Thursday, December 24, 2009

MIND THE GAP: Delhi Metro

MIND THE GAP: Delhi Metro
This was my one of the most crucial yatra to Dilli vaia kanpur.
While I was in way to Kanpour,I had an incidental meeting of Abhay, a leader of Congress related union of Sindri region at Gomoh station which is prefixed with Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and in fact with this name I had asked for a ticket at Ranchi counter and the booking lady had given me a ticket though no specific sign on her face as I might be lone to ask for a ticket like that and that is the same for many Delhi Metro station too- hardly anybody speaks of Guru Teg Bahadur but Camp(Kingsway Camp’s shortened form) like abbreviated form GTB is being used.
Metro of Delhi has today 7th birthday, I glanced in The Hindu this morning(25th Dec.2009) where I had some rides in this journey for the second time; first ime in October 2009, I had been from New delhi to Dwarka via Rajiv Chowk(CP for Connaught Palce has almost vanished like old architectures of their I saw is fastly changing to Mall which I feel should have been prevented but neither narrow gauge could be retained nor the rural pristine culture and on the name of development concretization erverywhere instead of the reign of nature).
I visit Delhi not very frequently and stay is limited and usually with KN Jha on bike but this time I had from the beginning is continuing also because the routes have become distant which had started with a 8.2 km in 2002 to 90 km.
When I reached New Delhi station on 22nd December morning I was not aware that it was the coldest day of the season by that day and we were seven; taking tickets in long queue would have been difficult but hint was given by KN Jha to cross the bay and take ticket from near exit side counter of the other side; six tickets for Patel Maidan to go to Janar Mantar for CK Jha, Mumbai, SN Mishra, Arariya, Chunchun Mishra, Rahika and Udayshankar Darbhanga, Bhim Singh Maithil of Faridabad and Nandan Mohan of Jaipur and for me, all coming from Kanpur Maithili Sammelan; when the booking girl asked Rs.16 more after I had given her Rs.100,I felt Delhi Metro is dearer than Kolkata Meto and the same public said me in after rides that it has just been doubled and if it would have happened so in Kolkata there must have been protest but not even murmur in Delhi because people are not sensitive here, have enough earning and are neutral to the social issues except in gossips.
I changed at Rajiv Chowk and reached Mayur Vihar with KN Jha. And went to Dharna.
On 23rd day I had other occasion to be in Metro and saw it till Rajaori garden for giving a TV discussion on Saubhagya Mithila, the first Maithili Channel in India. There was not much rush while going there and but in returning it was,till Kashmiri Gate in way to Burari for getting a bus from ISBT.
I found Metro’s announcements are often wrong for stations and also rush in peak hours is becoming unmanageable like Delhi buses I use to experience in previous years where men and animals can be equated like that of rush in Mithila buses and in fact people of Mithila must be outnumbering others in Delhi too because Mithila is parched of job opportunities due to misruling of Govt. of Bihar since Independence.
I felt yellow lines to caution on platforms should have been red for optical reasons- one can see red from distance and red is a sign of danger simulating blood, only lower to skeleton for preventing electrocution or even on cigarettes pack it can be.

At night too with Ratnesh I could come to Rajiv Chowk but was wrongly informed at GTB that no connecting train to Mayur Vihar though after I checked out, there passed a train Ratnesh informed me on 24th and he could not lodge a complaint due to paucity of time yet I could walk on empty heart of CP to go to Barakhabha Road from where could get Cab(like Bangalore’s IT hub) to go to Mother Dairy and then other till Mayur Vihar in just Rs.10 each, comparable to Metro fare.
I found people cooperative and helping in suggesting ways to reach. In Delhi too middle class has majority and none suggested me to have auto.
I had an occasion to be in Metro again on 24th in way to Burari till GTB and in afternoon it had no rush. I saw a teenager boy and girl in almost romantic mood and could know that Metro ride may have other meanings too.
While going there I used smart card which is cheaper and time saver.
Likewise one can be accustomed with escalators which seems fearful in first look
I recalled my Russian book in 1973 I had read about Metro first time. India is advancing surely but not Bharat. It is Bharat’s mini India which is advancing and so many poor from rural India are forced to come to Delhi and find their way in Metro too. On 24th I could meet two young boys from Saharsa’s chhatapur and of Sitamarhi and so many more like I used to meet in Mumbai locals.
Yet Delhi Metro is different from those locals of Mumbai which are faster than Kolkata’s suburban where one can find a lot of food materials but here a policeman advised me to be away of TV camera otherwise police will harass. I had read that eatables and drinking were not allowed in Delhi Metro I was not knowing it was so strict and in fact hence had taken grapes so that nothing will remain to throw but knowing that I kept that in my bag.
Delhi Metro or Mumbai locals show a life style of the area and show how rich or poor the centre has become and all rush is due to gap between rural and urban due to distorted national development which is capitalistic in the sense that here Capitals grow at the coast of country.
Every time Metro gate is opened, an announcement of,”Mind the Gap,” to prevent your foot engulfed and cut in between Metro and platform is done but would one MIND THE GAP between Capital and Nation bleeding common Indians?

