Coincidence- Chinmaya Maithils

Coincidence- Chinmaya Maithils

I am attending Chinmaya’s Chief PP Tejomayanada’s pravachan on XVII Chapter of Geeta(to be concluded this evening) and Mandukya Upanishad( Manduk= Head/ Surpeme/God, K+ bliss) the first part of which conclded this morning.
I had listened to HH Swami Chinmayanada in Nov.1989 (Gita VI chapter and some Upanishad in the morning dealing with Yoga, name I do not recall). In Gurudakshina I had then given him some pamphlets of National medicos Organisation(NMO) and he had sent me a letter with his own handwriting- NMO sensed like ‘Namo.’

After I joined service at MECON, Ranchi,I came in contact with Ranchi Chinmites through a member of NMO at Thiruvanthapuram, Suraj Menon, a medical student of medical college there whose mother was a teacher at Ranchi’s my own colony’s DAV School.(Now my colony is famous for Dhoni’s colony.)
After returning Ranchi I searched for Mrs. Menon and came in contact of her and started attending Sunday Balwadis (like RSS shakhas with children) for few minutes in the end, if I was in station, just to encourage her that she was in a good mission.
The little boys and girls chanted Gita- this year 17000 such students from Ranchi alone!

In the meantime I was transferred to Bangalore and I had time to compete my Maithili translation of Gita(available on web- search Maithili Gita on Google, but do not take print, a revised version is ready with a kind forword from HH jagadguru Shankarachaya Swami Nischalanandji of Puri- those want may be sent a soft copy till published).
In fact I had an English version of Gita and I used to write 3 shlokas daily in a Gita dairy and in 206 incidentally I started writing in Maithili which I could complete at Bangalore in September 2006.
When I came back Ranchi swami Madhwananda;s XV chapter was in the Satellite township and I attended that and then Bhagwata by him there.
And then attended almost whole Shrawan sadhana 9in 21 months- every month a week) despite my weekend outstation tours( years since 1992 I am engaged in Maithili’s constitutional recognition(accorded in 2003) and in Mihtila’s statehood agitation and hence am busy week ends but I had kept Nov. end at Ranchi to listen to the heir of HH Swami Chinmayanada. In the meantime a great Mithila warrior Chunchun Mishra passed away but I did not go his shraddha karm as to complete the Jnan Yajjn which will be completing this evening.
What I learnt is not immaterial from a scholar swami but I could video record his speech which will enthuse millions of devotees.

There are some Chinmaya Maithils also. First evening I was attracted to a person’s ‘Tik(Choti0 and also to a biy (guessed his son) and was correct the next evening I dared to ask his introduction.
Yes, he was a Maithil from Kacchwi0Maibi-Kacchwi) I could not visit in 2009 Durga Puja though scheduled- his wife also attending the course hailed from village Tatuar.
When this morning Swami prayed guardians to allow their child if they asked for taking Vedanta course , the face of Maithil boy flashed in my mind. Maithils are following Pravirti Marg but knowledge of Vedanta is the Supreme.

Talking to a Sultanpur CHIK graduate I talked his uncle a doctor also and talked for NMO also of the GSVM Medical college, Kanpur.
And then two young men working for Chinmaya office at Ranchi from Samastipur.
I hope someday Chinmaya Mission will send its emissaries to Mithila also where too conversion is going on.
Having an Islamic onslaught, Mithila lost its kingdom(and so statehood) in 1326 AD and now even Christians are wooing by broadcasting Bible in Maihtili in Indian and Nepali areas of Mithila. Let such Hindu Missionary work there.
Many persons of the locality of Ranchi presume me a Chinmaite.
There is a grain of truth in that though I am not a fully devoted- Many other groups also think for me such.

Me a Communist or a nationalist

Me a Communist or a nationalist
Some days back I was sitting in my hospital casualty and during some social discussion a Bengla speaker commented on me, “Sir, you are an ardent communist and you will not agree to this point (that US may deliver good in Obama’s visit)..
I laughed(mentally) that it was a compliment to me that though born under RSS laps I was able to establish my reputation as a rationalist among my neighborhood some of whom may regard me even as a communist.
On 27th I met two Russians wandering in Magistrate colony and I told them that communism and capitalism are two faces of a coin as they lack spiritualism.
They were taken aback to know that I knew Russian also though was at difficulty to speak after 1973 and the Russian had difficulty in speaking English.
I feel any true nationalist should have that stand.
I recall in 1960s ,the Organiser ha a headline of PP Guruji,”neither Russia nor America will help us,”..if we are not strong..

In my life I shared a dais with Maoist Prachanda, then PM of Nepal and in a talk of 2-3 minutes could convince him the utility of Mithila state in Nepal for solving Koshi flood victims of India( but we need a Mithila state in India too for that).

During my college days I use to say my philosophy is of ,”Spiritual Marxism,”
If Marx spoke for the poors let that belief be accepted but the same had been told by many Hindu sheers.

Ek herayal bhaujis bhent googlek kripas'_19.9.10

Ek herayal bhaujis bhent googlek kripas'_19.9.10

Today when I came to my library in the hall a lecture on Dementia was going on and I also listened to that. As the camera was in my pocket(to unload the pictures and recordings I had taken of Dewadi Temple, Dalma Hills of Jamshedpur and in the Russi Modu Hall, at Jamshedpur of V Jharkhand State Conference of the Antarrashtriya Maithili Parishad) I took a few pictures of the programme as my colleague was speaking.
When I came to computer room I listened to the librarian’s voice- “Jhaji..”
I asked him as to who Jha was there presuming another Jha , a skin specialist recently joined in my hospital some two months back whom I have not met yet but he was another, Murl from Horalpatti, Hayaghat , a medical representative who was sponsoring the programme.
I knew him already and asked whether he needed photographs he requested me to mail on his gmail id.
I opened my gmail id on which I rarely work and after sending him the attachments I saw someone in chatbox asking me something whom initially I did not recognize but soon he turned to be a son of a patient who worked in my company and who died recently whom I had diagnosed as blood cancer patient several years back…then the person calling on chat had just finished his education… read the chat ‘’

---pthakur1573: thakur ji ki haal chal , hows the life
i have seen ur snap at nav bharat times with Chakradhar jha
me: neek achhi- scan kay pathau
pthakur1573: thik , aar ki sab ....
me: mumbai me agan 19-20 Dec k Sammelan me aau
Mithila party registered bhel Election commission s 18.9 k
pthakur1573: jarur koshis karbei , je mumbai mein rahlaon t
me: anahak gam kat achhi
phone number
address postal maithili sandesh lel
pthakur1573: thakur , ji ham pawan thakur chi , thakur ji ranchi wala jinkar dehant bhai gela k jyesth putra , 1999 ,, ------- thakur
----- gram
me: aab chinhlanu
rani kat
chhotki bahink vivah bhel va nahi
anha chakradhar jah s bat kay maithili parishad me juti jau
pthakur1573: hmm , rani chandrapur , chot bhai pune aur baki sab dilli , maa patna mein ,,, patna mein seho flat lene chi
may be by another two year ,,, kaaran aakan buisness ke organise kar mein laagal chi
me: chandrapurk phone number,pune man ke seho
pthakur1573: chotki ke delhi mein vibhas aur chot bhai ke patna mein , ahi saal karelaon
me: hbahut neek lagal suni
pthakur1573: ---- chandrapur
maa k patna -------
pune amit k -------------
dhanyabad
hum face book mein seho aahan se connected chi
Sent at 1:21 PM on Monday
pthakur1573: aahan k patna sab mein visit hoit achi k nahi
?
me: anhak man s bat hoit achi

(in the meantime I contacted his mother on mobile//

“Chinlanhu..
Anha ke chee..
Anhak Deor..
Ke chee saaf kahu..
Vaih jinak Vivah anhak Naihar….k bagal me … bagal me bhel bhel chhal
Theek thekk ki kahu..anhak ilakak sab gammk hamar bhauji chhathi..Tyotha,Rupauli, Akaud,Shivnagar, sangik bhuji( Behta me biahal Barhavali.)
Nahi chinlanhu..
Anha katek din hamra khuwene chee..bhat, tarua…
Kat?
Ranchime
..
Kichu der bad—Anha daktar sahib chee..pata nahi kakra kara ham anhake phone number lel puchhalanhu…
Bent kar aau
Patname AMPk lMahila shakha kholay aybak achhi- Swaymprabha ken ee kaj deliyainhi achhi
Ona ham December me Pustak Melame ayab...)

pthakur1573: bahut badhiya...
aur sab , tabiyat paani se thik chi ne ?
me: kichhu kahak achhi
pthakur1573: ab now , aahan full time samaj seva main d rahal chi , sun ker bahut badhiya laagal
me: anhak maa chinh
pthakur1573: aur Nabard wale jija ji kata chait ,, akhaaan
me: othi
maa chinhalih
patnak pata
pthakur1573: maa chinhalih ?
me: han
pthakur1573: ------------------------------------ , patna 14 ,(near aashiyan mod)
Sent at 1:27 PM on Monday
me: anhak e maake kichhu kahak
pthakur1573: nahin , hamara s baat hoit rahai chai , every week
me: bhent kahiyo karak achhi
pthakur1573: aahan t ghar k chi
u dont need any permission ,aahan pujya chi hamra sab lel
me: bahin bindu k bambai me bhelaik
hamar chhot bhai seho othi
pthakur1573: next time , i will keep a point to meet you for sure ...try my best ..
bahut badhiya
ham bahin s bhet kene rahi , jakhan college mein rahi , almost 12 yrs back
me: ck jhak numbr 9987172655
pthakur1573: sorry 17yrs back i have
me: hamar 9470193694
muma me kat chee
pthakur1573: thane
me: pat
pthakur1573: ck jha = chakradhar jha ?
me: bahut sal baad anak ma s bat bhel nahi jani katek din hamra o khuvene chhathi
anhak email id
Thanek pata
pthakur1573: k i baat karai chi dr saab ,, aahan sab t inspiration chi
hamar website www.------
me: websiteme mail chaali jayat kee
pthakur1573: thane , ------------------------ thane west
ek dum s
personal mail ----------------------------------
me: ok anah contact me rahu aab hamar mithilapremik sab mail anhake jayat personal mail par
pthakur1573: bahut mon prasaan bhe gail aaahan s baat karke
dhanyabad , thakur ji
aasirbad diyow, hamro do ta bacha achi , badka wala 11th mein college jait achi aur ladki third
mein
me: sambav bhel t ehi par ek blog aai likhab-' ek herayal bhaujis bhent googlek kripas'
anha sab khush rahu
ham t aab Mithila rajya prapt karay lel lagal chee
pthakur1573: haan , ohina log kahito chai duniya gool chai
all the luck 2 u
me: anhake hamr mail kena bhetal?
pthakur1573: hum aahan s facebook mein judal chi
aur , ek din search mein aaahan k email prapt bhel
i am tech savvy and so interest in computer too .
ahi sab ke kripa se
me: anhak mail aug 3 k seho achhi camp lel
pthakur1573: ok
me: ham gmail bahut kam kholait vhee ekhan ek maithil medical representative ke gmail dekh achanak kheechal ek photo pathbay jahime dr anil kumar k dementia par bhashan chhalaik kholalanhu
rediff yahoo par daily kaj karit chee
pthakur1573: yahoo id ------------------------
aahak yahoo id ?
me: scan immediate pathau Maithili sandsh me debaik je 2-3 din me chhapataik
pthakur1573: will try find ,, at the earliest and do that
Sent at 1:45 PM on Monday
me: tohar phone number?
pthakur1573: -----------------
Sent at 1:48 PM on Monday

So incidentally by the grace of Google I could talk a lady after decades who had a great affection to me. She again rang me after sometime just to confirm my number.. Though I had assured her to meet soon but I know I have hardly time to meet someone soon. I cross my village road in Mithila but could go even my village after a decade.

