"पहला अध्यापक" Book review, Writer- Chingeez Aitmatov, Language- Russian, Hindi translation- Bheeshm saahni, Book Review- Ankita Gour

 Writer- Chingeez Aitmatov

Language- Russian

Hindi translation- Bheeshm saahni

Book Review- Ankita Gour

This is the book which is a combination of Struggle, great efforts and zeal of energy. The main 

characters are Duishen, Altinaai and the children who want to take education. The main character is 

Duishen, He developed the interest of life expectancy among the children of village. He gave the light 

of education in that village. Duishen was uneducated, instead he put his efforts in providing education 

to the children of village as a real communist. He is not among the communist who use to 

sloganeering, do strikes against government, and give revolutionary speeches. He was uneducated 

and unskilled person still he put his great efforts in educating the children.

There are a lot many stages or can say ups and downs in this story. Duishen is the one about whom 

the story is, second one is Altinaai Sulaimanovna the narrator, third one is the person to whom Altinaai 

narrated the story. The kurkurev village is in the lap of hills, School inauguration was there, Altinaai 

was invited, who is the professor of Philosophy in central university, Head of department and she 

generally use to visit different countries regarding the work of academy. But the real credit of 

Altinaai’s success goes to the Duishen, the one who educated Altinaai along with the other villagers. 

He was the first teacher of that village (“ Pahla Adhyapak”). Duishen is now doing the work of postman, 

delivering letters. On that auspicious day of School inauguration, everyone forgot Duishen, But Altinaai 

didn’t, and how could she forget because whatever Altinaai is today it is just because of the efforts 

made by the Duishen. She was thinking to stay there in village, but the incidents happened in her past 

were moving in her head. She was feeling restless and suddenly she took the train of Skoo and went. 

She wrote letter from there in which she mentioned the efforts made by Duishen.

The villagers were farmers, according to their point of view there is no need of education in their lives, 

they thought that they can earn their living by farming. Teaching-learning was like far away from their 

imagination. They set their own imagination. Duishen had a dream to open a school in that village. But 

the villagers were saying that we are farmers we use to earn our living by farming only and as our 

children will also. We don’t want to educate our children, said villagers. Such scenarios were there in 

the story.

Duishen converted the stable in a small school, he went door to door and ask the villagers to send 

their children to school. He gathered a few children included Altinaai and started teaching them in 

that small school. He himself was uneducated but first he tried to educate himself, he used to learn 

from the sources available at there. He used to teach to the students whatever knowledge he had. He 

tught how to read and write, how to hold pencil etc. He told them about city, about Lenin, 

environmental activities, seas and ships

Altinaai was living with her aunty and Uncle, her aunty didn’t want her to study there at school, she 

planned something else for her, she did the deal of Altinaai with nomads, But Duishen became her 

support and fought with those nomads, unfortunately they took off Altinaai with them and Duishen 

was feeling helpless at that time. They went. After that Duishen went to find out them and luckily he 

got Altinaai under one tent, he took Altinaai from the cage of those nomads.

As Altinaai returned from there, Duishen started the preparation of Altinaai to go to the town for 

study. This was the toughest step for Altinaai, but her future was totally based on this one single step. 

Duishen was also feeling very sad at that time. He as the purpose of sending her to the town was very 

good, that is education. 

Then Altinaai took admission in a very big school, at starting it was a little difficult then gradually she 

started doing hard work., as she wants to fulfil the promises of her First teacher.

For a few days they were connected through the letters. But later they lost contact. Years paased and 

Altinaai presented her first research in Moscow. Suddenly Altinaai felt that she want to visit her village, 

as she went there she came to know that Duishen had gone to army, When Altinaai was there in the 

village function, at the same time Duishen came to deliver a letter there. She hurt by seeing this, she 

felt that the real credit should be given to Duishen, he put all the efforts to educate her and the other 

villagers.

Reflection￾This story tells us that what is the true responsibility of a teacher. How the teacher should put his 

efforts to educate the children. Duishen was uneducated, through this we can say that there is a 

limited need of knowledge for the teachers to teach, only the thing which is needed is great passion 

to teach. The work of teacher is not limited to the classroom only, teacher should encourage the 

students to study even in toughest circumstances. The role of teacher in this story showed that a 

teacher’s attitude matters most, and it should be positive even in the unfavourable circumstances. 

Duishen was influenced by Lenin in this story and when his country got freedom, his mindset was to 

educate the upcoming generation so that they can become the educated citizens of their country.

Characteristics of a good teacher –

• A good teacher should have a positive attitude as in the story in those worst times also 

Duishen didn’t give up.

• A teacher should have the ability to make best from the waste as in this story Duishen 

converted the stable into school.

• A teacher should know how to take stand for right deeds as a citizen of the country.

• A teacher should know the skills of recognising the hidden abilities of children and insist them 

to move in a right direct towards their goal.

• A teacher should know be creative, the one who teach the students tings beyond the 

textbooks.

• A teacher should be generous. He should be the one to whom his/her students can express 

themselves freely. He/she should be friendly in nature.

• A good teacher should inculcate the democratic values in students. So that they can know 

their rights as a citizen.

• A good teacher should have the ethics or ideals, which are democratic in nature and non-partial..