Monday, November 24, 2008

Coincidence : Maithili and Sunil Rai of samstipur at Ranchi.22.11.2008

Coincidence : Maithili and Sunil Rai of samstipur at Ranchi.22.11.2008
I was called by Indrakant of Tengraha village for his mother’s barshi..first I thought it was Irafan, a boy from Jhanajharpur who had appeared in merit examination and had left the camp despite my hint at Baira Parsa where I was about to announce a monthly scholarship for him.
At Indrakant’s house Mahidharji was present whose father Raghvacharya was a revolutionary poet of Mithila.. After bhoj, he came to my house and I started for his house just to walk. In the way I went to NN Jha and DN Jha’s house to invite them for my father’s chhaya on 26th. Then we went to Forest colony for meeting Dinesh Jha son of Dr. L.N. Jha, a senior worker of AMP at Saharsa. We were returning and Mahidharji had to attend a marriage for which he needed an envelop with a coin. We went to side shop and as we were talking in Maithili the shopkeeper also interrupted us in Maithili. He was Sunil Rai and I guessed he was from Samastipur that he was indeed. He was interested to attend any Maithili meeting and expressed his view that until we speak Maithili with our children they will not! I invited him for next day’s meeting(though he could not come- I will see he attends a nearby meeting) was not this introduction for Mahidharji and I was talking in Maithili.

Friday, November 21, 2008

“The Small is beautiful:Healthy India and prosperous Mithila my twin goals.”

19.11.2008(revised 21.11.08)

“The Small is beautiful:Healthy India and prosperous Mithila my twin goals.”
Voter I card, Marriage anniversary,etc.

A week has passed since I wrote something not because I had no topic but was wandering among topics- on 12th night I took a train to Varanasi with sacs of Aayurvigyan Pragati with me. A fellow young passenger was a research scholar at the IIT, Kanpur(I find a news on 21.11.2008 that IITs considering medical courses which for limited bio-technical subjects with nearby medical college hospital support may do wonderful research) on a medical topic,” Super hygiene related childhood bronchial asthma.” When I enquired something and suggested my own hypothesis, ”Lovely child syndrome,” I have written in my autobiography, it was essential to me that I should give him my introduction as a doctor though he was thinking me a professor and I had initially told him that I was an editor which too was correct but I was a clinician and sitting in the Nair Hospital Library had written a synopsis on the ” New frontiers of managing bronchial asthma,” as a precondition to my service to the Cipla Ltd. at Mumbai in 1989 which though they offered me I rather loved to work in Cardiac Cath lab. Of the J. J. Hospital when I met Dr.Anil Kumar there who was an alumnus of my Alma Mater, the Darbhanga Medical College and was 5 years senior to me.

At Mugalsarai, I dropped a bag of the journals in the RMS box and at Varanasi my younger brother came and he took away rest of the bags. I went for a Ganga sanan to Dashaswmedh Ghat which I had. I had to take Ganga snan within a year of my father’s death and that I could there. There was a rush of Kartik poornima there which I had also seen at Kashi station before the junction, the Cant station. People had thronged there from all corners of the country and I saw many south Indians. Even Devegowda, the ex-PM had been for the darshan of Baba Vishwanath and naturally there was a long queue of devotees and when I reached there what people sad I assumed that if I stay I would miss my train 1550 and hence, putting Gangajal to a sideway Shiva temple, I returned back to station.

Before Allahabad too there is a suburban station Prayag where too Ganga had many pilgrims assembled for Ganga snan where during Kumbh in 2001, I had taken a holy dip amongst the largest congregate of human beings in the world.

I reached Bhopal and met Dr. Madhup in the same guest house at the GMC where we had met previous time also. In fact, my life had taken a turn and though I could have pursued my D.M. at Mumbai even without which I became a part of angioplasty, pace maker implantation etc. done there so cheap on a nominal rate. I had come back to Ranchi to save my marriage which I could not and still I am hovering out on the fall out of that as if a loneliness like the big depression in the Sensex of market all over.

My wife had left me for the NMO and in a way later the NMO too left me but for a dedicated worker, Dr. Madhup Kumar who stood firmly for the principles NMO stood which was primarily an organization of medical students dedicated to the social service. We had thus conferences at Indore, Katihar anf Goa and now at Bhopal on Nov.15-16,2008. Though old guards did not attend there were many young faces which promise a positive turnout in coming years.

The NMO conference had problem that the lady Director, of the medical college demanded Rs.50,000 per day for the auditorium and we had to shift the venue to a nearby hotel which though had flags of BJP(the owner of the hotel was an active member), they too blackmailed us to the maximum possible and the young doctor organiser could not bargain and some 6,000 Rs. were given to him. Usually such party workers of any party are not social workers but businessmen and in fact politics has become a good business as I could witness from the news and views of Bhopal in full election swings.

Many would have thought about me that I too was there for the same purpose but not only I was there simply because it was not known to us when the conference dates were fixed that those will be election days. We only had checked marriage dates should not clash but election is a great marriage of wealth and hypocrisy though in a democracy you cannot remain aloof.

