulat Amin’s Childhood
Today I am writing about the person Mr. Daulat Amin the Champion of Change who brunt himself like a candle but we all enjoyed and still enjoying the light of If his father had not educated him we would not be able to reach where we are today. Thanks, Khalifa Shahin you educated Daulat Amin he educated the whole village.
Khalifa Shaheen was blessed with his first son named Daulat Amin on March 15, 1947. He was a decedent of Kalifa Qurban Tai (Melo BuK). The first ever Khalifa (Religious Leader), nominated by Mir of Hunza. Taught and trained by Pir Shah Arif in Baltit Hunza. Khalifa Shahin was a student of Khalifa Nazar Muhammad a well-known Knowledgeable Religious leader of the village. So Mr. Doulat Amin got an education inheritance.
At the age of 5, Mr. Doulat Amin lost five of his Family member including his grandparents. Four of them lost life in winter due to seasonal sickness. While his aunty with above 250 goats, sheep, and 15 yaks became victims of landslides in Ḡhuzherav.
These losses pushed his family to an unbearable scarcity but his audacious father and uncles not only managed to face the adversity but also took stepped forward to help Mr. Daulat Amin and his younger brothers get an education. He spent his childhood with a friend Lanagardar saying yay to each other, yay is not a Wakhi word but they have created and used it to address each other as friends.
His favorite game was tēksury and jēgun, Putdin, tūkbalabal and pishmaw kētak, etc. The modern games had not reached the village during their childhood, so they played and enjoyed the local games
Primary Education of Mr. Daulat Amin the Champion of Change
According to Mr. Daulat Amin, In 1947 Mir of Hunza nominated Mr. Bulbul as a teacher for D.j primary school Shimshal. He taught for one year, his students were Daulat Muhammad, Paliwun, Saeed Muhammad, Mulaqurban, and Gulbedan. The school remained closed for several years as Master Bulbul left the school.
When Mr. Daulat Amin was a young boy, Muhammad Nayab reopened the school for young children. He rendered his services for three to four years. Dulat Amin also joined the school but he left school very soon due to his friends who were more focused on the games discussed above.
In 1956 his father met Munshi Fata Ali Khan and got the inspiration for his relationship with Mir of Hunza in Gulkin. His affiliation with Mir of Hunza was due to his education. Daulat Amin’s father noticed that Mir of Hunza was consulting Fata Ali Khan for all kinds of suggestions.
Khalifa Shahin went to his father-in-law Arbob Gulbast and discussed Mir’s positivity with Fata Ali Khan. Gulbast suggested shifting Daulat Amin from Shimshal to Gulmit and letting him get an education. He said that education will give importance to Daulat Amin as well. This event remained to turn point to the life of Daulat Amin.
In the same year, Khalifa Shahin shifted Dulat Amin to his maternal grandfather’s home in Gulmit where a sustained Diamond Jubilee Primary School was well-functional under the supervision of Master Sana Ullah from Baltit. His maternal grandfather Gulbast and his father took him to school and his father showed his desire for education with very high expectations. The teacher assured them that he will do his level best.
Now, Mr. Daulat Amin was far away from his parents, and yay. He reached Gulmit after his three days walk through very dangerous tracks and returning to his parents was not possible for him. He missed his parents and his Yay a lot but he could not meet them. His teacher’s love replaced his parents and the books his yay (friend).
He remained with the top students in the school so the message went to Mir of Hunza, President of the Supreme Council for Central Asia and President of Nazim-ul Amuri Jammat, and Qudrat Ullah Baig who was responsible to support the DJ schooling system as a member of Nazim-ul- Amuri Jamaat. They also observed Mr. Doulat Amin as an active performing student in Jamati activities.
Mr. Daulat Amin completed his primary education, and in 1969 he discontinued it for one year because of some reason. He was the first person who completed his primary education at the Shimshal.
Middle Schooling of Mr. Daulat Amin the Champion of Change
Daulat Amin’s hard work and participation in Jamati activities motivated Mir of Hunza, and he suggested Qudrat Ullah Baig provide support to Daulat Amin for his further education. In 1961 he went to Central Hunza and joined DJ Middle School Baltit. There was no boarding system so he lived with Layman’s family and continued his studies. He supported the family in agricultural works side by side with his education. His father was supporting the family in kind because the currency was not active/ in circulation in the region. Mr. Daulat Amin stood among the high-performing students in DJ Middle School Baltit as well. When he passed the class 7th exam the committee of Nazim-ul- Umuri Jamat decided to send Daulat Amin to Gilgit for further studies.
In 1963 he went to Gilgit for further studies and got admission to Government Boys High School Gilgit (the only high school in the region). There he had the opportunity to stay in the boarding on the premises of Central Jammat Khana Gilgit. To continue his education he had to travel from Shimshal to Gilgit. His courageous aptitude helped him to face the hard track between Shimshal and the rest of the villages in Gojal.
During his summer vacation, he has to cross Qarun Pir the highest pass to reach the village or come back to the school. Even Qarun Pir did not stop him from acquiring an education. During his stay in Gilgit, in 1965, he lost his father when he was in class 9thand it was an unimaginable loss for him. He even could not go to his father’s burial. It was his father’s mission that he continued getting a quality education.
Beginning of Professional life and community services
In September 1966 he passed the 10th-grade exam and applied for a commission in Pak Army.
After his nomination, he came to Mir of Hunza for a clearance certificate/domicile certificate. Mir of Hunza offered him a domicile certificate and also suggested he join DJ Primary School Shimshal as a teacher, as a second option. He accepted the second option and Joined DJ Primary Boys School Shimshal in Oct 1966 with 20 rupees as salary.
Several people witnessed that Daulat Amin was going door to door to motivate parents regarding the importance of education. Many people got inspiration from his life and decided to educate their children.
He mobilized the community and a community member Husain Khan donated land for the school while Wali Baig constructed a room for the school.
Before the construction of the school building Ahmad Ullah Baig and Syeed Yar Bag’s houses were used as school buildings in winter. And in summer school was arranged on the veranda of Jamaat Khana.
Mr. Dulat Aminwas served DJ school for ten years and in 1976 Bhutto regime nationalized the school. That time Mr. Daulat Amin was appointed the first teacher in the Government Primary Schools in Shimshal. Mr. Dulat Amin again mobilized the community and acquired a land for government school.
The community paid PKR 40,000 to the landowner. And he could acquire minor funds from District Council’s fund for construction. The community constructed the school building with free labor. The said amount was used for buying construction materials and paid to skilled laborers. In 1981 the school was upgraded to a lower Middle level. Despite having only four teachers in the school he continued working for education with the same zeal as he started.
Mr. Daulat Amin got his retirement in 2007 after serving for 20 years in the government Middle School Shimshal. In total, for 30 years he remained connected to teaching and learning. Like a candle, he burned himself but enlightened the community
Apart from teaching, he transformed the community by being in different community leadership positions. Which is not possible to describe in such a brief write-up. He has received several community titles and awards. He was the driving force to lead the community from darkness to light. Due to all his services and compromises I say, “Mr. Daulat Amin the Champion of Change”.
By: Aman Ullah Aman Maad
