Lesson 5: A Torch Bearer Key words: voracious, recognition, legacy, hamper

A Work in pairs to discuss what you see in the picture and answer the following questions.

1. Who is the senior man among the children?
2. Why are the children gathering around him?
3. Do you read story books? How do you collect them?

B Read the following news article.

The Life and Legacy of Polan Sarkar

Ekushey Padak winner Polan Sarkar, affectionately called Alor Ferrywala, a torch bearer, was best known as a kind soul who distributed books for free among people, died on Friday 1^st March 2019, but left a legacy that will be remembered for years to come.

The 98-year-old had been suffering from old-age complications. He passed away surrounded by his loved ones at his home of Bausha village in Bagha upazila of Rajshahi. Born in August 1, 1921, Polan Sarkar's real name is Harez Uddin. He was born in Bagatipara, Natore.

Financial troubles of his family could not hamper his passion for reading and learning. He loved books. As a boy, Polan borrowed books from wherever he could, and voraciously read them.

He established a school in his village in 1965 after receiving some inheritance from his grandfather. In 1990, he decided a yearly award for students of the school who would top the merit list. The prize was, of course, books. Other students expressed their desire to read as well. He gave them the condition that the students must return the books to him upon finishing, so he could lend the books to other students as well. Eventually, local adults started borrowing books from his collection as well.

Polan Sarkar started a social movement of distributing books free of charge. When he was diagnosed with diabetes in 1992, he decided he would distribute books during his daily walks. He would go around on his own two feet, sharing his love for books.

He had been admired in Rajshahi for a long time, but gained nationwide recognition after being featured in Bangladesh Television's popular show Ittadi in December 29, 2006.

He won the Ekushey Padak in 2011. Bangladesh's second-highest civilian award, for his contribution to society.

(Adapted from: The Dhaka Tribune, March 2019)

C The grid below has two columns. Column A has some words taken from the text on Polan Sarkar and Column B has their meaning. Match the words with their meaning. Use a dictionary if needed.

| A | B | |---|---| | a. voracious | i. to find out the cause of a disease | | b. diagnose | ii. having a great appetite for anything | | c. hamper | iii. anything handed down from the past (as from an ancestor or predecessor) | | d. inherit | iv. to receive the ownership of a property | | e. recognition | v. acknowledgement | | f. legacy | vi. to disturb a progress |

D Read the text again and answer the following questions:

1. How did Polan Sarkar develop an interest in books?
2. How did he come to be known nationwide?
3. What was Polan Sarkar's contribution to society?
4. When did he decide to walk to the doorsteps of the people for distributing books?
5. How did the adults also become interested in taking books from Polan Sarkar?

E Fill in the blanks using the words given in the box.

| | | | | | |---|---|---|---|---| | see | stands | travels | wake | covers | | return | borrow | buys | lends | comes |

As the people of the village _______ in the morning, the first thing they _______ is Polan Sarkar. He _______ there, smiling, with a bag of books on his shoulder. He may be all of 94 years, but is sprightly as a young man. He _______ on foot for miles, going from village to village with his books. He _______ the books with his own money and _______ them to the people. After a few weeks, he _______ by again. The villagers _______ the books and _______ from the fresh lot he brings along. He's been doing this for the past 30 years. He _______ about 20 villages in Rajshahi, a district of Bangladesh, starting an innovative reading revolution in the region. (Adapted from: Impact Journalism Day)

F Work with your partner and make a dialogue on the "Importance of Reading Books".

G Do you know anyone who is involved in social work like Polan Sarkar? Write a report on him/her using the following cues. a. What is his/her name? b. Where is she/he from and how old is she/he? c. What does she/he do? d. Why is she/he famous? e. What aspect of her/his personality do you appreciate the most? f. What can you do for her/him?