From the classroom to a cobbler’s stall
Joy once dreamed of studying and building a bright future for himself and his family. But on August 9, that dream was dashed forever.
For the son of slain cobbler Ruplal Robidas, of Ghonirampur Dangapara village in Rangpur's Taraganj upazila, education has become a luxury -- the struggle now is simply to survive.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Along with his father, 14-year-old Joy Robidas lost his childhood too.
A ninth-grader at Taraganj Government Model High School, he has now taken up his late father's profession.
On Friday morning, Joy was seen sitting on the small wooden stool, the same one his father once sat on, in Taraganj bazar, repairing shoes with his tools neatly arranged beside him. "I open the shop at 10:00am and work till 4:00pm. I earn Tk 280 in a day," he said, his voice trembling.
"I learned how to mend and polish shoes, but I don't know how to make new ones yet. I'll learn that too. From now, I must work every day to earn for my family."
As he spoke, his eyes welled up.
"I used to dream of studying and becoming an established person. But after my father was beaten to death, everything collapsed. He was the only breadwinner. Now I must feed my grandmother, mother, and two sisters. I don't know if I'll be able to continue my education, but I want to make sure my sisters can."
On the night of August 9, Ruplal, 48, and his nephew-in-law Pradip Lal, 47, were returning home on a battery-run van. When they reached Burirhat Bottala in Sayar union, some locals stopped them, suspecting they were van thieves. Within minutes, a mob formed and beat them to death.
The following day, Ruplal's widow Malati Rani Robidas filed a murder case with Taraganj Police against 700 unnamed persons. Based on CCTV footage, police have so far arrested six people -- all now in jail.
For Joy, however, the arrests bring little solace. The dreams his father nurtured for him now lie broken on the roadside, alongside the shoes he must mend to keep his family alive.
"Joy is the only man remaining in our family. He is our only support now. However little he earns, we must survive on it," Malati said in a cracked voice. "My heart breaks that I can't send him to school anymore. Some inhuman people have destroyed our happiness forever."
Joy's elder sister Nupur said, "The pillar of our family is gone. Now my little brother has to bear all the burden. That's the most painful thing for me. If I had any means, I would not let him work -- I would keep him in school."
Nupur completed her HSC last year while the youngest sibling is a sixth grader.
Shopkeeper Abu Hanif, who runs his store opposite to where Ruplal once sat, said, "For 12 years, I watched Ruplal work in front of my shop. He was a simple, honest man. He loved reading the morning paper and dreamt of educating all his children. And now, that very spot is occupied by his school-going son. It breaks my heart to see this… Ruplal's dream was destroyed. The whole society must take responsibility when a child is forced to abandon school to survive."
Joy's teachers too are distressed.
Rezaul Haque, of Taraganj Government Model High School, said, "It hurts me deeply to see one of our students working as a roadside cobbler. If his father had not been killed, he would never have had to shoulder this burden. This is a lesson for our society."
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