Katihar : Coincidences

Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Katihar : Coincidences
Coincidences: KatiharPeople usually do not go to their old rented houses often more so to a relative's old rented house even if you would have stayed there for some times.But on the Sunday 27th May, I was almost having no appointment when Dhirendra left me at Jaynagar where he used to stay and where in I too had stayed with him for a span of about six months.I was confused to find that house near IX Block Bus stop but after sometimes could recall a drug shop and seeing the cross board sign realized that I was almost at the spot.That house has three stories- in the middle Shrinivaslu who was very close to Dhirendra and used to take the role of an elder in any problem. I knocked his house and his daughter Hema asked to sit and said that his was father was not in his. Incidentally Dhirendra's sister is also named Hema.I asked for any of Dhirenda's posts and then asked as to who came in upper floor where we used to live.She said," they are students, north Indians, like you."I went upside and knocked.A young man, Nishantranjn came out and on probing he told me that he was from Katihar. His father used to work in the Electricity Department and he used to live nar Durgasathan from where one of my bhahi (widow of my cousin Padmakar, who succumbed to a railway accident at Gandhinagar Jaipur Railway station ,near his house; a well renowned Hindi poet, Ashok Chakradhar etc. belonged to his group) belonged to."I was also born 95 km north at Forbesganj," I said."I was also born there," he quipped."Near Power House," he said and I had a flash of memory of the nearby field where during 1960s I had gone to see a football match between Mohun Bagan and some other team. There was huge crowd and whole field was field of chorkanti…Then we talked a lot of things about Forbesganj. He was also a alumnus of the Lee Academy from where I did my Matriculation in 1970. He could recognize my home there in front of post office and telephone exchange. For Katihar we talked too much. I recalled the days of Katihar when I had gone there with a ambulance and full team (one other doctor, one pharmacist, one dresser and medicines worth many thousand rupees from the CCL, Ranchi where I was working in those days).( under the title of 'Ek Medico ki barh daiary" in Hindi it is available and can be sent to the interested person on e-mail also, if asked for).I asked him as to what was needed for Katihar to improve . He replied an engineering college. I informed him that Prof. Raman Jha (Gangtok's Sikkim Manipal Technical University ) had once informed that the Aryabhatta Engineering College had already opened there to which Nishikant was ignorant.I asked him to make a plan to have some IT work (as he worked with the IBM) at Katihar itself- for such work an organization NSWEO is in womb of time despite my efforts I could not get good workers for it,Just now Prabhanjan from NOIDA has informed me that some villages may have computers –such type of works should be taken by AMP/NSWEO units and any philanthropic person/ organization can give the organizations to purchase such computers which local AMP units can locate where to provide in other word if every Maithili in service provides an ordinary computer of few thousand rupees to his/her village school-an IT revolution may come in Mithila in no time).Nishikant said that he along with his friends would after few years start some such business venture at Katihar.Incidentally his two other house partners were also from Katihar- one of his partners, Kunal was there with who did not take much interest in my talk.Nishikant told me that there were many young persons at Bangalore from katihar and even from Forbesganj. I asked him whether they can meet any day to have some development work in their area. People do like to meet but only for socialization which may be ok for some but in that an element of social responsibility need addition.My own experience is that Bangloreans are not interested much in such type of activates if I compare it with Pune or Kolkata. Is it that matririn( social obligation) is inversely proportional to distance or affluence of the person while it hould have been directly proportional.In fact, our whole education system is that it can not enthuse anyone for society even for his own parents' care.And ultimately that person is more sufferer (and hence, a National Institute of Psychiatry at Bangalore?)For that matter psychiatric diseases are highest in USA and once in 1977, Dr. Davis, FRCS(Psych) had told me ,"In UK there were more Indian psychiatrist than India had- then 250)." I had gone there to see Vashishtha Narayan Singh, a famed mathematician who was sick there and Dr. Davis agreed to me that his familial reasons were a great contributor to his insane state. While you are sane if you would not do the work of empowering others and it may make you insane. A recent report says that religious preachers, doctors were in best mental health.Dr. Davis had also not replied me a relationship between intelligence and insanity and certainly I feel the intelligent persons must work for the society- it is in their own interest.I asked Nishikant to join AMP meetings which he agreed. IT workers are time pressed but for that matter every other employed person is. In IT sector at least week-ends mean all Saturdays and Sundays and because they have not developed any hobby or interest in other work they are further pressed to work and some even go to office on holidays to avoid tension of house.Wipro chief Azim Premji's one statement few years back I remember that those who sit after the office hour in fact do not work properly during office hours.Now if compare this statement with Wipro's some workers it may be opposite. Every IT worker usually work 10-12 hours a day but even if that if you would not spare some tome for wandering can you have such coincidences I described?I asked Nishikant that I would be glad to live in that house with them again but they were overpopulated there itself and even otherwise I was a stranger!

Dr. Dhanakar Thakur