Despite that election fever at least four newspapers , Nav duniya, HT, Nav Bharat, Sandhya Prakash, Good night published NMOCON’s news- the Nav Duniya and HT published both days’ release. Dr. Sajeev Kelkar listening to all developments said that he returned back after many years to the NMO conference at a critical juncture when it was needed most.

I told him that happenings are merely showing that even good persons can mistake.
I think I should have said in stead of ”Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely,” the scenario here was ,”People want power even without working and such persons cannot tolerate any working even if done honestly.”

At Bhopal though I was busy, with Dr. Naveen Meher going I could see the picturesque town of lake and old buildings with new masons- At Ballabh Bhavan,the Secretariat a police man came us to say that photography was prohibited.
Young student of Hospital Pharmacy, Raman Patidar, was much enthusiastic for a conference at the GMC again and I thought my planning of a series of national organizations of Medicos, Ayurveda, Homeo, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Biotechnology, Nursing, Agriculture, Veterinary, Forestry, Management, Accountancy, Software and other branches of engineering and in fact in every disciplines we need them which are bereft of partisan politics to reconstruct the nation.
I wanted to make NMO, one such though I am not averse to politics however I never intended to make NMO, a vehicle of that which many friends of mine did like. Am I like a Janak who though in politics wanted to remain aloof of that..Will MVP(Mithila Vikas Party) will be same- might be PP. Guruji might have thought for the BJS too in the same vein but he was absolutely correct,” in big programmes workers are separated while in small workers are developed,” and so NMO lost many after the grandeur of the Silver Jubilee and is getting younger like Naveen in smaller conferences. “The Small is beautiful.”
I am tethered between politics and social service and have strong reservations for many who are not accountable and do not speak in diatribe and so have no quality for a politician. Yet, I am trying to get voter id card though that I had but I do not find my name in the electoral list. Hardly people may like persons like me wedded to principles as I cannot help many out of turn. Some body was seeking a vehicle and some one some drugs which I had not. At times, I am pessimistic and see very few years of life ahead and some times with full vigour to restart my life again. Am I a broken man? I do not know. I simply know to work whichever is before me and will do so. The aim of healthy India and prosperous Mithila will remain my twin goals, if nothing personal in life. And hence, I wrote the aims of MSP (Mithila Seva Parishad) and may write for MVP (Mithila Vikas Party). My senior friend Govindacharya is again in active politics. Let me see if we can ever meet again.

I had been busy in sensing Maithil’s mood who are ready for anything though I am not seeing my service span with a revised pay yesterday which has become more lucrative.

Last two days I have been busy in getting my voter ID card which is a difficult work in India for frequent check ups. I feel a single card, made on the permanent address, should be valid through out India even if person changes residence and on line voting be allowed from any corner of the country in this IT age otherwise colossal man power loss will continue of enumerators as well as electors who should be allowed to change constituency themselves on changing their address as per present address’s constituency and in any cast they may vote for only one candidate.

My sister’s marriage anniversary is today and brother in law came yesterday. They started getting calls as soon as in the midnight date changed. The matter of fact is that in fact their marriage must have crossed other date in the marriage night. After all Puja and others if done should have been on Hindu calendar and Tithi unless we adopt Solar Calendar in practice though lunar calendar with Malmas every third year has geo-astrological better correlation.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Mrityu and Vishram? - Thus said Aajee Thatte

12.11.08
Mrityu and Vishram? - Thus said Aajee Thatte
again few minutes to leave.I have taken my meals. I had gone to election booths where electoral rolls were to be displayed and corrected but for three days no one had come. I talked to deputy election secretary of the Jharkhand state and may take his help on during 18th to 24th when I return from Bhopal to renter my name though I have a voting card I did not find name in roll when I had gone for councils polls.
Well in India, it is a difficult process , most of the cards issued have misprint and when I got other corrected one my name was deleted.
I need it as I may even contest resigning from service though I have a bigger issue before and that issue is before all I talked to many workers. Maithils feel neglected by all parties and if such a new venture comes many miracles may happen.
Though basically I am a non political man and want to be in social cocoon amy be some change needed to rectify process, I told Premchand Jha of Jharkhand Maithil Manch when he phoned me to invite for Sama Chakeba festival this evening which I cannot attend because I have to catch my train.
And having scan of Ma. Abaji’s last line I mentioned yesterday let me correctly put that:
“Uttung dheya ke liye Pagal bane vyaktiyon ko “Vishram” ye teen akshar kaheen khoj kar bhee nahee milte. Unhe Vishram lene ke liye, badhya karne, thapthapa kar sulane kee kshamata keval ek he eke hathon me hoti hai aaur uska nam hai ‘MRITYU,”