Govindacharya favoured Mithila state creation at Jantar Mantar dharna of Maithils by AMP on 22.12.2009

Govindacharya favoured Mithila state creation at Jantar Mantar dharna of Maithils by AMP on 22.12.2009
Thus spake Govindacharya to Maithils demanding Mithial state atJantar Mantar on Tuesday evening (22nd Dec.2009)

Kedrikaran and ekrupeekarna of cultures is the greatest danger to the unity of country
Selfish people say that small state movement is dangerous to the nation.
Mithila’s demand is not without logic and it should be done.
I have read Deen Dayal Upadhaya and Dr.Ram,manohar’s Lohiya ‘s postulates of decentralization .
I am also with the thought of Mithila state since beginning.
Like in a garden so many types of flowers and that makes beauty of an garden likewise Jharkhand, Bhojpur, Magadha, Avadh and Mithila will make Bharat’s culture beautiful.
State formation is a matter for making diversity of county bountiful.
I will advise the agitationists to work like Arjuna whose one eye was not on the fish and other on Draupadi buit both eyes were on the fish.
If your one eye is on chair of power and the other on agitation it will not succeed.

Shri K.N Govindacharya, EX Gen. Secretary, BJP and an ideologue of repute addressed the Maithila on Dhrana for Mithila state at Jantar- Mantar on Dec.22 evening. It was a bit late due to his preoccupation but he reached despite that and addressed the Maithils who were eagerly waiting for that though most of the Maithils assembled have left and so the press and media person which might have made Mithila movement a national news on TV but as Mata Maithili(seta) was always hard luck it was one for this occasion also and incidentally video done also could not capture his sound yet his picture (in attachment) will produce an imagination of his body language and thereby a conviction that what he had said about the formation of state that Mithila fits the criteria for any state which should be formed on the basis
Kendrikaran and ekrupeekarna of cultures is the greatest danger to the unity of country
Selfish people say that small state movement is dangerous to the nation.
Mithila’s demand is not without logic and it should be done.
I have read Deen Dayal Upadhaya and Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya postulates that of decentralization.
I am also with the thought of Mithila state since bingeing.
Like in a garden so many ties of flowers and that makes beauty of an garden likewise Jharkhand, Bhojpur, Magadh, Avadh and Mithila will make Bharat’s culture beautiful.
State formation is a matter for making diversity of county bountiful.
I will advise the agitationists to work like Arjuna whose one eye was not on the fish and other on Draupadi but both eyes were on the fish.
If your one eye is on chair of power and the other on agitation it will not succeed.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Half of Gandhi Maidan and Central Institutions of Patna will be claimed by Mithila- Patna Pustak Mela 09 seminar on Mithila’s report

Half of Gandhi Maidan and Central Institutions of Patna will be claimed by Mithila- Patna Pustak Mela 09 seminar on Mithila’s report