Dhanbad_II_23.8.2010:units should work even in the absence of one or other senior worker

Dhanbad_II_23.8.2010:units should work even in the absence of one or other senior worker

It was my 18th visit of Dhanbad since 19.1.0.1992 when I visited Dhanbad with Babu Saheb Choudhary for Maithili meeting when I had just entered in to Maithili work and in those visits only three times these was not for Maithili work. My last visit was barely one month back when I had hope that some persons capable of understanding organizational priorities had come to such a meeting to forge the AMP.
Dhanbad has a record of good Maithili work from many angles and AMP had its X International Maithili Conference during Feb.1-2,2003 (after several postponements, as a mark of respect to the IISCO, GM, SN Choudhary who was a great Maithili lover.
Dhanbad is the closet Maithili centre for Mithila work out of Mithila and I wished a strong unit helping Mithila state movement.
On 18th July 2010 at Binodpur Durgasthan next meeting was fixed on 23rd August after much deliberation and they wished me to come again to which I was reluctant but I had not given this date any other place since I always wished a good work at Dhanbad.
I contacted Mithilishji and he was not in favour of my visit as convenor Navinji’s one of the kin had expired at Jamshedpur and advised me to talk who told me that he would be returning by 22nd evening and the meeting would be held. Feeling his engagement in sad rites I phoned three others persons present there in the previous meeting and they asked me to come.
To take a train in the morning I slept a bit early and getting up 5 am I did my puja etc. and particularly it was my birthday as per Hindu calendar.
I reached Hatia station in time and the passwenger to Dhanbad was placed on platform 1. The rear coaches would have been comfortable to me but a psychological fear of rear coaches smashed in the Vananchal accident the last day I was to take up that train at Dhanbad, I went 3 caoches ahead and there too not finding both fans moving in the warm and humid morning I advanced further two coaches.
When the train started I informed Priya, daughter of my younger sister that she missed to greet me on my janmtithi though she was almost awoke at the stroke of midnight of my English birthday!
And I had talks with some other workers- a lecturer at Simdega College who had once met me in an auto and I invited him for Sanskrit Divas programme on 24th August at my residence when he said that he would not be going Simdega on 24th where Dr.Guneshwar Jha would be going.
A young person was listening to me in Maithili and later he asked my introduction. He was S K Mishra from Garhi, Bangaon and we could find some common references. He is working at Ranchi in Tata Insurance after having his B Sc(Physics Honours) and MBA from some institute at Ahmedabad, Close to him was a sweet girl who was working in the same profession after her B Com (Ist yr.) and was to appear for her second year. Her father had expired just four months back and her mother was running shop at Chas. They belonged to Sitamrhi town. She was not able to talk in Maithili. I offered them guavas purchased from a tribal woman venodor.
Time passed and we passé through the green picturesque Tatisilway- Silli rail route. I had concted Anil Mishra of Muri but he was in way to Varanasi and I gave him contacts to have a meeting there.
I narrated fellow boy and girl as to how a unit at Muri was started when I had gone to meet one of my friend and I recalled picnic on Swarnrekha sand.
And came Bengal for a while where phones are roaming for us and Priya . elder to neha greeted me and from Bokaro Nagina Prasad Mahto talked after long his number was changed.
At Bokaro the girl got down and I went to RMS to drop half of the packs of Maithili Sandesh and Aayrvugyan Pragati, the other half I dropped at Gomoh when we reached after some times crossing the river, Damodar, the most polluted river of the country and running in the sharp stony way which this year has no sufficient water due to much less rainfall.
Gomoh though named on Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose due to long name people’s tongue has not catched. Always brief names are preferred- it should have been Netaji Gomoh Junction and though word’ Neta’ is most resented today, people have high regards for Netaji which means Subash Cahndra Bose only!
We reached Dahnbad and parted.
I went to Mithileshji’s house in DS Colony and then with son to Binodpur Durgasthan.where akhand Ramayana was going on. We came to Navinji’s house where after sometime Mithileshji came and he left for Durgasathan and had my r breakfast –in the meantime Navinji reached from Jamshedpur. I started for Durgasthan and Mithileshji had returned with two workers but I insisted we should go to the venue as some others might came. None of the two persons however came whom I had informed. We sat for a while on the grass there and then went to Binodji’s house nearby to have some talk and I asked them to fix other date which they were not taking seriously. I insisted that organizational work should continue even if main worker was not present and that is called organization. They did not like to take any decision without the convener Navinji who probably being tired or uninformed of the venue of our meeting did not came. Finally a date of 29th august was fixed for such a meeting. Though I will be on that day at Purnea and may not visit Dhanbad for some months let us watch whether the unit works spaontaneously.
I wish this change of mentality otherwise organization can not be forged. On 22nd at Begusarai , Mumbai and Shikohabad meetings of the AMP were held and I wish such meetings on every holiday at hundreds of places in and out Mithila and such huge number of meetings cannot be held unless the units work even in the absence of one or other senior worker and that can only evolve other workers – spoon feeding will not yied desired results.
True, I lost my one day with uncomfortable traveling at night in Vananchal Express again seeing rush in the Patliputra Express. My sister had warned me not to travel by Vananchal on the psychological fear of the accident on the previous journey but when that train was announced on other platform simultaneously, I went to that and could get upper space to sleep also though climbing there was an uphill task since it was converted from a sleeper to general coach.
In the morning reached my residence and went my chambers after daily rituals and am waiting whether the coincidental meeting with Maithil boy results in long lasting relation with organizational benefit or not and whether we may do something for the destitute Maithil girl which would be a bonus to Dhnabad’s trip which was not otherwise wasted as I could talk Mithileshji , his sons and their friend Satyajit of ISM.

Ratnesh, Gen.Secy,A.B. Mithila Party, 'a Subash in making for Mithila Movement

Ratnesh, Gen.Secy,A.B. Mithila Party, 'a Subash in making for Mithila Movement



Ratnesh, General Secretary,Akhil Bhartiya Mithila Party, visited me today i.e.18th August 2010. I saw him first on 29.10. 2008 at a Sarita Vhar Kali Puja Pandal in Delhi where he had come to see me in a Mithila meeting organized by Raman Jha almost every year since 2004.

In a train crossing Varanasi ,Ratnesh had read a Mithila poster with slogans written by Dr.Manikant Thakur (presently in US) and which was pasted at Baruni junction by young workers of AMP, Babbu, DK Jha etc. on 2nd October 2008 when I was also there. When he was informed by someone that I was to address a Sarita Vihar meeting he had come and then we had some contact.

He came on 26.12.2008 at the Simariaghat Ashram where president of the newly form Mithila Vikas Party was to meet me but he did not turn up and I had a long talk with him thereafter at Begusarai railway station waiting for a very late train for Khagaria where a press conference was scheduled. He had shown me a pamphlet he had published some 20 years back when he was a student. I found he was energetic and gradually he came closer to me and was instrumental in getting a political party registered with the Election Commission for the first time though the movement had some political mention in 1950s and the MVP had suffered a jolt of ‘infanticidal move.’



Ratnesh had visited me once more Ranchi and had seen a pile of unorganized papers on Mithila and NMO. He phoned me yesterday from Kolkata that he wanted to read a book on Mithila by Dr. Laxman Jha. I had summarily advised him not to go on the footsteps of any as those great persons could not forge an organization for Mithila and also Dr. Jha’s thinking was Mithila if not on the line of present Kashmiri separatists was almost equal to that barring the fact that he was a great Hindu karmkandi.

Janki Nandan Singh too voiced for Mithila but it seems as that was probably also for a ‘political recognition,’ as we listen today for some or other and having all respect for them I feel the road to Mithila can only be traveled by those who have innate faith on the goddess Bhagwati as if she is immortalized as Bharatmata and when the matter is such we have no disrespect for any .

I talked Ratnesh while filing many papers with me since 1992, I am in this movement and could show him the path I lonely traveled, however, I was never alone though only few remained consistently with me either in person or in thought.



I told Ratnesh that in a Maithili magazine I saw a comment on me ,” Dr. Dhanakar Thakur wants seriously to be in news and is seeking some Subaschandra Bose and Jawaharlal Nehru without coming to front fight himself!”

Ratnesh told that he had also read that and wished that I should write the magazine that I could find a Subash(Ratnesh) and Nehru( Kripanand) for Mihtila. Record shows that in 2005 from that Sarita vihar ground I had gone first to Kripanand’s house.

Though like news in newspares for Mithila I never intend for my personal glorification. In fact Acharya surendra Jha ‘Suman’ had advised me that always give news to newspapers as that spreads the movement and in fact in proportion to work done news reports published is rather lower in proportion. While talking to Ratnesh, I could show him a news-report of Aaj , 21.10.1994 and Hindustan of 25.11.1994 and 2.11.1994 where I was boldly mentioned by the unknown journalists and in fact they made me hero in my third foot/cycle march in Mithila. And though I had talked two times including today morning to the editor of that magazine for other reasons in the past 3 days, I did not complaint as to why such remarks were passed and I think searching able workers is important for all social workers and here probably I did better where my predecessors failed in Mithila movement.