Dr, Abajee Thatte( 24.11.1918-27.11.1995) wrote thus in Marathi in fact in his diary before he slept for good.
He was MBBS(Mumbai.1943) who dedicated himself to the service of the nation instead of choosing the glamour of medical practice and had been a source of inspiration to me whom I regard as NEO-DADHICHI. My father was also born in 1918 and he was thus a father figure to me.
I talked Mithileshjee Dhanbad for long and many others for future action which is in the time-womb!
Now I should leave.
Let me remind my Bhauji (whether I write Bhabhi or Bhuji, Dr. jaykant mishra had suggested to me to write in maithili Chhati in stead of Chhat in my autobiography when I was writing non-English word), Kusum who phoned me last night for knowing who Achyutanand Thakur was? He was known as santu babu and was her uncke- in law but what I wrote yesterday was wrong that her number might have changed- no I was unnecessary dialluing with nine numbers –tenth was missing.
Anyway I am missing her and many of her …
Dhanakar

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Vidyapati, Umacharan Jha, Achutanand Thakur, Dinesh Chandra Jha, Abaji Thatee, Female infanticide

Blog 11.11.08’ Vidyapati, Umacharan Jha, Achutanand Thakur, Dinesh Chandra Jha, Abaji Thatee, Female infanticide
I must leave in a few minutes for today is Vidyapati smriti (punya Tithi) a small program by AMP, Ranchi from 5 pm. Vidyapati was tallest figure in our north east India who reverberates us even today with his melodies…
Also at Muri, Amp will have small function and many Maihtili oirganisations will have so at numerous places.
We usually celebrate birthday but we do not know of Vidayaptai’s and hence Punya Tithi…

Today Achytanand Thakur, one of the oldest man of my village, expired at Ranchi. He had been as if officiating president at AMP, Jharkhand new office. Some days back I had talked to him and noted many points about my village, samaul..
Such old persons are every where- please collect their memory. when they will go we do not know like PAKAL AAM. Please record their experience..
On Sunday I cold attend Dwadasha bhoj of Dinesh Chandra Jha who was a ‘hard core honest’ chief engineer Bihar could ever produce!
A generation is going – learn something from them..

My bhabhi Kusum, Jamshedpur must be sorry to know that I could not get her on phone- I had numbers noted many years back when I had visited her house at Jamshedpur and in fact net was matter of communication- but you need everythng when which will fail you do not know..

On Sunday I was busy in a symposium on Prof. Uma Charan Jha; Vyaktitwa aa Krititwa: oresided by Pro Vice Chancellor Ranchi University, Prof. Badrai Narayanan who told us that Prof. Jha did not teach philosophy but was a philosopher; he did not study Buddhism but became Buddha…
Dr. Guneshwar Jha spoke for him as a doyane of Ranchi University..
KB Sinha , sr. advocate said he was an ajatshatru..
Dr. Bhavnath Choudhouri, Dr. sarsawati Mishra(Prof. Jha’s philosopher daughter with whom I crossed on many philosophical aspects of Mithila , Buddhism and Prof. Jha), Dr. CD Mishra and Dr. kashi Nath Jha spoke high of a man, higher than time and at the level of every man…

The whole dialogue is taped and video recorded.. though local press did not give place to give news, it was one of the AMP’s best programme.
The whole matter will be in book shaped to be released on 14th December when at Book fair Patna,AMP, Bihar will also meet(and I will deliver a lecture on Contribution of Mithila in Indian pgilosophy: The philosophic basis of Mithila state—on 13th I will talk there on economic basis of Mithila state..

Yesterady I delivered a tlk on female infanticide at Town Hall, Ranchi after which one youngmanShantanu Chatterjjee came to me impressed by my speech and some other persons working with NGOs.

I go these days to attend Gita VI Chapter by Chinmay Mission and had been on Saturday at Lalit Colony listening to Bhagwata by Swami Bhaskarananda of Chinmay Mission..
I do not know my own Mission but want just ot work with no aspiration of result, I wrote so to Dr. Neelkamal Joshi of Ahmedabad whom I liked much while he worked in the NMO with me.
Squeezed between AMP and NMO, just could release draft resolutions for the NMO, Bhopal Conference, Nov.15-16 and will start tomorrow for that. Dr. Sajiv Kelkar, Nagpur asked for last page of Dr. Abaji- who wrote in his diary,” Those who strive for something.. they can be slept thapthapakar .. by three words only,”MRITYU,”

And who is afraid of that…??
Tday is death day of many..they all are AMAR..

Friday, November 7, 2008

Great teachers of Mishthila: Rajbanshi Babu, AK Dutta ,etc.

7th Nov.2008
Great teachers of Mishthila: Rajbanshi Babu, AK Dutta ,etc.