Though my talk on 'Uccha shishak vikask lel Mithila rajyk avashyakta' was fixed some 3 months before it took a turn with the Telangana upsurge. See attachment
For me it was a Pradosh fast and after being ready at Patna station I reached Gandhi Maidan where Sudhirji from Arariya and Ratnesh from Delhi came and we decided many things organizationally though from Muzaffarpur Vijay and Shivkumarji could not come being stranded in jam for many hours. Old Dr. LN Jha from saharsa could not come in inclement weather and suggested for well running offices at important places including Patna and Delhi.
For me Patna Pustak Mela(PPM) is a result of incidental meeting with its organizer and proprietor of Novelty & Co. Narendrababu whose father Tarababu(of Dihia,Purnea) was instrumental to the foundation of Chetana samiti;not to confuse him with senior advocate and present speaker of Bihar Legislative council, Tarakant Jha in whose secretarial tenure that Chetna Samiti had grewen too fast;Chetna samiti was in founded by Kavi Yatriji who had Mithila state in his mind during 1950s.
Once Narendrababu came to SAIL Ranchi’s office where Er.KN Jha of Chatra Dumra introduced him with me and then onwards Narendrababu has kept relations with me and in fact I feel he is the living monument of “Maithil relation’ who can tell anyone with whom who is related how and that is his specialty apart from the fact that he spends his most valuable time in maintaining relations with anyone and that was the cause that I use to visit PPM every year and that is the ground of my speech among Patnites Maithils once a year. I exactly didn’t remember while writing this but I l find our from diaries that I started visiting PPM since 2004.
On 12.4.2004- My talk on Muthila rajya was presided over by Abhimany Khan of Bangaon.
On 11.12.2005- My talk on “Education in Mothertongue for Sarva shiksha abhiyan and need of Mithila state,” was presided over by Pt. Tararakant Jha. Prof.Ratneshwar Mishra of Darbahnga also spoke.
In 206, I was transferred to Bangalore and could not come.
On 16.12.2007 I had promised to give atalk on ,”Economic exploitation of Mithila, basis of Mithila state,” but as said I could not come visiting Saharsa and Katihar
On 14.12.2008, Nrendara Babu presided himself when I spoke on,” Philosophical base of Mithila state in honour of late Dr.UC Jha on whom a book is soon going to be published-( for which Narendrababu’s (sister-in law(sari) Prof. Saraswati had hard taunt to Narendrababu to return manuscript- as it was to be released in 2008 and 2009 also passed; I had compeered for a goshthi on him at Ranchi and have collected and corrected proofs of many manuscript on that philosopher of Mithila).
Once I had spoken on economic basis of Mithila state(in 2006 probably)-In 2007 I could not come due to hasty programme in Mithila with Janardan Yadav, ex-MP when around one thousand waited for me to listen when I was crossing Murliganj thinking better to meet many Maithils in Mithila than going to few in Patna’s Mela. Then also Bachha Thakur, ex-IAS was waiting for me and in 2009 also he came to listen to me and welcomed me from hearts and he even left Rameshwar Choudhary’s poetry session for listening to me. Initially Dr. Jagannath Mishra, ex-CM was to preside my lecture but he did not come and Baccha Babu presided over nicely asking Ghamandi Ram, a Maghi poet to stay till I finish and it was the turning point of my unprepared lecture that I dealt with new aspect of Mithila movement as to how it may benefit Magahi and Bhojpuris since they can grow only after Mithila was out or after a democratic movement Maithili will be state language of whole Bihar(which was thwarted by great Rajendra Prasad and Sacchiidanand Sinha in 1940 despite protest by Amarnath jha in school teaching and since then a step-motherly attitude with Mithila and Maithili is continuing.
I warned that half of Gandhi Maidan will be claimed by Mithila(and also area of IIT,IIM etc, as they were genuinely to be in Mithila area).
I said that highest education in world was in Mithila so D Litt is conferred as Vidya Vachaspati and MD as Aayurvigyan Vachaspati even by Kanpur University today.
Gargi and Bhamati represent highest education among women. And thus 4 of six astik (Nyay, sankhya, Vaisheshik, Purvamimansa)and 4 of six nastik philosophies(Buddha was also a Maithil and so Mahavir)
Presently 202 colleges and PG departments in Mithila are in peril and only a statehood can better it.