Gor the medical NMO or the Mithila-Maithili(AMP), I have remained almost a lone traveler of Rabibdra’s style, “e kla chalo re,” - long back I had slept outside Lady Hardinge’s Medical College’s Kalawati Sharan Hospital’s campus in open when I could not find Dr. Lal Chadra’s room opened in the hostel in a midnight returning from Chandigarh/Punjab- then I was not working for Mithila but for NMO only. Later, after many years, I saw same Lal Chandra could organize NMO’s Silver Jubilee at the Siri Fort uditorium where starting from DY PM Advani some half dozen ministers of GOI were present and also the RSS Chief Sudarshanji and I had a Chhat fast on that day.



It is not that I had not thought for writing the editor that ‘I have got Subhash and Jawahar,’ but I was in a dilemma whether in joke an IAS had told me that he would be ‘Jawaharlal,’ and then other an IPS who is fighting for many social causes could be ‘Subash.’

Just now we had our Independence day and at the banks of Mother Ganga we were at the Simariaghat in the Ashram and while unfurling the flag Swamiji whom I referred as the ’Mithilasant,” I had mentioned about Aurobindo Ghosh’s dreams of ‘Akhand Bharat.’



As per Aurobindo’s supramental state we all need to be Subash and Sawarkar(if not Nehru though he had a sense of respect for Maithili like neo-Nehru Vajpayee showed his magnanimity for it.

But our demand of state will not be based on language but a cultural unit, I emphasized Ratnesh which we share in this part of our holy motherland and never even in the dream Mithila has any status other than in Bharat(and Nepal for Nepali portion).



I also saw Ratnesh a souvenir of the Chattagon Armaorry’s 150’s anniversary, an old patient of mine, had said giving that to me-“I am living only to give you these two books..(on Indiann Revolutionaries).” He was tested by Masterda Suryasen to obey firing on his father in the fixed day of the start of the month while returning with the money for salary from headquarters. Ganguli, then a youth, had fired on his father and became unconscious( it was a mock fire) and later he was admitted to Masterda’s group.



Maithils need a non-violent Gandhian movement- if India could be free from Mithila’s Champaran’s such movement why not Mithila could get statehood by such a mass movement which needs as per a thsesis of some university on Mithila I could show the pages to Ratnesh- “a Subash in making.”

At least I am not a ‘Gandhi,” and so no question arises of anybody’s making ‘exile’ like Subash had to do!



Dr. Dhanakar Thakur
Spokesman,
Antarrashtriya Maithili Parishad

Coincidences_6.8.2010_Vijay K. Choudhary

Coincidences_6.8.2010_Vijay K. Choudhary
It was drizzling since morning and while coming out of the chamber I took umbrella to walk to library around 1.5 km. I walk everyday and it was indeed a pleasure in walking in drizzling as even a hilly place like Ranchi and many other districts of Jharkhand had been declared under draught. I was mentally thinking about next week’s Mithila meeting at Simariaghat for which I had just concluded giving information to the expected 17 persons.
On the VIP road while I was crossing a car too and it was stopped to give me lift. I thought initially that he was from SAIL and must be knowing me though for me it is still difficult to remember even in a long gap of 20+ years I am serving as a doctor to 3000 + employees of MECON-SAIL
The gentleman said after a while that his grandfather (of 105 years) used to say that if you help someone in need you will have no problem in life, of course on highways one should be careful for any untoward may happen.
I remembered such an incident many years back when I had given lift to an old person in Bariatu while I was coming to the Main Road from there.
We got introduced each other. He was from Patna and was working in Jahrkhand Govt in the water resources dept. and knew of one my brother-in laws who is an Executive Engineer. We even exchanged phone numbers but let us see whether this introduction lasts long?

In 2-3 minutes, We talked briefly about the ubiquitous title ‘Choudhary,’ which is in many castes- Brahmins, Vaishyas, Kayasths, etc. to which he added that even in Muslims when I said that it pertained to revenue collection(Tehsildar) of old days. I did not remember then a famous quote from the Satya Harshchadra play written by Bhartendu harischandra himself-
“Ham Choudhary Dom Sardar
Amal hamara dono par”
In fact there too the said Dom was to collect revenue for burning any dead body and King Harischandra working as Dom there had taken revenue from his wife,Shaivya too for burning his son, Rohitashwa! And that was the final test of Harischandra. He asked his wife, Shaivya, to give a part of kafan(the white cloth on the dead body) if she had nothing to give! And when wife started tearing the cloth, the gods appeared and praised the truthfulness and honesty of Harischandra!
Who is honest in this era. My sister’s daughter, Priya. A student of B.Com ,residing in my residence, only last night had quipped that I did not bring any medicine even for household use when many in the township(even getting prescribed by me on fictitious symptoms) do wash utensils from costly strips of medicine. I told her that if I took medicine for her(who is non-entitled) is equivalent to a taking cash from a box, if I was to guard that. I knew I was not a Harischandra but surely I was also not alike to many scammers (of common wealth!).

MEA Travalogue_Way to Ranchi: A sadistic pleasure in making a Telugu standing journey in revenge to Sheshdri express journey where I was denied a seat

MEA Travalogue_Way to Ranchi: A sadistic pleasure in making a Telugu standing journey in revenge to Sheshdri express journey where I was denied a seat.

3.8.2010

It was an interesting journey . At Jolarpettai(in Tamilnadu) a passenger seating on the front seat asked for dosa’s rate and it was said to be Rs.10 for two but when he was giving money it was taken Rs. 10 for one. Was it language gap or just doubled knowing the Hindi knowing non-Tamil? Dosa in south is always given two(rather three in Karnataka) ,anyway the passenger had to give rs.1o each.
The interrex(hijras) are common in such trains and they usually take money from young person but from one Oria boy returning to his home, the Kinnar took Rs. 500 note and almost he was weeping. I chided the Kinnar and gave rs.20 for him and his note was returned and he took sigh of relief. 2-3 Kinnaras came and had told me in loud voice as to why I forced their friend to returned note of s.500. Some person told me that one of such Kinnar had taken Rs.5000 from a passenger and did not return only a few days back. However they went when I retorted . The boy , a labourer was returning to his native place , Kesinga and returned me money next morning.
The next morning I learnt Telugu numerals, Oktai, Rendu, Mudu, Naalgo, Aiydu, Aaaru, Edu, Animidi, Tomidi and Padi for 1 to 10 and then Padkundu for 11.., Ervai for 20, Moppai for 30, Nalvai for 40, Yavai for 50, Arvi for 60, Eduvai for 70, Envai for 80, Tombi for 90, Onda for 100, Vaiya for 1000, Padivelu for 10000 and then lakshya, Koti, Arab like Sanskrit/Hindi
In tamil 1 to qo is called Onnidi, Randu, Muna, Nal, Anchi, Aaar, Aedu, Eto, Ombiti,Oatho and in Kannada Ondu, erdu, Muru, Nalco, Aiyd, Aaaru, Edu, Ento,Ampto and Hattu to which I was conversant having lived for some months at Bangalore and had in fact attended for six months Kannada classes also. As a tribute to that translation of Mauni(by UR Anathamurthy is in half way).

When it was night some rush pressed seated passengers but due to my resistance the fellow passengers were seated at ease 4 on seat for 4 which usually is 5 or six. When at Vishakhapatnam one young person argued me (in English) I told him the incidence of two nights back when I had to come standing from Vijaywada to Nellore. His all arguments were in vain and I admitted that he was not to be punished for the mistake of any other Telugu but I told him that I was doing thus only to realize symbolically to Telugu people that they should not hate any Hindi speaking.
He ke[t standing for long and talked with one other young student who next day at the time of getting down was introduced to me as a Maithil boy who was in IIT,Chenani and doing research on nanotechnology on some anti- viral drugs. His friend had got down after some hours and he could get other seat and in the process because he did not reveal that he belonged to Jharkhand or Mithila was punished by standing, maybe he would have introduced him and we might have accommodated him and or his friend too. For me it was just a jokingly revenge or a sadistic pleasure!

‘Outsider-Insider’; the traveling mode, etc

‘Outsider-Insider’; the traveling mode, etc.
Aug.2, 2010
Today I read a good narrative by Amitabh, an IPS,IIM(Lucknow) trainee who preferred to talk cab drivers about their problems and schedules and could know some hard fact on ”outsider-insider,” issue which is available on mithila_premi@yahoogroups.co.in and mithila_vasi@yahoogroups.co.in
It was a good luck that he was saved by not meeting accident while driven by sleep deprived cab drivers on Pune-Mumbai route who in fact remain permanently sick due to sleep deprivation.

I always prefer a train(though that too gets accident like Vananchal Exp. had recently) or a Govt. bus though I was not knowing this ritual of drivers yet it must be more relaxed for Govt. bus drivers.
I prefer a passenger train reaching destination in overnight journey(like Pune-CST & back and so between Bangalore-Tirupati / Harihar-Bangalore and so Madurai-Thiruvannathapuram( may change for Kanyakumari from Nagarcoil,only 12 km away) or Rourkela-Bilaspur but not many such good services available in most parts of the country.
Such passenger trains named above have also sleeper/s coach/es on a nominal fare.
It saves money and also gives a chance to learn the locality like garland making ladies on Madurai-Thiruvanthapuram midnight passenger.
In trains I do not mind traveling in any class because every coach will reach the destination same time . A large part of my traveling had been in II Class though in most of the trains there is a great rush in such coaches due to limited, one or two coach/es which need to be make minimum four in any train as railways do get more money from the jam packed passengers instead of limited 72 of a sleeper coach).
But after Vanachal collision I too am afraid of as I recall the train I took that fateful night from Dhanbad to Ranchi I was in the rear coach and one passenger had remarked that rear coaches are safer during accidents but the following train, Vananchal’s rear coaches were smashed by a hit from train coming after it on the same line!
I read only yesterday somebody had advised that general coaches do need interconnection to avoid train robbery though I feel these should be placed in the middle for in any fateful accidents the general persons should be given priority to be saved not because I do travel there frequently but for the fact that such poor person’s even bodies are not identified for long not to talk of the fact that those are the bread-earners of their families while for reserved coaches list of passengers can be instantaneously released by railways.
About flights-I do not have much experience (maybe my time is not so worthy till I retire and go in practice- Govt. service gives you leaves sufficient to travel).
However, in air explosions hardly any survives yet people prefer that for status though wherever overnight train journey is possible that is better than early morning flights for catching which one remains awake almost whole night.
Many persons do not want to talk fellow passengers and are occupied on mobile are remaining within their known circle but if you talk unknown persons you may get many information not usually available in books.