Last evening I went to meet Dr. Kashi Nath Jha, retd. GM,SAIL whom I could not get on phone despite calling several times. I wanted to remind him for his article on Prof. Uma Charna Jha, a retid prof. of philosophy who expired recently.
Personally I do not believe much on phone and prefer to meet personally if at all possible. Dr.K,N Jha’s residence is quite near to my work place and in fact on 5th Nov. I had gone to his quarters also but did not step on stairs thinking that I will have to eat again something after abdomen full Chhati parna.
That dose of sweets I had yesterday but weightier were the talks I had with him on Prof. UC Jha and then many teachers of his days in Madhubani’s Benipatti area with which I am also emotionally attached as of my ancestral district and more so the place of my ex-sasur and many others who were brilliant students and now a shining name in their respective fields.
Let me say that Kashi Babu is a noble soul who has anchorage to ancient Maithil tradition. Though a brilliant student(Ninth in Bihar, including present Jharkhand in 1963 batch of matriculation from a village school of Benipatti; he had BTch from BIT, Sindri but also famous in our locality of Ranchi for an expert horoscopist.
The talk started with Dr. Manikant Thakur of USA and Kashi Babu said that his elder brother Roopkant babu was a teacher in his school who had a free mind and had equally literary flair like Manikantji. He had written a book of poetry in Hindi, “Motikan,” where he had commented on his headmaster Rajbanshi Babu:
“Sitpitatee Gilhari kee doom see
Apaki munchhen kavayad kar rahee..”

At other place n the book lines were:
“Pet kya 5 number balloon hai
Kesh chhati me jahan sailoon hai..”

But Rajbanshi was a teacher par excellent, a strict disciplinarian, who in fact uplift the area( uddhar kay delathi elaka ke).
I was surprised how a teacher can do uddhar of any area?

Kashi Babu said that in present era no one could believe that a teacher in winter season standing on the grass of ground would teach( English and mathematics) boys till 9 am and that too without any money and then will go to house(nearby Behta or Benipatti) and being ready will be again in the school by exact 10 am!
He was an ideal teacher and knowing it I mentally saluted him who were really nation builders not the leaders! In his time some 20 students in a batch from his school used to get first division, even third divisioner of his time are hoisting flags in their area today! His students include many stalwarts of today in various fields(like my ex-father in law who later topped in the Indian School of Mines and retired as CMD from Coal Inda Ltd.).
Rajbanshi babu’s son Nunuji is a dentist and eldest son, Narendra, an engineer, retired from Coal India, his son-in law, Vashishtha, from nearby Sarisab village(recently I crossed during cycle March in October 2008) is on a senior post in Bharat Alumunium.

Rajbanshi babu was elder brother of Dr. Baidyanath Jha, the great socialist leader who also became a Minister in Janta regimen. I had taken his blessings for Mithila work when I was on my first padyatra of Mithila in 1993,
Rajbanshi babu was a great teacher, he excelled some great teachers of his time like Ramkrishna Jha, Jhingur Kunwar (incidentally I saw both of them- Ramkrishnababu was once traveling on a side seat of me in a Darbhanga bound bus and with Jhigur Kunwar I had strolled at Laheriasarai when someone told me that who he was!).

I asked Kashi Babu who were 2.5 teachers in the then Darbhanga district in which one was Siddhinath Mishra of Gonouli whose Golden English Grammar was famous. Kashi Babu said Rajbanshi babu must be one of them and maybe Radhakant Mishra of Kamtaul whose English grammar was also famous and Sundar Babu of Belaunja.

Then I asked him about Arun Kumar Dutta , Principal, RK College. Kashi babu said he exactly remembered the date 20.6.1963 when Kashi babu had gone to him for his admission with an application for freeship he had asked his marks and knowing that he was a board IX ranker with 778/900 marks - immediately wrote on the application,” full freeship and half mess charge free in Heera Hostel and all books from poor boys’ library!”

He was a great teacher who had bent back but was teaching mathematical topics like progression superb in PUC classes..during examination time he used to teach some 300 sums one by one, telling how to approach if that was asked and he used to be a setter and 90 % questions must be from there). He was a great human with a kind heart!
Kashi babu was of the opinion that Govt. take up of schools during Jagannath Mishra’s chief Ministership wrecked the sincerity of schools which though provided substantial money to teachers they forgot their duty to their students!

In his time there were some famous school- Watson was of course one where Chandranarayan babu was famous headmaster. Madhubani’s other JMSS(famous as Suri on caste name of Suris ) though said in ligher vein as Jaral Maral Saral Sarathi School but from there Umesh Naryan Panjiyar of his batch of 1963 stood third in Bihar Board who is now Secretary, GOI. Dyodh school(Ghogadiha) was also famous for results and so Jawahar School of Madhepu(I think sometimes in 1990s I have seen its campus while I was going to Rasiari to meet legendary Laxman Jha) and had gone to Dyodh to meet Jeevkantji who was a school teachr who got Sahitya Akademy award also.

Kashi babu’s batch mate Yogendra Pathak Viyogi stood fifth who was director in the Bhabha Atomic Centre and headed Cyclotron project at Kolkata before joining Institute of Physics at Bhubabeshwar as its director. His batch mate Shivanand Jha was one position above him(VIII in Bihar) who hailed from my ex- sasur , damodarpur and became a civil engineer who was bahinoi of my teacher Dr. Mohan Mishra.