I dared Nitish Kumar,CM to come for public debate why Bihar not be bifurcated if UP can be tri/quadric-.
Mithila was an independent kingdom till Giyasuddin Tugalaq invaded it in 1328 and demolished our temples and state merged in so called Bihar suba..which should have been Vihar..
I also dealt with genesis of Maithili not from Magadhi prakrit but Mithila prakrit which later Maithili scholar Dr Kamalakant Jha supported.
Ratnesh and sudhir had presented well for Mithila state and so Raghuvir Mochi, ex-director, Maithili Akademy said that Mithila’s demand is genuine but it should have dalits in it(and I am happy to just receive a note from someone that Ramvilas paswan has supported it on TV- I wished long he should come and lead the movement, not wished ever or wish to be CM of Mithila..
Mithila movement is only one of many state movements not run by any politician and hence it is as pure and pious as Mother Sita Herself and who can oppose it(I asked this from Ghamandi babu and others of non-Maithili audience hoping the Bill tabled anytime in Bihar Assembly will have no opposition, if they understand meaning of Ram and Seeta which Vajpayee had anytime told to RSS young to tell Siya Ram, not ShreeRam. Even otherwise capital of less persons will ease Patnites who are overcrowded and polluted now.
I spoke on many aspect but well summarized by Bacchababu and Narendrababu that only as being a Maihtil he could dare a Pustak Mela at Patna..
Yes, Mithila state will be a Mela of knowledge and wisdome not of sands and poverty..if we are poorer why opposition ;we are not rich like Jharkhand,I asked my Maghi and Bhojpuris-I support Bhojpur and Magadh states too but not Vajjika or Angika which will be anchals(commissionaires of Mithila) as they are part and parcel of Mithila culture.
I returned Ranchi with many new introductions like that of Kaushlendra Mishra, Vivekanand Jha. Narendrababu also shown me a book, “Vidyapati Geet Ratnakar,” written by Amarnath Jha living at Puri in Orissa who had his education in Clacutta university. Some 500 paged book is available for Rs. 250 from sanjay K Jha, Vishwa Maithileeyam, 16 B, Madan Chatterjee Lane, Kolkata 700007.
This shows how a Maithil can contribute even being so distant and Amarnath Jha had this stimulation seeing a book on Vidyapati in Bengla in Calcutta,
In the Pustak Mela I saw Grierson’s ‘Mathili Chrystomathy,’ where I could learn that Vidyapati was in fact Bidyapati like Bankim or Rabindra..or Bihar which all symbolizes a difference in pronunciation from Sanskrit though closest to that and in the matter of script Maithili’s daughter script, Oriya has no alphabet of ‘BA.’
There in the Pustak Mela,I could see my class- friend Pramod Jha, FRCS after 1982 whom I reminded that he must have by that time verified that Shachindranath Bakshi was an MLA of Bhartiya jan sangh from Soth Kashi in 1960s or 70s (a friend of Shaheed Bhagat Singh,he was given life imprisonment with batukeshwar Dutta) and knowing that he as per bet must have left communism but no..he did not verify fact and still was a communist at least on a card!
I see a long list of my audience- Chandranath Jha, Shashibhushan Jha, Sanjay K Jha(his amil came in appreciation yesterday), Ashwini Jha, Vinay K Thakur, Arvind Kumar, Raj Kumar Premi, Sanjiv K Jha, Amrendra K Jha, Gabbar Pandey, Manish K Jha, Pranjal, Pravin K Jha, Ramji Prasad, Manju Kumari etc.
I was asked for a bite by Mahashakar of Saubhagya Mithila and on his Pranav’s no to more state I said Pranav is not above Indian Constitution which has ways of state formation.
When this constitution was promulgated there were 14 states and now we are having 28- Telangana may be 29th but why not Mithila before or a second SRC?
Later at Shekhar Prakashan’s stall of Shardinduji(a great Maithili worker and publisher) Kamalkantji’s book Tuggar and sitaram Jha’s Parva nIrnay were released. There too I met many Maihtils though had hardly time to talk. Yet Dr. samrendra was with me whom I talked long in train on phone- his wife was sapana I was knot knowing while I had read her article on health in Mithila darshan.
Ajit Azad tried to give me remuneration of my article on Jeevkant- which I returned him as my subscription to his new magazine, ‘Navarambh’..a good start. I read my article and was surprised really I could write on Jeevakant and justify him as Wordsworth of Maithili!