Amitabh talked to cab drivers and found some revelations. This insider-outsider issue has many other facets-not only for drivers but also for each and every person. Once a native pf Bangalore told me that the students (mostly from north) had increased house rent. In 2 - BHK some 4-5 students share money and give around 1.5 times a family person can give as rent and also.
There is pressure on job number also, particularly for unskilled jobs for which an outsider can work at a lower rate (but that is higher than he can get in his own state, in our context from Bihar/UP/Orissa- I think people of MP and Rajasthan do go out in lesser number,even otherwise their population is spars-the so called BIMARU nomenclature was not even). Most of them are from lower socio-economic group and hence,sanitation is not maintained by them infuriating many people and then there is lack of local language’s use- a common language, Hindi, is uttered even by insiders to communicate with those outsiders and many groups like of Thakres’ or Rajkumars’ react making news and more so when such outsiders start pressure on electoral politics(as by 6 month’s residence one can be voter of that place) and it adds fuel to fire.
From an insider’s point of view many of these arguments have weight but so is in the outsiders’ as they contribute the economy of that place- ‘Punjab’s green revolution was due to Bihari(Maithil) labourer,’ probably I was the first person to say so(since 1990s- Panjabi kisan apan jahi harit kranti par apan monchh marorati achhi o Maithilk mehnatk paseena par) which is on everybody’s tongue.
The Mumbai was flooded some years back and there were diatribes against people of north when I had retorted ,”Ant goes on sugar. Let National Stock Exchange and Corporate office of National Banks shifted from there to Delhi.It is people’s money on which Mumbites claims of 6000 crore rupees tax to country was dependent.”
Later Sheila Dixit(a daughter in-law of UP-ite spoke against people of Bihar and UP and so MP Cm, ShivrajSingh Chauhan).
So the solution is to have balanced growth all over the country and hence I started opposing inter-linking of river(though initially I was supporting that) , as southern states will grow faster than poorer northern states(and my later opposing President Kalam was published by the Hindu and later I asked him such a question when he had visited Ranchi as ex-president in 2009 which he did not replied properly and mentioned only the plights of adivasis who face displacements.
A holistic economic policy based on the agro-industrial needs of the backward states need formulation and implementation and also a view that every Indian language is mine and one should try to talk at least few lines with such insiders and see what change will come in their reception! I had experienced this when I left Bangalore after residing there 19 months- One of the Kannadiga administrative officer told me,”Sir, with your going we feel one of our persons is going back. There are people living for 20-25 years but they have not learnt even a line of Kannada.”
Why not one should learn, ‘Thamba,’ from Marathi for BUS STOP , or ‘ Rail Sthanak,’ for ‘Railway Station,’ rather ‘ridiculesing,’ Hindi to use’ Lohpathgamini..shakat Sthanalaya….”
One going to west from east should try to inculcate the ingredients of higher culture and try to learn the tenets of business and entrepreneurship from them and try to contribute something whatsoever possible.


Dr. Dhanakar Thakur
Spokesman,
Antarrashtriya Maithili Parishad

MEA Travalogue_Bangalore’s Bihar Bhavan

MEA Travalogue_Bangalore’s Bihar Bhavan

29.7.2010

I had asked Dr. P.P.Jha whether it was possible to meet him that evening and was planning to leave Bangalore by midnight super fast train for Guwahati. Dr. Jha told me that if I could come to Bihar Bhavan I can find many. I told him that I would be reaching there in around one and half hour but traffic jams took much time and I could reach there around 830 Pm by which time Dr. Jha had left but there was another Jha, AN Jha, president of Bihar Bhavan and many other Biharis whose discussion for a spiritual programme was in the last fag. All welcomed me as before and I had a nostalgic feeling of the place I was knowing since its foundation when long back in 1984 I had gone to Bangalore and had gone to my class friend Harihar’s house who introduced me to B.N. Jha who belonged to my nativity(he was from famous Ugna Mahadev’s village, Bhavanipur, some 5 km from my native village ,Samaul) and since then we are in close contact. He had taken me to the Bihar Bhavan(opposite post Office, RT Nagar) where Saraswati Puja was celebrated on foundations may be any day in between 21-25 January 1985 and then I had visited during 14.11.198 when Hukumdev Narayan Yadav had visited as a Minister. I was transferred to Bangalore and reached there on 30.3.2006 and was retransferred back to ranchi and left Bangalore on 6.11.2007.

Before my transfer I had following nine visits to Bangalore on following days 21-25/1/1985; 15-16/8/1994; 27-28/1/1995; 11-12/10/1995; 25-26/1/1996; 14-20.1.1998; 18.1.2002; 3.10.2002; 5-6.11.2005 and when I left Bangalore I revisited following five times

4.6.2008; 12-12.6.2008; 10.2.2009; 10.6.2010; 24-25.6.2010 to have live contact with all and in this Bihar Bhavan had always been a central point.

Though a fighter for Mithila cause I was regarded by all who had been there from Bihar and hence this time alos I was well received.

Bihar Bhavan has a name in the city for Durga Puja and all persons attached to that are bhaktas.

And here I could convene XV International Maithili Conference in which all had helped me though the prime helper Radheshym Mishra, a Chartered aaccountant has expired prematurely and his elder brother had also left for village Muraitha.

Other Maithils who had helped me for the AMP work two persons _harsh and Bibhuti had left Amp on the ground that they wished a local organization and later some of the persons who had staged the show of that successful conference also left the AMP and made a local organization and naturally such things were not destined to live long and I did not find any thriving Maithili Organisation when I visited in between, except of Raslal’s at Tawrekere.

Still I wanted to meet some of the seniors and could find only one AN Jha who has always high regards for me.

B,N, Jha was diagnosed by me on very first day he had attack as brain tumor and he was ill and as a mark of respect to him I had announced him as president of AMP,Bangalore.

The other persons there including his younger brother KN Jha should have continued the AMP II laboured for that so much.

Dr. PP Jha has a taste of cultural activities and he had managed marvelously cultural evening in the conference when Ramsevak Thakur and Kunj Bihari did not turn up last minute fearing payment though they would have been suitably rewarded had they come.



Though the meeting at Bihar Bhavan ended successfully I was sorry to note that its arrangements have been worse which needs immediate attention by all as that is one of our great pillar outstare. Initially I had thought to have night stay there but finding the gates being closed I went to Omprakash Daga’s house nearby who was a RSS person of my town,Forbesganj and had a business there of garments. Dubeyji dropped me there. Om was delighted to see me and again I had a dinner though I had full meal at Mrs. Pandey’s house in the evening.

I could get up early morning and started for Yashwantpura to take direct train for ranchi and luckily I could get ticket out of turn at the counter and also a good seat in just few minutes before the train was to whistle.(Continued).




Dr. Dhanakar Thakur
Spokesman,
Antarrashtriya Maithili Parishad

MEA _2010 Travalogue _VII_Andhra_Karnataka

MEA _2010 Travalogue _VII_Andhra_Karnataka
28.7.2010
When I reached Visakhapatanam station there was standing Link Express going to Delhi via Vijaywada and I thought to complete that journey in day time without any problem but when I entered a general coach though there was space for me to seat comfortably but a Telugu who was going with a good number of friends and family as if going in any marriage protested me and particularly knowing me ignorant of Telugu took advantage of that and I went up to seat where already a child of his group was sitting. I tried to sleep adjusting bags there but could not though that comfort that child . The group had plain food- rice and some chutteny like thing.
It was probably a Pradosh fast day for me and I had some dried things to break that. At Vijaywada I had to change the train and I got down and in search of some bananas I went out till road ahead. I listened to a person there talking on mobile in Maithili. I did not disturb him and went to a vender for banans. Very sweety and stout bananas four for Rs.10 and I purchased and ate and also I took another four for the way. There also I listened a young man talking in Maithili sitting on a chair in the nearby Sulabh Shauchalaya. I asked his introduction and he was a Maithil Brahmin from Barahia. Anyone can find maithil Brahmins near any Sulabh Shauchalaya- thanks to Bindeshwari Pathak for this novel way of helping thousands of Maithil families.
I came to platform no.1 on which my train Sheshadri Express for Bangalore was expect after 2 hours. In between passed the Narsapur Express which was jam packed and so when I entrained in a general compartment of Sheshadri Express, people,mostly ladies were sitting and or sleeping even on floor.
I stood by the side and that too was resisted by a young mother whose little child was put in a cloth hanging in between in air. My standing was not welcome for them and they objected more so knowing that I did not know Telugu and ridiculed me knowing a Hindi speaking person and I realized that there is a great hatred for Hindi persons there even though we are the nationals of same country.
On suggestion of a standing passenger, I tried to seat as fifth person where some space was available but was objected by an aged person on which I infuriated(in English) and said that they do not know my contribution to that area where I had served them in 1977 cyclone and also referred my high social position that even Prime Minister would appreciate but all in vain and I had to travel almost 4 hours standing till Nellore came where two boys on side seats were to drop down but were sleeping who were aroused by the third passenger who was a teacher and from his body language I had inferred that he did not like protest of aged man to accommodate me as fifth passenger.
I could get a seat vacated there and took a sigh of relief. I was tiered and slept even in sitting after I ate those bananas I had purchased. The whole rush was vanished at Tirupati as they all were going to have Lord Balaji’s blessings and in that month every Telugu family would visit there.
In the morning crossing through a stretch of Tamilnadu in between we entered Karnataka. I did my daily Puja tarpan in the compartment itself after bath in toilet.
The area was known to me as I had some visits on the route when I was posted at Bangalore. I got down at the City station which was well known to me and came out- everything was alike- the rush of people and protesters of some group on the road, as usual for any capital in a democratic society; the subway to the Majestic bus stand had the same venders of the goods of daily need- the snacks, the handekerchif, locks etc as well as some ladies(‘Sex workers’) inviting persons on a rate of Rs.300-500 for some hours.
I do not remember whether I saw the dwarf man selling something and took a pack of half liter curd (mosuru ardha, I spoke in Kannada) from a stall there. It was for Rs.12 though cheaper than other state- it has bean dearer as initially I was getting it for Rs.8 (in 2006-07) and then in next visit in 2008 I found it was rs.10 and thereby a 50 per cent hike in 3 years!
I climbed stairs and again I came down to platform and took a bus where a daily pass has again been for Rs.32 which I had been taking for Rs.25 in 2006-07 and in 2008 visit ,it was for Rs.30.
The way was known to me and I got down at Sonata stop near Vijaya college. Of course Metro is under construction and hence some traffic problem.
I took two bananas from the same betel shop I was taking from a Maithil boy of a village near Jhanjharpur. The boy was not there but a man and I had asked for banana in Maithili and later I asked him whether he had phone number of Raslal. He gave number of some other Maihtil who did give raslal’s number but he could not be contacted. I wished to have night staty at Tawrekere where they had purchased land for Rs.13 lakh ,must be of crore value now for making a Temple. I had promised them in 2007 that I would stay with them one night which I could not fulfil for my transfer and I wanted to go there but again was not successful.
I reached nearby MECON Office and meeting my voters I went to Mrs. Asha pandey’s house to meet her son who was ill some time back. He searched air tickets for me on net but was not successful and I called Dr. P.P.Jha who invited me to come to Bihar Bhavan..(To be continued)