Though my note has exhausted on t not the memory which is being bombarded by thrilling account of such teachers and students and at times I think as to why I was not a student of such teachers though some of my teachers at Forbesganj were equally devoted. Sometimes I also think as to why I did not read in any village school or lived in village- my town was encircled with villages but that was a business town. While going to village I always use to play and read in schools of Jeebach, Pandaul or Madhubani..and sometimes of Northbrook Jila school, Raj School or Saraswati School (M L Academy which surprisingly npt producing MLAs but was named on Maharani Laxmivati academy)..
I had later known about Shcools of Khirhar and of course my maternal place famous Koilakh’s school . About Loha I knew and saw recently and so many more schools of Mithila where I love to go and even have stayed some nights with students.
At Arer High School in 1993, I had said to teachers that time to make history had come like one old teacher in his 80s had told while Japan was in war with Russia in 1905.

But the history maker for Mithila can only be such teachers whom I have just mentioned with honour.

I tried to search some very poor but brilliant students through examinations at Madhubani and Saharsa in 2008 but was surprised that the score was around 30/150 and those too were coming from pucca houses.

I am not so fortunate like AK Dutta to get any Kashi Junior maybe because I myself am not like Dutta or Rajbanshi who opted for teaching but went to green pastures of medical world but till Mithila(and country as a whole) will have many more Rajbanshis, Roopkants, Siddinaths, Radhakants, Sundars, Ramkrishna, Jhigurs it will not be one Manikant or Mahesh dreams from US or me even being in India..

(The story of Maithil college teachers- A. Jha, B Jha, C Jha, D Jha, at Patna University and so UC Jha of Ranchi sometime next if find time and so of CB Choudhary, Vishnukant Jha like brilliant engineers from BIT, Sindri..).

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Chhati- the Great Surya festival and Me

Chhati- the Great Surya festival and Me

I have been a chhathivrati since 1995 when incidentally (I had started it. One of my relatives from ex- sasur had said to bring car, I had purchased that year for going to Ghat. I was doubtful of morning rise and hence had decided to stay at his quarters. He had also requested me for kharna Prasad and then I decided to take fast- I had twin objects and was in advance to Lord Suryadev( that my estranged wife returned to me and I should not go to jail on false and frivolous cases related to her divorce suit which I had contested).
The former was not accepted by Suryadev but later He granted me, anyway a 50:50 case, maybe a pass mark for a medico - and as she was also a medico, god also favoured of fairer sex and she was awarded other husband!. I remember she adored Kunti as a character and today I read that because Kunti was a Shashti (including Karna having six-sons) who had observed this fast, it is observed on SHASHTI.

So many myths and stories for this great fast . My father used to tell us- It is Chhat Pita as is the worship of a male god Surya while people say it more as Chhati mai.
I gave arghya this time to Suryadev ,mostly as “Dinkaray namah,” my father was named thus on Surya as Dinkar who I lost this year!

Why Chhathi mata- In fact in eastern India, we are more Shakti worshipper and Adishakti is supposed to be the Progenitor of the World.

Some of the Puranas narrate thus as was said to me by Kiran Jha while she was enquiring me for preparing her role as CHHATI MATA in a documentary or song.


Well! In this way it is a festival of women empowerment and mostly females do fast. May be, for relieving males from the arduous fast. So some feminists may take it as women-disempowering too.

There are some Sun Temples, notably at Dev in Aurangabad district of Bihar and also at Badgaon in the district of Nalanda 2 km from Nalanda railway station and at Haria, 2 km from Narsaliganj in Navada district. These all are in Magadh area though in Mithila too many Surya idols have been found, one at Parsa in Madhubani is famous.

Konark’s Sun temple was attacked by Muslims and was stopped while in-making and no Pran-Pratishtha was done and hence is merely a tourist spot not a temple.

The Chhathi is now celebrated all over the country and many countries abroad though might have started from Magadh.
It has been politicized by some groups too and leaders are flocking to Puja more to have votes than to worship.

I am not a leader and I want to be conspicuously absent and usually go the the place where people hardly recognize me.

And also I never disturb my organizational schedule and try to adjust my time despite traveling.

NMO’s Silver Jubilee 2002 was held on Chhati day despite my protest executive okayed.
Wife of Dr. Narendra Mohan Singh, Prabha Singh now a BJP Councillor had arranged kharna for me and I had gone to Yamuna Ghat to offer evening arghya despite Ma. Sudarshanjee was on dais.

At Ghat, my friend and one time coworker, Ravishankar Prasad, then a Minister, met me and his security had objected to formal greet and meet as I was in a dhoti. Ravishankarjee prohibited security. The same night I went to Agra with Dr. Yogesh Goyal who escorted me to Ghat on his motorbike and from there I went straight to Tundla to catch my train to Ranchi which I would have missed at Delhi in early morning!

Today (Nov.5) is NMO’s Foundation day and I remember Dr. Goswami of Indore whose wife once fed me on kharna though not knowing what to give or not- she had a lot of fruits and milk and something from Haldiram’s too which I should not have taken having salt. The Chhati I had at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre’s Anushaktinagar where Biharis had dug an artificial pond.

