Dilli yatra : Any stranger’s coming to stranger’s house

First time I visited Dilli probably sometimes in 1978/79 with the Shikshik jagaran Jyoti of JP.
And then for various causes related to NMO till 2002,any other work was subsidiary to that except for once when I had gone there to be in a delegation to meet Vajpayee for the inclusion of Maithili in April 2000 but Vajpayee all of sudden became sick and I returned. Despite application of leaves, I was put in a health centre as a punishment which I did not and had to take 21 days leave when I could rejoin my post. I did not like any pairavi though I was knowing a couple of ministers personally in Vajpayee Govt.

Delhi is our national capital and if anybody want some work of national scale that person needs visiting Delhi.

I feel personally it is not fit for our capital on many counts probably developing a new capital , computerized and of small scale in the vicinity of Jabalpur will be fitter yet Delhi is capital I need going there and I may relocate myself, if I continue in my Maihtili and NMO work as of now.
Every Dilli trip is a memorable one but let me write something about most recent one.
Some times back an ex-employee of SAIL and my villager karnaji came to me for some drugs. I have been intimate to him for many years I work for MECON-SAIL.

I asked him whether he would rejoin any service after his retirement. He saud that he does not intend so and then I offered him to work for Antarrashtriya Maithili Parishad(AMP) which he happily agreed.
I had already decided to attend Faridabad’s Kali Puja organized by Mithila Navyuvak Sangh and Sarita Vihar’s Kali Puja organized by Raman Jha of Bihar Sahyog samiti which have become my perennial affair .
I wished a meeting at Karnji’s house in Dwarka which he agreed happily. It was almost a deepawali Milan for a new settler in delhi. He had been there only a few days back with bag and baggage and I had not his new number and hence when I informed on group e-mail of Maihtils that I was coming an unknown Maithil journalist from Dwarka had replied. Without knowing his village and age and profession I requested him to go to harnaji’s house . He went there and also mailed me details about himself. He was a journalist interested in scince and religion, a topic I too like to discuss with. I thought if I stay there it would be doubly benefial as it has been my habit to stay with potential social workers(of NMO or AMP) and to visit there house to be intimate with them.
This looks awkward to many and any suspicious person will smell something different. It happened this time so. Though the young Maithil (not so younger but younger to me) was very open in his reception one of his intimate, a very senior person indeed, an IPS to say was suspicious of any stranger’s coming to stranger’s house. It was then when that person was aware of that I was a qualified doctor and has also listened to my name connected to Mithila movement(I believe, if not boast, that hardly any intellectual Maihtil would not have a reference to my work of Mithila and so among doctors with nationalistic feelings for the medical work rendered through national medicos organization(NMO).

Yet, his suspicion was not wrong after all he belonged to that department but my host was also a suchha Maithil with a faith in Mithila’s tradition- he told him,”He will put a lock,if suspected in night.”

Well, God saved me from locks! My younger brother became suddenly ill and I had to drop the connecting train at Mugalsarai for Varansi and then I came back by Mahanagari express for Allahabad. In the process, from my brother I could get number of DRM, Railways Jhaji from Mohna village near Jhanjharpur and invited him for attending ensuing XX International Maihtili conference at Kanpur(Dec.20-21). My nephews(students of NIT,Jamshedpur and LTM Medical College,Mumbai with their mother had also been at Varanasi to see my brother who had an overdose of antihypertensive drug and had almost recovered.

At Allahabad soon I got Ajmer bound superfast and at Kapur Premkant Jha was waiting for me for discussing matters related to Maithili Conference. That was a Deepawali evening and I saw Deepawali of many towns and villages I crossed.

The train Unchahar express was almost vacant and I was surprised to find a lady TTE on duty that night! There was an old passenger coming from Namisharanya and I talked with him in Sanskrit. He could speak chaste Sanskrit and was pleased to meet me and was surprised to know that I was an MD; probably he was not aware that Swami Shivananda was also a doctor!

Till Fafund, one passenger listened to my talks attentively and when that old man asked his profession and I told guessing his fitness in police(though he was in civil dress), they were further surprised.

In the meantime my host queried where I was and knowing that I would be reaching in morning he might have taken a sigh of relief!

I was also enquired by Kripanand as to where I was and I was staying with him after Dr. lal Chandra left the same Mayur Vihar. Before that Lal Chandra’s Lady Hardinge’s quarters were my halting station and I remember many years back when NMO was not rooted in delhi once I had slept on the grounds of Smt. Sucheta Kripalani Hospital.

Anyway this time I replied Kripanand not to bother but come to Dwarka meeting directly. From Dilli to New Delhi I came by a train and then took Metroride for Dwarka, The booking girl was very polite and asked me to be sure of the Scetor and I asked my host for that and reached there by a Metrofeeder mininus. While I was waiting for that a rickshaw pullar I guessed rom Mithila and he was from Begusarai.

My host received me and welcomed me. Not only he was from the village of legendary MM Umesh Mishara and his illustrious sons(late Jaikant Mishra most known face among them), his wife was from my neighbourhood village, in fact she was so much excited in Atithi from her area that she forgot to look after milk and I went into kitchen after many years to switch off the gas!

Then we went for meeting where many Maihtils were unknown to each othr and I too saw many faces first ime who all promised for AMP work at Delhi. I was surprised to see Bihar Lok manch’s souvenir which was managed by almost entirely Maithils(later I counted only 123 out of 1001 members were looked to me non_maithils!- That souvenir on my table attracted the attention of a Maithil lady for a uniqe photograph of Devi Durga and took that for painting. Every Maithil women is a painter- ‘Aripan’ is an art to testify them!).