MEA 2010 Travalogue_VI – Bhilai steel city, Raipur and Vishakhapatnam Steel Plant and City

27.7.2010
MEA 2010 Travalogue_VI – Bhilai steel city, Raipur and Vishakhapatnam Steel Plant and City
With a memory of fast SMS data entering commerce graduate girl and the girl of Gwalior I remembered once at Purnea , daughter of a Maithili worker (and also granddaughter of a Maithili worker parents),studing in Delhi University had exclaimed to know that I was not keeping mobile. Later company gave me and I found it useful and time(and money) consuming both. In fact it reduces chances of personal meetings and keep one away from the present surroundings and landscapes in train keeping you clogged to already known persons but it is also useful if used with caution and one can have many connections and information like PNR status of an unconfirmed tickets which I could know from cell one many a times in this journey also.
And Manish Jha was at Murga gate(there is a Cock sculpture) of Bhilai on getting call from mobile! At the PR room a visiting pass was made soon and I entered the Ispat Bhavan and talked MECONIAs.
Then I contacted if my sister-in law(Bhauji) was there in Sector IX or at Charoda- she use to shuttle between her two sons(of almost my age and hence going there I become a grandfather though always I feel myself a young student). My nephew of Sector IX had survived a serious head injury and after many years I saw him who told me as to why he became a vegetarian in a story-telling way. He described me that once he had visited a person where someone asked can you build a house –“yes, after studying engineering and or training for some years and so for many other things,” but can you make an egg was replied in negative and hence a thing one cannot make should not be killed and so one should be vegetarian.
He was against sacred thread(janeu) and I explained him about the gotras and pravars( three of ours i.e. Kaushik, symbolize our ancestors- Kaushik, Atri and Aplavan).
The vedantic teaching may be different that for higher life lower may be sacrificed to the amount needed, and types of foods- sattw, rajas and tamsik as per the choice of the person and interealtion between them as explained in Bhagavadgita’s Chapter XVII.
My cousin did not forget to ask me copies of the Aayurvigyan Pragati when I gave him the Maithili Sandesh. Eldest among the 21 brothers and 19 sisters, he retired as a teacher from the railway’s school at Bhailai and I used to meet him often during my tours through central India.
Bhauji had naturally a stock of questions on family matters and I had no reply for some of them. I had not much time and I started with Manish for Raipur for catching the train stopping for a while at Charoda residence of other cousin; grandson and his mother were there but not my cousin.
Bhilai has advanced like other parts of country but always I feel that as a serene place, full of greeneries among the hot of a steel city.
Raipur now capital of newly carved Chhattisgarh state has also developed though always remains in news for Naxals and in recent past Dantewada incident shocked the nation.
One of the BBC reporter, Salman Ravi , who is close to me, had invited me recently to visit the area around Indravati river, so picturesque in the map of India which always attracted me but I did not have time. I do not appreciate ‘encounters’ but also not ‘innocent killings,’ and staging war against the Indian state by rising arms though a reply is needed as to why the 50 most mineral districts of India are also among the poorest?

Manish Jha left me at the Raipur station which is also now a modern station and I could get a ticket and good seat in general class. One of the passengers told me that that was the route traveled by the poorest persons.

I had been on that track sometimes and I had stopped at Khariar raoad also and that was the area of Kaushal which is also demanding statehood.
I slept in night on the seat and in the morning while train crossed Orissa and entered Andhra, I felt poor there are not poor in exhibiting love! A Telugu man was showing love to his wife(?) as if no other was in the world or there at least in the compartment!
We crossed Sinhachalam, a famous pilgrim centre and reached Visakhapatanam, named on one of the 27 nakshatras.
I took a city bus for the steel city and though had requested conductor to tell me the stop I dozed and missed the stop and after a while I could get down and I was charged for excess route too. Luckily I met a person on bike and he took me to the Project Office I intended to go. There I met some MECONIANs who recognized me and again a photo identity visiting pass was made for me like my visit 2 years back which I had not seen anywhere else. On a car soon I was inside the plat of Wire road and saw with interest and talked my voters as well. The Steel City, Ukkunagaram, I had visited some times in past but my close person Baikunth Jha was outstation. Once meeting with him was incidental after many years in 1993 when I had gone for the All India Steel Medical Officers’ Conference and I enquired for any Maithili. Luckily in-charge of township was a Maithil and he sent a vehicle for me. I talked to him and he had called Baikunth wecould recognize each other after some minutes of talk that he was a Swayamsevak of the Sukhdevnagar shakha at Ranchi while I was a student of Ranchi College in 1972-73 and it was a happy reunion with him and then onwards we are in regular contact.
They left me on a big cross fare to Visakhapatanam City which always looks to me as if running in thrills. The city on the Bay of Bengal has a big naval base.
and again I walked few minutes from the bus stand to MECON Office and then again I could get a seat in the auto to go to the railway station.


(to be continued)

Christian Missions growing in Nepali( and Indian Mithila)-To save Nepal as a nation,it should revert to Hindu Nation.

Christian Missions growing in Nepali( and Indian Mithila)-To save Nepal as a nation,it should revert to Hindu Nation.

When I had visited first time Nepal's Katmandu during 1993 while I was returning by a bus I had found a scrap of Christian religion's message in Maithili and had commented on that in the columns of the Ranchi Express, then I was writing there weekly.
On the Katmandu streets in 2009 I witnessed a mammoth road show on Good Friday-mostly poor Nepalis were demonstrating.
I saw today matters on facebook. Mithilamission probably has the mission of converting Christians from Maithils which need serious efforts by Hindu nationalists to negate there appeal.

In fact, Nepal's unity lies in Hinduism otherwise it has no binding threads between the divergent groups of Paharis and so-called Madhesis(which has no epica l(pauranic) reference but a politically coined wrong word- Madydesh would have been correct, if someone would have thought for a country in between Nepal and India- in fact Tarai is a better word.
Though again those who want to see Nepal as one nation should not repeat the mistake India did declaring it a secular country while its partitioned Pakistan(and later Bangladesh also) became Islamic country.
My appeal particularly to Maithils is that they should not be swayed by such feelings of Pahari or anti-Pahari by a colloquium as Madhesh rather they should be in favour of Mithila state there and should have sweet relations with other states's people who are largely Hindus who follow Mithila-born darshans all over not only towards Himalayas but up to deep south till Sri Lanka not to talk of Kanyakumari and even there the Bauddhas/Singhalas are following the teachings of Lord Buddha, a son of Maithil clan from Vaishali (though born in his mother's village Lumbini)
Nepal has now abandoned Hindu religion which was not the only Hindu Nation to be proud of by Hindus all over the globe but also it was a political blunder, a harakiri of Nepali nationhood which needs retroversion by all political thinkers of Nepal.
This conversion is not limited in Nepali Mithila only. For Indian Mithila one can listen to radio broadcast from Ranchi in Maithili from Ranchi(and from the tone it seems that the reader is a Maithil from high caste). And so in Bhojpuri and many tribal languages..
One should not forget that one of the first book printed in Maithili was a Bible from Srirampur(Hoogly ,Kolkata),one of the pages I was told by MK Mishra of Ranchi was used as a pack of food grain being sold but was not preserved by him. Later I read one of the first dictionaries of Maithili was composed by Father Carey there which was burnt and some pages were saved but those all attempts were done not to propagate Maithili language and culture but to destroy that by using Maithili and it was and is a pan-Indian phenomenon(some articles of Sandhya Jain, I read recently on Tripura and Tamilnadu).
In fact when I was in an infatuation to a Christian girl of Kearalam(effect of beauty on brain!- I was the same who had only 5 years before that had not agreed to even fill up the form of St.Xavier’s College that it was a missionary college and had preferred to take admission in a lowly reputed Ranchi College though I could top among students of Ranchi University in the pre-medical test) I had gone to the Church near Darbhanga station where a Father(Padari) had told me that they were to read the local language for three years in their 13 year training programme to become a S.J.(Father of Catholic Church). Church at Bettiah is one of the oldest in north India though Mithila’s culture did not permit them to grow fast like other parts they have made pockets.
Dr. Dhanakar Thakur, Founder President & Spokesman, Antarrashtriya Maithili Parishad

Dhoni and his mad lover

Dhoni and his mad lover
Dhoni is not performing well after his marriage as we see in Sri Lanka.
Some months back when I had written that his leaving of my colony(Shyamali of Ranchi where his father worked) he had downtrend in cricket.
Finding my blog on that on May 15, 2010 3:06 PM I was written a mail from one of the lovers of Dhoni as if I could be helpful in negotiating her marriage to him..

Sir, My name is ……. I am a Doctor by profession. I belong to …….state. Have just finished my MBBS degree. I read your article about DHONI today, just now. Sir, I have a sincere and humble request to make. I am one of the millions of fans DHONI has.
I love him a lot Sir. Its been 5 years since I started liking him. Now that I have finished my undergraduate degree, my parents have started searching bride groom for me. But for me, I am unable to imagine anyone else in my life partner's place other than DHONI. People might laugh at me if I say this. But there is no rule that common people should not love celebrities. Everything started as fun 5 years back when I was an 18 year old. But I never knew I would become so serious.
Whenever my parents suggest a guy for my marriage, tears well up in my eyes, I cant forget DHONI sir. Sir I stay in …… and I have 3 more months left in my Internship. I cant come to Ranchi to convince DHONI or his parents.
Its highly impossible as my parents wont let me do that. I can only communicate through emails, letters or through phone. Luckily I have got your email address. I have written a letter to DHONI's parents too, which I will be sending on Monday. Sir, if you make up your mind, you can really help me and you are the only one who can help me. Please Sir do’nt neglect my request. I will really be a good wife to DHONI, always supporting him in the ups and downs of life. I am waiting for your reply. Please reply as soon as possible.

When I opened my mail, immediately I I replied on May 19, 2010 4:31 PM
Dear Dr….
You are a doctor and be composed and should write to me as and when you do find time.
I personally do not know him but surely I will like to have a continued relation with you and if chance I can get some threads I will inform you.
Write me your other details of family..