I have seen so many ghats and have introduction with many in the Chhati connection. In 2006, I had kharna at Bangalore at the house of Sanjiv working in software. He hailed from Muzaffarpur and his mother used to have Chhati. The same night I went to Hyderabad where I was advised by Firan Jha to go to Ameerpeth. I reached there by bus and had evening arghya but returning again to the same ghat was not possible and I was asked by a CRPF personnel Sawaria of Muzaffarpur to go to his quarters where in the night I could read a very old version of Ramacharitmanas (Sawariya’s father had that copy) where in the introductory pages I learnt many things eg. 16 shringars include sindoor..and Ayurveda is upveda of Rig-Veda(I was thus far knowing as Upveda of Atharvaveda)..Sawariya insisted that I must have parna at his quarters and after that he provided me a seat to the vehicle going to the Nizam institute of Medicine where I met one person of Veda Bharati (who also confirmed about Ayurveda).

In 2007 I was posted at Bangalore and had kharna again at Sanjeev’s house in Suncity. For evening arghya, the next day I reached Sanky Tank from my office and as I was in tank, I overheard some rumblings. People told me that police had strongly objected and in the morning tank gates may not open.
I went to Sadashivnagar Police station and on behalf of the Antarrarshtriya Maihtili parishad lodged a petition for permission of chhatvratis from the appropriate authorities on urgent level. At last, the SHO permitted for 70-80 persons. As I had also reported the incident to Jeevanedra of the Rajasthan Patrika, it had a wide coverage and when I reached Bihar Bhavan, Opp.RT Nagar PO, the President of Siddhartha Sanskritik Parishad congratulated me as they all had read that news. There on the terrace, artificial water was made available for vratis and all were given parna food.

I feel this tendency of having Chhati in artificial water need discouraged as Chhati is a community festival where cooperation to each other is the mool mantra.
Rather pond cleaning should be done by voluntary efforts.

I had once Chhati at Charoda near Bhilai where my eldest bhauji resides. Rest of 9 times I had chhati at Ranchi’s ponds- button tank or near Shahid Maidan of HEC Sector II. Kharna always I had with some one else who was observing Chhati vrat but this time I had to cook kheer myself as Mrs. Rajnikant Choudhuri had gone to her daughter’s place-Guwahati.
It was a good experience and I fould my stomach was rather better tolerated with self cooked kheer and bananas and apples.
After the day OPD, I restd in my chamber and in the evening went straight to Ghat. Sanjesh Mohan Thakur could not reach there and again I was alone in the city where I am not so unknown. I put my mobile in the bag and asked a person of SAIL to watch my bag and I entered the pond. That man after some time left the place but my bag was safe.

I came out and thought to go to Laxman Raout (of Bhit Bhagwanpur whom I could know throw his son Nirmal, a student of RMC in 1980s while I was residing there and later had intense familial relations before I joined Maithuili movement) who had shown his inability to go to my residence to take milk kept for kharna when I had enquired him whether I could have kharna with his wife’s.

While I was in way, it came in my mind that Dr. Madan Jha ( a senior engineer of HEC hailing from village Gonouli which I had visited once) had his residence nearby the tank and went to his quarters just as atithi- a tithi(a guest- who has no fixed date) and they were happy. His wife too was observing fast and so it was easier to rise up in the morning and I offered arghya in the pond not that I did not have asked for humanly desires but also I prayed for my brothers’ and sisters’ families well being and also prayed for fulfillment of NMO’s objectives as well as Mithila state apart from universal bliss from the god, Suryadeva.
I was not committal as to stop doing Chhati fast from next year as my sister Bindu had asked me who enquired from Delhi on phone as to completion of each step but I do not know whether I can have this next year which only He knows and yes on return I had also Parna at the house of Dr. Madan Jha who had cooked early in the morning himself for me and his better half( who incidentally is from village Panchobh from where comes my one of the Bhaujis, daughter of Madan Choudhary) and I had the remembrance of the unknown house of Sanwaria of Hyderabad whom I will probably never meet again!

Saturday, November 1, 2008

A Deepawali without Deepas

A Deepawali without Deepas
Hardly many choose to go out on Deepawali but I have to for saving my leaves and doing some organizational work for which Delhi is a favouritedestination as on Kali Puja there use to be meetings with cultural programme at sarita vihar organized by Bihar Sahyog Samiti(though predominantly done by Maithils) and at Faridabad by Mithila Navyuvak Sangh, Raman Jha is key organizer at Sarita vihar where I use to inaugurate the function for 4-5 years till last year when I had forgotten the date and had reached Delhi a day late after a car journey from Bangalore to Ranchi.
At Faridabad mostly local and one national leader is being invited every year and they give me full honour and a few minutes to speak also.

I have shared dais there with jay Narayan Nishat, Devendra Yadav, Ravi shankar Prasad, Rajeev Shukla, Ranjita Anand and had spoken before everyone except Devendra Yadav who took too much time. I would have loved to say that time that Mother Maithili has attracted him also in Her folds as the same Devendra had not signed a petition to Vajpayee for inclusion of Maithili in the VIII Schedule when I had gone to him with GuruMaitajee and Kamalkant jee. I had rebutted Devendra that his concern for unemployment and inflation and for Vajpayee had if any value that was lower to purs and true he had left NDA and not persons like us who though were non-political had appreciation for Vajpayee for his bold decision to give Maithili its due including it in the VIII Schedule.