Dr. Dhanakar Thakur

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Kolkata is the Mecca of Maithili Movement(Kolkata meetings Nov.28-29,2009 ).” I am neither a leftist or a rightist but a ‘Maithilist’

Kolkata is the Mecca of Maithili Movement(Kolkata meetings Nov.28-29,2009 ).” I am neither a leftist or a rightist but a ‘Maithilist’


Kolkata always excites me for many reasons-it is portal of eastern India I belong and had been most of the part of my time; migrant Maithils had Calcutta, the first destination-one of my uncle was a Vaidya in Kalakar Street till he returned to village; I was married to a Calcutta born Maithil MBBS bride who deserted me and took divorce for no sound reasons; Calcutta had first Medical College and Kolkata is the cheapest city where one can have taste of sweets in few rupees and can have many historic book on the foot paths of College street and so many others that I had some time a fantasy to have lived there.
First I had gone there in 1977 Dec. while going to south first time to serve in the Andhra Cyclone and had been deep in city till Strand Road’s SE Railway office where I was trapped in a lift using first time.
Then I had felt Kolkata ‘a rush’ and that is continued till date however, no one tells us now ‘Hindustani’ which then Bengalis telling us thinking as Hindi speakers.
It took me long to understand that I was not a Hindi speaker rather whole Bengal was my Maithili derivative speaker and when since 1992, I jumped in Maithili movement, I could unfold several pages of our ancestors that ‘Kolkata is the Mecca of Maithili Movement.”

It was Calcutta where Mithilenduji of Habibhaur started Mithila Navyuvak sangh way back in 1930s. He was also working for Maithil Mahasabha started by Darbhanga raj which allowed only Maihtils Brahmins and Karna Kayasthas.
However, when Babu sahib Choudhary of Dularpur(Darbhanga) came he for some instincts, unexplained, enthused by Bengali’s language love probably started a neo-movement collecting all shades of Maithils coming to Girish Park and asking them to join Maithili movement. He was a time -keeper in a private bus and he soon got his friend, also a time-keeper, Devnarayan Jha of Sundarpur( Darbhanga) who was an influential speaker and soon Maithils were united(a bit different from jaipur-Ajmer’rs or Kashi’s who had already lighted candles) and bringing in folds persons like Prof.P.N.Singh and others soon Maithili knocked Sahitya Akademy and that credit goes to Kolkata Maithils that they supplemented Dr.Jaykant Mishra’s wisdom to who had already influenced Nehru in Maihtili’s favour. Kolkata Maithils left no stone unturned influencing Dr.Suniti Kumar Chatturjya, the then President of Sahitya Akademy to have Maithili as one of the languages in 1965.
However Kolkata had already golden page in Maithili’s history where in 1917, Maithili was listed as a subject in MA - thanks to Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee and it could have been due to Babuaji Mishra and one other Thakur(at the moment I am forgetting his name) who were teachers in Calcutta University and fund for the University was provided not by Darbhanga maharaja but by Rajas of Purnea.
I am not intending to write history of Kolkata’s contribution to Maithili which many need many volumes for its completeness rather a link only to my recent visit there during Nov.28-29,2009.
Not that in past I had not such meetings. Many times rather but impressive one was at Muktam Vidya Mandir. Maithils of Kolkata are conscious enough to listen a person like me even then when I was a new comer in this field and hopefully they could judge my work in the intervening years and that was honoured by the garland Ashok Jha,president of Mithila Vikas Parishad offerrd me of fresh Rajanigandhas(so much liked by my ex-wife,Suman) though I feel I am almost like a nagphani(cactus) devoid of the qualities of love and gesture.
Not only I might have been irritating to her- unknowingly even in this meeting I chided a young man not to speak in between when I had already asked them to put questions before I started. He probably can have questions in the end.
In between years I remember once Ashok Jha had organized a press conference for me and might be first time I would have gone on TV due to that.
This time many questions were put before me like what I wanted from Kolkatian Maithils anfd what they would get out of Mithila movement.
Why Tarababu, Baijuji and I are not one platform?
What happened to Maithili teaching in primary schools after writ by Jaikant babu ?
Why Maithili is not spoken in Benipatti regions etc.?