And after some days on 26.5.10 I composed a song on her name…

How is my ……?
Who carries such
A wonderful name
A little doctor
Like a Cloud
Will shower rains
Or will bring floods
From her tears
For an unknown
Though she is
Unknown
I know her
From her days
On this earth
She came in her
Mother's laps
Crawled on Mother Earth
Stood Firmly
Went school
Came college
And then a stetho
In her neck
In white apron
She charmed many
But was charmed
By a charmer
Alas I would have
Helped her
If her decision
Was not immature
Though she is
mature enough
To treat many
Such lost
In other world
Of name and fame
But of no real values
Dhanakar 26.5.10
PS I will tell you something more and you will take decision. can give me a miss call on….

And I got a SMS on next evening…

Hello Sir,
This is dr. got ur no today. Thanks. Sir, I am a mad lover of Dhoni, was dreaming to be his life partner.

But Sir, it’s so bad and now I realize what foolish I am. I am really happy to tell u that I got real hero of my life dr… who is completing his superspeciality in ,,,,,,,,,,,,, in …….. and the engagement is in next week and I am going to join him and complete my pg course there. Sir, I am very sorry to disturb you and waste your time. I wish great success to my Dhoni and also to you sir.
Thanks and regrards,

I preferred to talk to her on the number and in fact I had read only first line of that SMS and I tried to console her analyzing the life situation. Marriage is not a Doll’s game and one should take decision as per social norms,
I could know her parents were doctors and I tried to explain her realities of life.

Lo! She turned to be her mother, a lady doctor instead. Finding from me an advisor’s role) . I talked her long about her working place and her college from where she had passed out and told her that matter will be solved with patience. It is nothing but an infatuation.
Soon she sent me other SMS..

We are here to set the things right pl don’t contact thro mail and all she is getting engaged next month. Thanks.
Dr..

And soon I saw the news of Dhoni being married to a girl-the hype was she was from Ranchi’s Shyamali colony but it turned to be wrong. I took a breath that his doctor lover will be alright now. My best wishes to her as well as Dhoni for their good married life.
Long back I had told to a lady neighbor of Dhoni had her mother asked me to select one proposal among a lot, I would have done. The lady had asked how?
“I will not select any which would not have come had Dhoni would not been an icon..”
Sure, then none either the fan lover or the lady got him would not have been my selection for him.
My cousin (elder to me some 5 years) said that they saw me dancing in Dhoni’s marriage and he had asked his wife also to watch that..
I told him that I was not there- someone might have similar face. They might have mistaken me for Dhoni since we lived in the same colony.
I am a simple man, not of elite club and I never regretted for that.

Dr.S.Sarkar and his wife Laxmi ma..

23.7.2010_Coincidence_Dr.S.Sarkar and his wife Laxmi ma..

I had gone to SBI,Harmu to deposit my income tax and it was a bit late due to several causes there and I was sitting near the accountant Dilip Kumar. I was turning over souvenir of Mithila Sanskritik Parishad, Jamshedpur in which one of my story was published though I had intended that for a compilation of a story writing session as it written for that but due to other many story tellers I was not given time .

The accountant addressed the person besides me as Dr.Saheb and I quipped whether he was a medical doctor and identified myself. He was Dr.S.Sarkar whose name was somehow known to me whuch he later clarified that as WHO Officer for acute flaccid paralysis information his name was displayed in my hospital too.

He passed his MBBS from PMCH,Patana and MD in PSM from my Alma Mater Darbhanga. I had talked Dr.KK das only two days back to call ameeting of Darbhanga medicos( MBBS) in and around Ranchi in November.

I was the best student(class assistant) of PSm and we talked something there like prevalence of kalazar to which I asked why it was limited to the north of ganga in Mithila region primarily.

We also talked on the relation of Bangla with Maithili.

He recalled Dr. BN das Gupta, my ‘guru’ of medicine and he recalled how he did purchase 5-6 books to read in details about kalazar before coming to speak in a seminar on kalazar(maybe in 1988 or so-he retired as professor of pediatrics in 1975 and I might be called his longest time student after his retirement)..

As the link for bank transaction was failed we could talk something on and exchanged our addresses. Hope we will be in contact.

Soon our work was done and I went to his house besides the bank itself and as today was my Pradosh fast I did took a glass of soft drink only.

His father has settled here and when he will return I will go to talk to him on Bengala.

His wife was named Laxmiamma , from Bhbaneshwar, she was a distant relative to Netaji Subas Bose born in Cuttack. She speaks Oria as well as Bangala. She haas two sons- Aditya and Siddharth- I saw them and talked something.

I told her that I had written only a couplet in Bengla while I was in a romantic mood thinking for a Bengali lady some years back(though that proposal did not mature).-



“Babli tumi ao

Amar hridyer

Amare bandher

Bhitar,,

Ami jabo

tomar bheetar

Tumi ao amar ghar

Amar ghar hobe

Laxmir ghar..

(Mad girl

Come in my heats

In my bundhs

Inside

I'go

Inside you

You will come

In my house

And it will

Be a house of Laxmi).-----Dhanakar -21.12 to Sh.

MEA 2010 Travalogue_V – Mobile is the root of many discords-Saw a RSS worker without a mobile in Nagpur-Raipur rail

20.7.2010
MEA 2010 Travalogue_V – Mobile is the root of many discords-Saw a RSS worker without a mobile in Nagpur-Raipur rail
At New Delhi station I took the ticket for the next day for which via Raipur- Vishakhapatanam was a problem for the clerk and it took 3-4 minutes to explain and the public was agitated and lastly taking ticket only up to Raipur, I also chided a young man w3ho was unnecessary vocal seeing me in simple dress(dhoti) that I should have asked enquiry. The young men are unnecessarily in haste and an assumption that dhoti clads are idiots.
I took the same Metro for Mayurvihar where Kripanand came and we did some work regarding Mithila. The next morning he driopped me to the MECON Office where I contacted my voters and there was Urkarsh who was working at Bangalore when I was posted there. The security guard from Mithila informed me about a Jha and other Maithil girl from Mithila and of course Dasji, a Maithithil was there whom I knew since 2008 election days.
Kripanand left me at Nizamuddin station where I became anxious seeing a great rush. Someone had talked with a Muslim porter for a seat in general compartment for Rs.30 and I also went with him. Though I entered in a bit running (slow) train and could get myself a seat conveniently yet maulvi came afterwards and asked me for money. I gave him Rs.20. Some persons had also managed seats like that way. This nexus should be broken by police but that is in itself is a party to that I knew in my next visit(from Kanpur- to Delhi).
Somebody’s mobile was lost and a good looking girl asked a Youngman his mobile to ring and that boy was ashamed as his elder brother and his wife were traveling and the young girl’s cute voice(after the mobile was located by some gentle person).”now you will not be required to spot that curly haired young girl(whom they were suspecting as she had changed the seat!). That cute girl got down at Gwalior.
I did my bath in toilet and normal Sandhyavandan in train itself and the super fast train left Nagpur. After sometimes some persons entrained(at Rajnandgaon and I could spot a prachark of the RSS by dress and talk. He was Ramashankarji from Rajgarh and they were returning after annual training camp of the RSS which I had attended in 1970. I was impressed to know that he did not keep mobile as I feel the social workers should concentrate upon personal relations and in fact mobile is the root of disruption of many matrimonial relations! There was also a Sanghchalak(president) named Mahapatra , an Oria fellow and it is only RSS which does not allow linguistic divide in the country.
Other young girl Nikita Sahoo there was returning from Nagpur who after her B Com had joined a service in HSBC at Bhilai where her parents were living. She also got down at Durg and I could get a seat in auto to got to the Ispat Bhavan in that scorching summer despite the roads had adequate plantation.
(to be continued)

Security for common man?Anti-collission devices need added to all railways

Security for common man?Anti-collission devices need added to all railways

I am pained by Vannchal collision on 19th July early hours resulting in many deaths.
The deceased driver must be sleeping otherwise that train which had to stop at Sainthia would not be in 80-90 km/h or if its break failed why not he informed guard and advanced station? r his communication system also failed?
Whether Mamta Banerjee should resign is just politicising the issue as any railway minister will not be driving trains. Though she is hardly interested in railways copared to state politics is obvious but that was not the cause of tragedies.

The question is how the drivers are selected- there should be no reservation in such jobs
And how many hours they are to run(not more than 4 hours in night shifts).
Also number of coaches in general class need increased (at least 6 in each train)and why placed on front and rear only- the common man be given most security and such coached need placed centrally.
Further no need of superfast train- Indian trains be run on an average 50km/h only but no untowards delay.
Anti-collission devices need added to all railways.
-Dr.Dhanakar Thakur

Dhanbad- Seat of wealth

19.7.10

Dhanbad- Seat of wealth



When Mithilesh Jha asked me to come to Dhanbad, I agreed to visit there on 18th July 2010 as my several recent trips there had been not rewarding organisationally either for the medical(NMO) or Maithili(AMP) despite the fact that 17 times at least I had visited there since 1992, I joined Maithili work(and before that sometimes for the NMO work to the Patliputra Medical College).

Since 1992 after 9 such visits on 1-2 Feb.2003, X International Maithili Conference was held at Dhanbad which was successful.

Dhanbad is famous for coalfields nationally and Black Diamond and Coal Field Expresses are hence named. In the atmosphere of Dhanbad coaldust is common and anybody’s hander kerchief is bound to be black like his/her cloths. I feel if lungs of Dhanbad people are autopsied must be black instead of normal pink colour but they are generous enough ‘large hearted’ in every respect.

Some of my relatives have been there in the vicinity in coal fields – my late maternal uncle was a doctor at Sudamdih, my cousin retired from Bhuli who was initially at Golakdih, other cousin is still working there who live there in Kandra colliery’s abandoned office now used as residential purposes- they used to live initially near Gaushala more at Sindri where is Vidyapati Bhavan at saharpura and I had occasions to visit these all for several reasins.

I also got opportunities to visit BIT(Initially Bihar Institute of Technology, renamed later as Birsa Institute of Technology after Jharkhand was carved out in 2000). I had read in ‘The Hindu,’ some years back in an article by one of the director of IIT,Chennai that initially first IIT was planned in this place only but Dr. B.C.Roy, the Chief Minister of W.Bengal insisted that Bengal was most industrialized state in the country(then it was in fact) and hence that deserved IIT and it was hence placed at Khargapur but for long BIT was excelling like any IIT. Its glory has dampened in past decades but hopefully it will recover as I was informed by Dhirendra Jha, president,AMP, Dhanabad whose son has taken admission there though he was not satisfied and may change to any NIT in further rounds of counseling.