The politicians have chameleon colours and that I saw in him advoicating for Maithili at Nagloi and Faridabad. True he could understand the power of Maithili as he had lost the same election held after the episode I narrated. Sometime I say(rather boast) that lalu lost due to me amking me an enemy by removing Maithili frm the BPSC that I entered in Maithili field from the NMO and Lalu had merely lowered 0.2 % ov his vote share- could it not be accounted to Maithili-lovers unity to which I was a significant contributor. I recall Dr. LN Jha from saharsa had told me on phone,”Ekota Lalten nahee jarlay, saharsa Commissanory me,” yes Saharsa had given him lesson bitter than Darbhangias did give!

I was not knowing who will be guest this year at Faridabad but the guest , Ram Chandra Khubtia, MP(Rajya Sabha from Orissa and Secretary, AICC) on getting poster for Mithila and Maithili Sandesh on dais said,” Every language should have its own area(state) and our fight for Maithili(Mithila) state should continue..(The exact version by Kripanand Jha’s referral of video)..
Though he had left for a meeting with Soniya Gandhi had he been there during my speech I would have added Vjapayee won hearts of Maithils by recognizing Maithili, Sonia too would get laurels if she gave us Mithila State.

My one liner however in his absence was directed to other leaders of Congress on dais that we Maithils thank Haryanavis for their appreciation of ours (and not criticizing us like Thakre) in making wealthy Haryana and I also warned that if any body dared to humiliate us they will loose as Maithils are decisive in 94 parliamentary constituencies- apart from 28 in Mithila, 64 others, including Faridabad. The 15-20 thousand crowd there cheered me. Of course I was not so strong in my criticism as young Bhardwaj of Youth Congress was criticizing Thakre.
In fact I am sorry that anyone from the state of Chhatrapati Shivaji can say like that. He should be ashamed on his wrong lessons in History and more so I am surprised over the reply of Manohar Joshi, former Speaker, in defense of Raj. I use to regard him a learned person but probably he needed a teacher who could slap him like my teacher slapped a friend of mine in geopgraphy class of IX
“Arariya Cour- Court = ?”
On listening to reply ‘Araiya’ he had slapped and said that it was ‘Kabala Datta( a destrt like place,’ after the court population started assembling, he said.
I say thus Bharat- Mithila(not to talk of present Bihar) is almost ZERO in the field of Indian (Hindu) Philosophy as I narrated in one of my older writings.

And for finding such opportunities I had decided to loose my Deepawali festival in journey to Delhi.

This journey to Delhi on 27th October 2008 night was not much different from others except that my luggage was packed with Aayurvigyan Pragati’s individual postal pack to some 1000 members and 400 medical and dental colleges of the country who needed information before ensuing Nov.15-16, 2008 XXXII National Conference of the NMO for which I am incessantly working since 14.8.1977.

I know the pain and pangs of any organizational process but it is still difficult at its 32nd year as many had forgotten that any organization is an action of karmyogis who many times are taken to be otherwise even if done with utmost detachment.

Anyway postal packs were made by my sister Bindu and maid, Punam, who had nothing to do with NMO. The full sacks and bags were loaded in the compartment at Ranchi railway station by Sanjesh Mohan Thakur, a teacher and organizing secretary of the AMP, Jharkhand, who got a cut by the sharp lace of the bundle of the Maithili Sandesh delivered just that evening. My sister Bindu was also with me.

On 28th morning, at Mugalsarai I took big bag on my shoulders to drop(maybe first medical editor for such endeavour) on the next plaftform at the RMS. It was a Deepawali holiday and I had to drop in the letter box maybe some 10 at a time. The box was mouthful, maybe for the first time in its existence which is opened many times a day otherwise.

After few ours at Kanpur, Prekant Jha, a teacher and member of the AMP came and I gave him Maithili Sandesh, posters for Mithila state and membership forms and went with him on the RMS on the same platform to drop magazines which was easy there .
I saw Deepawali at many places from the train, Etawah, Shikohabad, Hathras, etc. and notably at Aligarh, I remarked the houses not Deepawali were as if were of Muslims.
I remembered at Aligarh Dr. jagdish goyal’s family where I used to break my jouney or he used t come at platform but though our goals were same paths were different.
Most pf the houises had electic bulbs not earthen deeps as if Deepawali without Deepas!

I got a phone from a number I guessed from USA but Bindu after seeing 91 said from India’s but it was from Dr. Mahesh Dutta Jha’s from USA who advised me to write in the Organiser and Panchjanya on Mithila state.

Other missed call was from Dr. Ravindra Chaudhary, Jamshedpur whether having a separate flag for Mithila was not anti-national. No, I said that Karnataka and Tamilnadu have state flags and they were not less nationalists than anybody else.