I dealt with the history and necessity of Mithila state in details and said I had no difference with Tarababu or Biju theoretically except of maps(WE in AMP follow Grierson’s a bit enlarged map while Tara bau had left south of Ganga but he had due to his ill health also left the movement in between and is with us in all ways; however with Bbaij we do not agree on making one Mithila(as pre-Sugauli) rather we want Mithila states separately in India and Nepal and further Baijuji’s objectives of Antarrashtriya Maithili sammelan we feel is a copying and fraud when AMP has been doing it since 1993 which was known to him and he could have chosen different words even if he insisted for having such conferences.
AMP has a definite line of action and it is working on village level to build leadership for coming generations.
It was a gala meeting attended by many including- Prof. Shankar Jha(Sajhuar), Ashok Choudhary(Nadiami);Bishnudev Mishra(Sugauna),NK Jha(Ladari),VInay K OPratihast(Hissar),GOPikant Munna(Susali),Vedanand Jha(Navkarhi),Durganand Jha9Baghant),Haribans N.Jha9Paigambarpur),Arun K Jha9Bithauli),Anjay K,Ch.(Jhituki),Jaykrishna ‘Jagat’(Tumaul),Gaurishankar Jha(Damodarpur),Raghunath Ch.(Chahuta0, Ashok K Jha(Loha),S Jha(Barha), A Jha (Barha famous as Netaji somebody had told me in the way while I was asking for his 243, Rabindra Sarni), Vijay Jha(Jajuar), Basukinath Jha(Dulha), Shailendra pathak(Koili Nanpur,Sitamarhi),Satishchandra Jha(Tumaul), Anhay Rai(who signed in Tirhuta of Pariharpur), Premchand Jha(Lagma goimishra0, Vinay Bhushan Thakur(Barhser,Saharsa).
The list gave me remembrance of most of the villages I could see during my Mihtila Jagaran yatra.
I asked them not to think for return from Mithila but as Maithiliputra they should do work for Mithila supplying posters and pamphlets for enumerating Maithili in Census 2011 and for Mithila state. They should give time for Mithila adopting a district or two on the eastern borders or southern boarders pf Mithila which is receding by exploiters on different names.
I said that Maithili teaching etc. can only be done to the satisfaction once Mithila is a state.
I am nether a leftist or a rightist but a ‘Maithilist’ now and I feel regionalism for developing least developed region is the best way of nationalism though I work for National medicos Organisation nationally as well.
It was late and Basuki babu, Vijay and Shailendra were with me in Metro till Kalighat and they had made a social service organization for which I will spare a day any time in future.
Next day too, young Vijay and Shailendra had come to Pradeep Choudhary(AMP, Kokata Secretary’) software office (where I was busy whole day in making a blog on wordpress, on the Username: maithiliparishad at http://wordpress.com
And so I could not go to the rsodence of Sudhakar Jha,ex-ED,SAIL where I had to reside that night nor I could go to meet ailing mother of Prakash N.Jha of Purnea, a veteran Maihtili worker nor I could go to pay my condolences to Mrs Sujit Dhar for demise of Dr. Sujit Dhar, the former National president of NMO.

Next day I was busy as editor of a medical journal in II Assembly of Medical editors of India about which I will write some day but saw Salt Lake City and Science City first time.
In the evening there was as said a meeting in Pradeep’s office where Shailendra,Vijay,reetesh, Mukesh,Rajesh were also present. A meeting with youth filling the quorum of previous meeting. Old guards were restive that Maithili movement in Kolkata will die but no there are young.
And while in bus to Howrah, I met one Mahesh Rai of Ghanshympur leaving in Uttarpada and he promised to work-a coincidence again if it happens so .
I purchased Jagaran, Rajathan patrika where news had appeared, already pradeep had give me Viswmitra(scans will be loaded afterwards) of previous days meeting.
In train took my meal after pradosh packed by Pooja, Pradeep’s wife who had lost her father recently. In the bus from Saltlake I had taken ground nits and in the way to golf club office 3 bananas(which are not so cheap there).
I could reach in time despite Naxal bund reached Ranchi in time.

Dhanakar Thakur