The official of Bihar Lok manch informed that when it was fiunded Shri Mantreshwar Jha ,IAS and seniors like him named that organization so on Bihar! I am not surprised that such person bagged a Maithili award!

This double life our seniors have been living.

See what others are doing.Today’s results of Raj Thakre’s MNS who is neither having Hindu ideology nor so called secular Indian but they triumph.

There in the meeting was Ghanshyam who happily agreed for a Maithili workers camp at Burari (Dec.22-25). I cold see him after a long tome. He had been a close confide of mine while I was at Bangalore in posting, he was working for Youth of Mithila.

Youth of Mithila should awake! There awakening will be in the interest of nation. Anil Sah, a young Maithil I saw first him on 2.11.2005 in a Sarita Vihar kali Puja function is still in regular contact with me and had been with me in recent Yatra of Mithila. He was made Secretary of Dilli State, AMP.

With Kripanand I was again on bike to reach sarita Vihar where I talked with a malled group this year of Maithil youth. Again Maithils are pillars there but are mesmerized for word Bihar which has no real entity but was thwarted upon us dismembering Mithila by Mohammad Giyasuddin Tugalaque in 1328.

When I spoke this in my address at Mithila Navyuvak sangh,Faridabad’s mammoth gathering of 5000+ persons, the chief guest Staleja , a councilor 0f BJP, donating 1.51 lakh rupees for kalisthan mandap, repeated this that Mithila statehood is a must and Maithila(and Bhojpuri san Faridabad, Mumbai will have industrial zero- Raj Thakre should note that!).

Last year Cong(I) MP, AICC Secretary, RC Khuntia had echoed that, Every language needs state, demand of Mihtila state is genuine.”

My visit to faridabad started inconsequentially when someone on 9.7.2001 invited me to come while I had gone to sangam Vihar’s new office of AB Mithila sangh. Late Bhogendra Jha, ex-MP was there who had criticized to Chhati and mool gotra etc. on a Marxian vein which I had criticized severely and the Maithils appreciated me.

On someone’s invitation 15.11.2001 I was there and was welcomed by Amarath Jha ‘a’(among many amaranths). And then onwards I have been visiting there and am honoured by them by heart.

In 2002, Devendra yadav, MP spoke so much that we could not have time(though I was willing to say that thanks Maithil’s grace that you who in April 2000 had refused to sign on a Memorundum for Maihtili recognition when I had chided him strongly, had come to Maithili Darbar!)

In In 2003 I could not go there.

On 11.11.2004 I was there(probany my friend of ABVP days. Ex-Minister, maybe Ravishankar Prasad was exclaimed to find me there so far from Mithila).

On 2.11.2005, Rajiv shukla, Cong MP was there and took my notes on Mithila state

On 22.11.2006, I came from Bangalore and chief guest Ranjit Ranja, MP,LJP, repeated my voices in her speech calling me thrice’our guardian from Bangalore,”

In 2007, I was confused after a tiring car journey from Bangalore to Ranchi and while in way at Gaya I could know that the function was on the same day and I missed.

It was 19th kalipuja celebration and I could attend 7th time. I might not have gone this year had not a villager at Sijhouliya, Phulparas spotted me in his village that he had seen me at faridabad and had stressed again to come.

Gradually I think,I should concentrate my leaves in Mithila for movement but sure such gatherings of Maithils can contribute a lot. And among all Dehi/NCR has a potential role .

Again on high speed drive with Kripanand,carrying Mother Kali’s beautifully framed portrait, we reached sarita Vihar where Puja has been turned to orchestra party leaving guests addressal which we were giving in initial years! Probably small is beautiful! Kripanand left me at New delhi station and I went to my berth in last train towards east Reanchal express) which left in time and reached Allahabad in time.

We went to Anil’s shouse for dinner and he packed so much sattu that taking that next morning at Allahabad I had no idea that sattu with water will swell too much and I could not eat that and gave part of that to a poor boy in Lal Quila express!

Anyway it was not my desire like Ayrangjen’s father Shajenha to take one grain”Sattu” when he was imprisoned by son. And one work’, -to teach students;

-listening to which son retorted-“Grown old but hukumat karne ki tammanna nahi gayee.”

Maybe youth I like so but two youths were at hot words on the question of putting Kali portrait in Lal Quila express anad other of Dehri (who had his friend TTE for Rs.10 each day journey without ticket) in Ranchi bound intercity from Mugalsarai in sleeper coach. Of course I found a young Dubey ,CA, working for IFFCO who took interest in my talks on various points.

Of course in Lal Quila when one Inspector Police traveling of course without ticket asked me who should have been best PM,if not VP,Rajiv, Nehru,I quipped me( in past life I might have been subas and in present life am better and more knowledgeable and honest than those numerated and that person having praise for VP,Mayavati had a tight lip!)

When I got down at Ranchi and reached house safely with photo I took a sigh of relief and forgot what many things happened in train.(0r will happen tomorrow..in train.. which has become my house living with strangers with a faith unseen and many of them have become my friends and some in close social work with me.

Dh. 22.10.2009
. Dhanakar Thakur
Spokesman,
Antarrashtriya Maithili Parishad
www.geocities.com/maithili_parishad