At Tundla too some 30 magazines were dropped in a short time of 2 minutes and the rest I dropped at New Delhi RMS going there with Kripanand Jha, G Secy., AMP where separate box was also for local mail. I saw one address was slipped of Dr. Vinay Aggarwal whose Pushpanjali Hospital though I crossed after 2 days I had dropped the other journal at the JNU box I visited on 30th October.

It was too much late but Bindu’s husband, Vivekanand and Kripanand were waiting for us. I chose to go with Kripanand to his Mayur Vihar residence, adjacent to Lal Chandra’s which was my abode till he was happy there with Ritambhara.

I do not know future but usually those who are very close to me have hardly peaceful family life and I do not know why they learn this negative aspect from me and at times have negative behaviour with their wives when I had abundant love to my wife despite her saying me, Sayonara(Good Bye!).

It was too much late and going to my niece Gungun at NOIDA for giving a Deepawali surprise or to my cousin Gamnesh in nearby Phase III was not possible and we slept after having dinner around 130 am.

On 29t morning I called Hitendra Gupta who had expressed his desire to meet me. He was also in NOIDA and finally said that he would accompany us to Sarita Vihar.
First we went to MECON Towers(near Fortius Hospital) where BK Jha’Manpaur’ ,my old neighbour and JP Movement activist discussed and planned with Kripananad for supplying milk powder to Koshi victim children and filing PIL against Government for mishandling Koshi affairs. He is of the view that whole project be limited to India and we should work for distributing water not collecting that by making dams for hydoelecticity. I do not know much about the engineering implications of that and wish matter is discussed in depth.
I went to meet my Bhauji and niece for them my personal endeavor was needed I felt. Though and MBA from Indian School of Foreign Trade for her height 5’ 7.5” it has been difficult to find a suitable groom and my cousin, a great Hindi poet, Padmakar’s death in a railway accident has naturally this responsibility is on us and I was only ashamed to meet my niece without fulfilling my duties to her.

Kripanand and I went to Sarita Vihar and there was initially a small gathering but later joned by Balendu Arun Jha, my friend of JP movement days it was a good meeting. With him amny seniors and youngers had came for the meeting notably one Ratneshwar Jha who had seen Mithila posters somewhere in the train near Varanasi and was full of energy to suggest we need 1 crore such Mithili photo in every house and so Mithila Pag.
I feel even one lakh will do a dramatic change in Mithila psyche.
Balenduji appreciated my efforts more than I deserved and Kripanand said on the mention of reveared leader Bhogendra Jha that had his party won he might have been a Minister only but if had starteda Mihtila Party and got Mithila state destiny would have remembered him or anyone.
The same thing I told to one of the aspirant candidates for MP from JD(U) at Jhanjharpur, Dr.BK Jha who was introduced to me in the evening programme and had adviced Kiran Jha a candidate aspirant from the BSP . I told Dr. Jha that we would support the candidate who supports our demand of Mithila State, He was non committal.
I was surprised that he did not know NMO though passed from RMCH, Ranchi. It seems he had no extra curricular activity and now parties opt for such candidates who have no ideological past but green present..

And they choose one who had not worked for the area as if one worked might have some opponents but if not no opponent and only propositions and conjectures.
Kripanand said that Chankya had said that a politician should only say the thing which he could twist the other way in future.

I am not so and so I may be a Chankya and am searching for a Chandragupta.
But Kripanand said Gandhi(and later JP) had done wrong by not leading himself the country and we cannot leave Mithila at others’ mecry..We will have to take responsibility by entering in the political domain.
I did not say anything and was thinking – was I a true politician?

Probably not I am so. Sometimes back I had said Kiran if Mayawati choses me to oppose Manmohan or New Delhi constituency I may think for resigning my job!

Even at Faridabad I was introduced more as a Maithili worker than a doctor in service though only some persons know that I was trained by eminent medical teachers of the country!

She caught hold of that later that I was a politician that I do not know the truth.

The meeting at Sarita Vihar was concluded with Yatri’s song and oath as AMP worker. I hope much from the members who attended that. Some were amazed Yatri Nagarjuna had written for Mithila State.
Particular mention should be of one teacher who pointed several questions on inclusion of non-Nrahmins in the struggle to which I replied that is already there and more non-Brahmins had written their mother tongue as Maithili than Brahmins in 2001 cesus as it was almost trebled to the number of Brahmins in Mithila. However, we want workers on their quality and not on quota and that is in the AMP already.

Hitendra Gupta who was a silent spectator and a true Maithili blogger must have made up his mind as to what I say I mean and has given his report on blog which I will read on Monday.

He had reached the venue independently after we reached there.
The journey to and from Faridabad was on a speed natural for Kripanand unnatural for me but I remember my senior friend Govindacharya who once said to me that he never objects the speed of bike driver who knows his limits best but while returning I had Mother Kali’s big portrait framed in glasses and I had to take every caution that it reached safely and it reached so to its destination to my house at Ranchi .

( AS THE TIME IS OVER To be continued IN NEXT)