Mithila Jhanda at Jhandapur(Bhagalpur)

Mithila Jhanda at Jhandapur(Bhagalpur)

Prabhat Prasad Singh alias Mukhiyajee, a seasoned young constructive leader of the locality of Auliapur-Jhandapur was very happy on my comment to an anti-Mithila person who had come in the inaugural session of XV Maithili Workers’ training Camp and was pleading for Ang and Angika.
With conviction I had simply replied him (and his friends) ‘on any token area of Jhandapur-Naugachhia I will take in Mithila( being north of Ganga)’. Those who claim Ang up to Supaul should go there and make Ang State in which Maithilis of Darbhanga ,Madhubani,Sitamarhi too will merge happily.
We want to be out of Bihar and if you too where is the difference and if the area of Saharsa and Begusarai etc. are in Ang then where is the difference- you accept name of Mithila and we accept its capital in Ang area- even Babadham qualifies to be the capital of Mithila.

The teacher who was arguing was rigid,’no, we are from frontier most and we will have to go to Darbhanga,if Mithila rajya was formed.”
I protested that it was not so and capital of Mithila may be anywhere in the boundary of Mithila and why not at Jhandapur itself which is heavenly bestowed with frit gardens of Litcji, banana and mango?

The trainees in the camp were not many but supporters of the camp were poor and downtrodden who were with their heart and soul.
Knowing that spiritual basis of Mithila state is very strong Prabhat was very happy.
Some times back a jha had told me that he would be a whole timer for Mithila state.
And so Awadhesh paswan was busy in arrangements.
They had communicated almost all important personalities but many did not turn up, I presume because invitation was from a person of lower caste or were hesitant to join them.

What I felt till now those who had oprganised seminars on “Avrodhak tatwa of Mithila-Maithili’s progress,”could not appreciate that from India to Nepal those belonging to Mithila but opposing it are those whose forefathers had migrated rather colonoized the lands of Mithila.
Maybe from that way Mithila movement may turn to a liberation movement from such holders of land if proper leadership is developed for which AMP is trying.

One may say as to a camp in such distant corner with dismal attendance was waste of time of many ( Narayan Jha, Katihar, Dr. Kamal Kant Jha, President,AMP, Advocate Surya narayan Mahto, Chhabilapur, Begusarai, Sonu of Pilakhwad who joined Kamalkantjee as a trainee, me and then Sudhirnath Mishra of Pategna-Palasi ,Araria who reached there on 23rd May 2009 in that order. While Kamlakant Jha will remain there full time till 26th’s oath, convocation and certificate distribution, others have left for various reasons. Sudhirjee’s wife was hospitalized and I had to join my duties today; Sonu was ill and was searched by his family and Narayanjee could not return next day from close by Katihar.

I had some 24 hour stay there. I could not board intercity at Kiul due to heavy rush in all compartments (maybe only second time in my life and for the first time for any organizational meeting but it gave me time for dropping bagful autobiography of my late father with a circular to headmasters of Madhubani, Darbhnaga, Samastipur, Bhagalpur and Jamui districts for poverty-cum merit test on June 14th at Jainagar and Darbhanga for I Sc students for biology, some good students will be given free 3 months coaching by friends and self study at ranchi) and somehow reached Bhagalpur by next train (Vikramshila super fast).
Tarun Vijay came to Bhagalpur station. It was he that contacts with Prabhat and Awadhesh could be made. Tarun’s journalist sister Pinky had arranged a press conference at Purnea sometimes back and then she had escorted us to her house, driving a bike(Rajdoot or Bullet) which was unthinkable for me and then in her house when she started cooking I asked his father about their mother who had expired sometimes back!

Tarun too had shared his experience of flood victims’ relief during Koshi’s national tragedy- how the afflicted were freighted with water(.. that it will come to Bhagalpur also and so send them to Godda’s hill they had said to official; naturally a person who had seen 10 meter flood water running towards will have such psychology, consider one running way on motor cycle while water is following him!). He had managed food for them who were hungry for many days and were lethargic even to cook!

Tarun’s idea that AMP should take up Jhandapur’s total literacy drive should be taken up, I reminded Prabhat this morning. Tarun’s idea about data on fruit crop I had asked Prabhat to collect and also about their loan position categorizing in big and small farmers( holding more than 5 acres and less) ,so that in futire a co-operative can be started on Kheda’s line of Amul; probably Bihpur-Naugachhia can supply fruity for whole India’s requirement if a food processing unit is started with proper infrastructure(including air cargo service).

Kamalkant Jha said that orchards of fruits are making it a true Mithila where saints had their Ashram and we were camping in Maharshi Mehi’s Ashram (who had his childhood at Sikligarh Dharhara where child Prahlad too had);we participated in pravachan and I found the abstracts of that was like that of Upanishads and Smritis in very simple language explained by Asharam chief Thakur Paswan. There were few devotees but they were strict to time.And it was usual there to get up early (before 5 am) which is not possible in urban set up.

Jhandapur has crossing of NH 107 but by Shershah and it connects Nepal border to south tip of Jharkhand but it is not being repaired and bridge had been made controversial by politicians despite court orders to build that near Jhandapur.

Prabhat , a Nishad Raj had been instrumental in renovating several school building; he teaches children too and I am hopeful that soon a new brand of leadership will evolve from such camps which will rebuild Mithila(and thereby Bharat and Nepal). ‘Mithila Party can return with three MLA seats from that area,’ was not a sundry remark but a lesson to the way the movement of Mithila and Maithili should go to. And there will unfurl Jhanda of Mithila- probably there is no other Jhandapur in India dedicated to Tricolour!

When I was about to return some patients flocked in- they did not come earlier despite publicity. It was difficult for me but due to snag of repairing a bolt in motor cycle I could have time.

The time was 15300 for train departure and I reached platform jut dot- my reservation was not confirmed and train was also a bit late. I took a single-seater in II Class and till Dhanbad was sitting and dozing amid rain drops. At Dhanbad I went to sleeper class and slept there for five hours and reached Ranchi and duty late with hovering in mind I was amid litchi orchards but I could not eat a single litchi nor did purchase at zero mile as it seemed costly (Rs.40 per 100). Well, if something happens to that area for development that will be more important than the 7 seconds taste I could have from litchis. And I returned with memory of my third(first as an stranger while searching an ATM with Pramod Kumar Jha of Mithila Vikas Party , second sometimes back to fix up the camp when I had met Prabhat and Awadhesh first time) visit to this “Phalsthan(Frit land).