There is CFRI(Central Fuel Research Institute) and all is based on BCCL(Bharat Coking Coal Limited). The township of Jharia is said on fire underneath which may collapse anytime bit people are not vacating since they will loose their livelihood.

The prime institute there is the Indian School of Mines(ISM) where ince I had stayed overnight in the Hostel Emerald. In this visit a student who had done MBA from there(though primarily ISM is meant for the study of Coal and Petrochemicals) Satyjit Chandra informed me the hostels there are named on every types of gems viz. Diamond, Emerald, Topaz(I initially thought it a shaving blade commonly used in India!),sapphire, Amber, and for girls Ruby having Annexe 1,2,3 apart from Opel.

One of its entrance is famous as ‘Steelgate,’ nearto which is the Patliputra Medical College, named on ancient Patna’s name though has lost whatsoever relation it might had with Patna till 2000 AD when Dhanbad was in the state of Bihar. I feel its name better would be changed to Dhanbad Medical College as that name will remain significant always- Dhanbad is ‘the seat of wealth(Dhan)!’

Though this medical college has always remained in news for its recognition with the Medical council of India(MCI), it could get permanent principal after a many years, I read in newspaper when I turned the pages in way to Dhanbad in this visit.



I wished to catch early morning Howrah bound train to go to Dhanbad directly but I missed train despite I was awoke at 4 am due to morning rituals. Anyway I could get Patna Express and while I was waiting I listened to carefully talks of two Secretariat employess of Bihar and Jharkhand. Patna’s land value has a leap in Nitish regime but one of them replied me that corruption is as rampant and so officer’s approach that they do not comply with letters of even chief secretary . They also admitted that RTI was an effective tool but only if you have already correct information on which questions are framed intelligently otherwise an ambiguous reply is usually given .



In fact there were few passengers only and I slept in between. After Chandrapura, I did take my breakfast and asked a fellow passenger to explain ‘;Bhatkhai’ which he was telling to his family members. I felt6 it was like ‘Saujanya’ of Maithil bride’s father by groom’s father and after this only bride’s father takes ‘kachhi or build rice’.

However, the custom has been made complicated and then I explained them maithil’s marriage custom which was so simple till some decades before. Saurth Sabha or assembly of grooms was a convenient thing which initially was held in my village of samaul and was alter shifted to Saurath(related to Saurastra where probably actual Shivalingam of Somnath was brought by priests after Muslim invasion).

I feel that needs revival with an amendement- it should be held with the start of Shuddha rather in the fag end when data of service of groom are difficult to be verified.



I changed train at Netaji SubasChndra junction, Gom and again there was a rush in general compartment and in the same military compartment where I had traveled in June up to Mugalsarai entered. Initially a CRPF jawan resisted but knowing me a doctor did not resit. He was coming from Jammu and had his house at Dhanbad only who wanted to complete his 15 years of service and join some civil work. As per him Kashmir’s conditions were not good and Muslims there are lacking national feeling with India.

I reached Dhanbad and then to Mithileshji’s house in DS Colony and had a long talk on our days of 1980s at Darbhanga when he was a whole timer of the ABVP (like student wing of the RSS) and I was working for the National Medicos Organisation. It was Maithili worker that we again came on one boat where after a very successful meeting met one very old worker D Jha who asked by Prof. Vinay Choudhary of sahara who is currently prsendent of Mithila Vidyarthi Parishad of AMP. I was instrumental to meeting im on phone and both talked for a while about their families etc. D Jha was an incidental introduction with me when in March I had visited Alok Jha’s office and he was called by Mintu of Dhanbad. I had requested D Jha to be president of local AMP which he had accepted and had come to meeting though I did not recognize him initially. As the meeting was in durga mandap and I had no Prayer of Yatreeji I preferred to chant Dyrgamaiyas and Ambejik prayers which I had translated in maithili in the beginning and end. I found Maithils from Darbhanga, Madhubani, Banka, Begusari, Khagaria, Bhagaplur,Katihar, Munger and Sitamarhi districts among 17 who attended-they include from Jhandapur and Kuangarhi where I had gone for AMP camps. A small committee was formed for membership drive and follow up.



Two young persons (one Maithil and other Kannada) came to meet me- Maithil was from Dhanbad and both worked in Karnataka and had come for finding students for their institute. I talked with them – the Kannadaiga was in fact Tulu speaker (from which Engish is said to be developed) from Mangalore. We talked a lot. In fact colossal money is being drained out as Karnataka etc. have made education as industry which need checked.

Some deviation went on inter provincial marriages which I opposed as if Maithil grooms marry outside it was also a loss of a groom for any prospective bride as well as difficulty in maintaining culture. I feel nationalism has nothing to do with it rather it is for some materialistic gains of earning wives.

It was late and I ate food cooked by Chandan, son of Mithileshji and got a rickshaw for station in midnight- there were ups and downs but he pulled rickshaw on hand- I should have been down but I did not though thought for so.

At midnight I have waited many times for Ranchi bound train and I got a ceat in Patliputra Express - In the morning I read in jagaran following Vanachal was hit with a full speed express at Sainthia station- reckless driver and over 50 died!







Dr. Dhanakar Thakur
Spokesman,
Antarrashtriya Maithili Parishad

MEA 2010 travelogues- IV- Journey to Delhi in ‘Smoking/Bidi coach of Military.

MEA 2010 travelogues- IV- Journey to Delhi in ‘Smoking/Bidi coach of Military.
16.7.2010

When I started for MEA’s site offices’ tours in first phase for election campaigning of 2010-12, it was a difficult task as there were no berths available in most of the trains and hence, it was an unreserved tour of cuircuit Ranchi-Delhi-Durg(Bhilai)- Visakhapatanam-Bangalore-Ranchi and was a horrowing experience.
I went to ranchi station for getting a current unreserved ticket for Delhi would be so difficult was not known to me. At Hatia it is always better to have ticket and seat but I chose the train which started from Ranchi and there was a long queue. The train arrived on platform no.1 and I was also after 2 persons only to take a ticket but the booking girl took a shift change at that critical time which should not have been permitted by supervisor.It took some time but the new booking lady faced computer initiation problem and in this train started. With some persons I also ran and could entrain without a ticket.
There was a young boy who was also like me and he was looking TTEs and said me that no one entered in that compartment.
In such circumstances in fact passengers should not be fined but who listens whom.
At Namkom did stop but was not possible to take a ticket and hence I changed the coach and at Silli I tried to get one. There booking window was open but as the train had no schedule stoppage, the clerk did not give me a ticket. At Muri it stopped and with those some passengers I also went to the window but again train started soon and we had to return back. When train stopped at Jhalida I could go to the booking window and asked for a ticket to Delhi but the clerck could give me a ticket for Gomoh only which was recently named on Netaji Subhash Chandra Bise because from there Netaji had taken a train to Lahore/Peshawar from where he escaped through land route to Europe and in fact he could never return.
There is a good stony sculpture of his which reminds everyone Netaji’s contribution. Gomoh station is more a junction than township and I had many occasions to change trains there. There I could get a ticket despite again a counter I was in front was closed down for receiving money from railway staff of some other distant counters. However there was no rush in other counter and I could get a ticket for Delhi.
The train soon came and there was as expected much rush in general compartment and I had to a request a military that he allow me traveling as I was a doctor to which he agreed respecting a doctor.
I am describing the plight of general passengers that there should be some 4 coaches must in any train and even otherwise from the revenue point of view it would not be in loss seeing jam packed scene, particularly in any train of north India.
After sometime Koderma came which is the station for the township of Jhumaritilaiya famous for Farmaisi songs since radio-era otherwise seat of mica, most abundantly found in the world there. When I was a child used to see the area’s soil glistening with light due to refraction of light from mica in the soil but more illegal than legal mining has reduced the industry to near zero level and people are migrating for livelihood.
When I went inside I was again objected but when I put my hand in pocket to show them my I. card that I was also a Govt. officer they did gave me a seat.
Some 4-5 persons entrained in which one was Commandant in the BSF probably. He was with his younger brothers but was resisted by military personnel. He had no I. card and one of them remarked on the slim body of the Commandant that he did not look like a military officer. He too was in modern student’s half pant like dress and lean and thin. However, other military person could comprehend his status as Company Commander in Army and he was given a seat. They got down after sometime but the rush continued at Gaya and somehow I could come to Mugalsarai and took a sigh of relief. I got down and went to other platform and on a bench I slept for while but soon came a late running Sampark Kranti Express from Bengal and again I entered in the military coach finding less passengers there compared to packed general coach. I was sleepy and in the sideway ,I spread ed newspaper I had purchased only for that and not to read in fact . and slept till Allahabad came where many general public entered saying since 2008 no coach is reserved for military. There I had gone inside on a seat.
My experience of these military coaches are as if they are ‘smoking coaches’ where mostly they smoke harmful Bidis despite ban on that. The smoke was so much in the air that my practice of keeping handkerchief on nose did not work and I used to get up and go to the gate in air which they could smell but did continue smoking despite one of them said to his colleague but it was for him as if more a matter of pleasantaries than inconvenience to me.
As such military persons need health education in matter of smoking and also drinking as well as they need told to cooperate the general public rather obstruct in entering the coach which for the most of the time they capture illegally. I had many such experience of that ,the most shameful was when in 1977 they did not allow me entering at Secunderabad in Nagpur bound Dakhsin Express while with two other medicos I was returning from the relief work of cyclone ravaged coastal Andhara. I had told them to see the Principal’s certificate that we were going on relief work. I feel that is the cause that in none of the house any General’s photo will be hanged though there one can find of Gandhi, Subash Chandrashekhar Axad,Bhagat Singh,etc. who are revered as martyrs. I tis because generals and army men are paid for their services though public honour them they should also reciprocate otherwise many times we read sad news of public-military tussles. Anyway, I reached New Delhi somehow and

(To be continued)..

MEA 2010 travelogues- Rourkela in the ‘Rurhr’ of India

MEA 2010 travelogues III- Rourkela in the ‘Rurhr’ of India 15.7.2010



Rourkela has a steel plant and I sometime think is it named on ‘Ruhr’ of Germany where are the coal and iron mines in abundant. Though it is not so named in fact the area of Jhrkhand is ‘Ruhr’ of India. Rourkela is in Orissa though Jharkhandis claim that on account of cultural similarities. The soil is also red like that of Ranchi region and in fact situated beneath hills, Rourkela is having a beautiful landscape though due to iron herths and furnaces of plant it has become hot and was humid in the summer when I planned to to visite it on a Sunday .

There was only a passenger train available that day in the morning which I could get although getting a ticket was difficult in long queue at Hatia station and more so if you have a bigger denomination rupee of 100 only. The booking clerk had a point- only few rupees tickets for passengers but luckily after researching my pockets, I could get some money to have just ticket. Lady TTEs were checking tickets for searching some innocent poor for this tribal route.

The rout is picturesque and one of the best and green. The sight of river Koel is unforgettable.On opposite bench was a lady nurse from Gandhinagar Hospital once I worked there but she did not recognize me.

I purchased khajur(date) for Rs.5 and it was too much abd despite too sweet it was a great ask to finish that.

The train passed many stations in hot summer and at one place I got down to take water from tubewell.

At Bano I could not get fruits which was once upon a time a centre for that- semms it was not a good season for papaya.

The train was delayed and halted somewhere. One passenger who had gone far searching water missed the train.

The lady nurse was reading a female magazine which I too turned pages and found many tips on health are provided there though mostly filled with advertisements. It is not that in the past I never had read those but seemed I was a novioce in that field.

The train used to stand anywhere and finally at Bondamunda which has many A,B, C
I reached late in the evening and went straightway to the MECON’s guest house but could meet only one person Dubeyji who listened to me and said that he would ask others when they came.

Then I went to the market of Rourkela to a Maithil person whom I had phoned for a meeting. Meeting was not organized but he welcomed me when he returned in that old building-Chhabda Building near Haryana Bhavan.

He had a lot of stories to share and most important was his finding a good person, a senior engineer at Patratu who could understand the skills of daughter of education and marriage was held with engineer’s son without a dowry – so ideal! Anmd also the person told me as to how a Marwadi seth helped him during that marriage. The Maithil used to help him for unloading his materials many years back when his brother had a transport company. That help was repaid by Marwadi during this marriage without even asking.



The Maithil’s family had gone to Ranchi and I slept there well and next day early morning I went to Rourkela station by walk to take Alleppey –Dhanbad for Hatia-Ranchi.

Since I could meet only one person I revisited Rourkela another day by morning Lokmanya Tilak Express which had a great rush though I could find a seat.

Again the same route but passengers were of other class, not the adivasis for whom local train was life line. It was a train for Mumbai bound students and employees going there or residing there for livelihood.

After an unremarkable journey I reached Rourkela and walked to the Ispat Bhavan and talked my voters who were much impressed though again that was not translated in votes under some polarizing effects of region though I had stressed on national integreity.

They managed a car for seeing me to station where I met some SAIL workers who had been on a regular weekly trip to ranchi and they use to manage trip by giving Rs.30 as a tip to TTE though I went initially to general compartment, they did press and I was to share with them a journey in Hatia bound super express without a proper reservation ticket on same token Rs.30-one of them took from me and went to some other compartment to give to TTE who did not come even to check us.

The train has hordes of students and young employees returning from IT hub Bangalore. A lot of money is being drained outside of Bihar and Jharkhand for study there and then most of such boys and girls get employment there too.

The train was late in between and I knew from those regular passengers the ordeals of lside lines and mid lines and trains after train and stations they were knowing so precisely in their regular journey. Lucklily I could get Patli Express for my onwards journey which was probably delayed for some minutes to give connection as was already professed by those regular commutators.9 To be continued)..



Dr. Dhanakar Thakur
Spokesman,
Antarrashtriya Maithili Parishad

MEA 2010 travelogues- Bokaro Or Marfari

MEA 2010 travelogues- Bokaro Or Marfari
14.7.2010

After a long gap I resume my blogs. I was busy with Mecon Executives Associations’ election for 2010-12 where I contested unsuccessfully for the post of president and had a taste of election once more where my simple comment-“in a highly polarized(Bengali vs. non-Bengali or Punjabi vs. non-Panjabi) Meconians lost the issues and what I lost precious 10 days’ casual leaves and may be some thousand rupees in train fair.
What I gained a lot of experience in traveling and a taste of delivering some three dozens speeches,
I lost despite praises from all sections of executives mostly engineers who primarily design steel plants but could not give me vote because more they had hate for Bengalis or Panjabis and to a great extent they could not assimilate a doctor as their president! Yet some choose to vote me and them only a few were from doctors.
A young engineer from Bangalore commented they did a blunder but I replied it was in a sense better for me as I would save my energy for the greater nation building work of which those engineers are but a small entity though I loved and admired them.

And I plan to tell you the story of the grand traveling of India of around 13000 km in a serial which will not include Durgapur-Burnpur-Kolkata I already blogged. Bokaro- Rourkela- Delhi- Bhilai- Visakhapatanam-Bangalore-Ranchi and then again Rourkela-Kanpur-Delhi-Mumbai-Bangalore-Annavaram- Ranchi will be the routes I will cover.

Bokaro is adjacent to Ranchi and I have innumerable trips there. There are many Bokaros- Bokaro Steel City I wish to mention here not the Bokaro Thermal, or West Bokaro far away from Steel City..which had station in Marafari and it was the term when in 1970s I used to travel by Ranchi-Patna express the lone train passing in night when many people used to come with sticks to entrain their one friend or family and we used to be under great tension as if some one will pierce with pear during fight (Marafari as connotes in Hindi)..In fact had Bokaro expanded like it was envisioned, the station would have been in its centre but it is said Biju Patnayak when he was Steel Minister, he curtailed the plan in favour of Orissa!

My journey to Bokaro was as usual like hundreds of I had of that place and reached there in the evening. Bokaro had a tradition of trekkers to take you to city/ township of several lakhs and fare of Rs. 10 will not you feel more but number of passengers 4+5+3+3 and may be one more on each side of the front excepting driver!
I recall the value of Rs. One for such a tempo driver long back when it had some value on which I had thought to write a story,’Ispatnagari ka tempowala,” but I could not and still that value of Rs.1 is same despite inflation and so anglicized word for Sector IV. IX, but barah More they speak not Twelfth where I had to go and a maithil Kali temple is there but I could go to Naya More only and then I walked to my maternal uncle’s quarters who was just retired from the SAIL.
Morning I was left in the BSL office by Mamji and I had entered MECON Office easily and talked my fellow colleagues and returned quicly to get Jaynagar-Ranchi train incidentally being late. The train initiated by me and to a large extent worked by me has been brought in new time table after a great effort since 1996.
The train was full of Maithils and I could get at least one Maihtil youth from Kaluahi Jay son of a Youth ongress leader working in Assam who was succumbed to an accident at delhi when they shifted after threat from extremists in Assam.
The Youngman was working at Hyderabad and we discussed a lot. The train crossed W.Bengal’s some stations in Purulia district when mobiles cut roaming charges before it reaches Muri crossing Swarnrekha river with which I had several memories,including of a picnic on its banks and a Chhat Arghya in its water. The train became late as its engine failed near Gangaghat and finally I had to change that and to take Alleppy Express to reach Ranchi by a green picturesque route.(Continued..)

Vinay Tarun_An obituary: An Award needs instituted on young journalist

Vinay Tarun_An obituary: An Award needs instituted on young journalist

Very few persons become so close to any unknown and leave for good.
I saw Vinay Tarun on the night of 26.12.2008 first time at his house at Purnea and that young Vinay of 28 years is no more..succumbed to a railway accident at Nathnagar near Bhagalpur where he was working in the Hindustan daily.
My first visit to his house was sheer accidental when my friend Dr.Amrendra Jha told me on that day that he could not arrange any meeting rather such a press meeting was arranged by Pinki whose number was with Kripanand Jha of Delhi. Kripanand phoned him and Pinki was ready at that dark evening near Kala Bhavan collecting all reporters despite we were late because of our route lost from Katihar.
Pinki asked us to go to her house and she guided us. A girl on a motorcycle(Rajdoot),she seemed to be unique in Mithila.
At house I saw she entered in kitchen. I asked her father about her mother. She had passed away sometimes back in young age.
Vinay was there. He had jaundice; he contracted from Koshi flood area where he worked as a dynamic worker apart from a reporter.
Even on that day Prof. Agrawal from Delhi had come and was staying there after distribution of blankets brought from Delhi for Koshi flood victims.
After that I had many visits of Bhagalpur where I used to stay at his 5th floor one room apartment near Muslim School and have many memoirs, many of which I have shared in blogs.
Though age-wise he was of my son's age had I any child but always I behaved with him as a younger worker of Mithila.
Once he told me that Neetish Kumar was trying to censure Mithila state news but if people go on roads any pressure on newspapers will not work.
He was an avid reader, a good reporter and very humble boy as per his name.
On his bike I had gone to Munger and twice Sultanganj apart from Sabour. He went to Araria also that newspapers covered Maithili conference so widely.
Only two months back I had recommended his name to IRDS, Lucknow for
Surendra Pratap Singh Award named on a journalist, news anchor, and newspaper editor who was not only the founder of Aaj Tak but is often regarded as the first true investigative journalist and is credited with having produced a host of fantastic journalists.
Probably another award need instituted on Vinay Tarun's name whose reports on Bandhua mazdoors and floods need compilation.
He used to send me all clippings related to Mithila as and when published and many times published my comments and programmes talking on phone that my time was utilized. He tried to convince Angika youths about me and arranged my meetings with them in Nathnagar that many of them could understand that they were like us culturally alike. What many professors of Bhagalpur could not achieve he did in harmonising Maithil society which is badly vivisected on the name of Angika-Maithili while the fact remained both are one! It took me time and patience too but now that process started will not get matured without Vinay, I think though I will try to re-contact those youth.
I feel as if my right hand is chopped knowing that he was no more- on that day I was at Mumbai and then in continued tours that I did not talk him since a month. He had told me that he would take leave in June for further study and would shift to Jamshedpur in job where his elder sister is married. The family is ruined after this shock. Unmarried other sister Pinki, a journalist with Hindustan at Patna and father SNL Das leaving in Teacher's Colony, Purnea all must be in sea of sorrow.
Yesterday evening I had a call from Kripanand from Saharsa when I was delivering a speech at the Blast Furnace section of Mecon where I am contesting for the post of president of the Association. I told him that I would talk him later and when I talked him after a while it was he who gave me the shocking news. Later I phoned Pushyamitra who was introduced to me by Vinay who had already this news. Awadhes Paswan of Jhandapur who came in the AMP due to Vinay where we had a camp had also this news from someone. Sudhirnath Mishra from Araria will visit soon Purnea house once Vinay's father returns from Gaya after his last rites.
May Bhagwati give Him peace. For us a vacuum will remain forever of a young dynamic Mithila worker who had values in his small but meaningful life.