My visit to Bokaro July 9-10,2011

My visit to Bokaro July 9-10,2011

Bokaro Steel city I have visited umpteen times because my relatives are there(my elder sister, my maternal uncle, my cousin, the daughter of my mother’s sister whom I intend to visit) though there were or are some more distant relatives like one of my uncle who has retired (and I recall a visit of his to my nephew’s residence who was temporarily there before being back to Bhilai steel plant- as soo as his mother knew he was Shri Dharmnath Thakur-“You are my father in law and the old lady took her saree on head like veil ghoghat, and went inside immediately.”
And so is one of my nephew a teacher there. On 8th July one of the Mathils from Singia(near Pindaruchh but in Madhubani’s Bisfi block) reminded me that he was brother of my sister’s husband and I had left Rishi Shringi’s ashram in his village while the report on Mithila circuit was published in the Mithila Darshan’s current issue(June 2011). I had told him that I was aware of Sigheswarsthan of Madhepura in this connection yet he should meet me at Bokaro on 10th evening(though he did not come).
At Bokaro’s sector II there is a magnificent Kali Mandir of Maihtils(just opposite to Secor XII Cross Road, the Khudiram Bose Chowk which needs a statue of the great revolutionary who was hanged in Mithila at Muzaffarpur.

This visit to Bokaro was just to utilize my holidays when schedulded date for Patna was to be advanced because NarendraK Jha was out of Patna. On 6th July , Mintu from Sindri came and I thought he has some domestic problems seeing his bag(which was of course full of plastic for safe drive in rains) who had come to meet Fair holders on Rathyatra of Jagaanaath temple . Mintu organizes such a fair at Sindri during Ganesh festivals. Mintu stayed overnight with us. I tried to contact Patratu, GiddiA, Ramgarh, Hazaribagh, and Kathara for utilizing time. At Patratu, a professor who had met me during a train journey (and was later known to be brother of a Maithili worker of Ranchi) had also accepted meeting. At Patratu a Maitili organisatin was active some years back. At Giddi , an Angika poet(from Banka) was introduced in the sagar rati story session at Ranchi had somewhere to go for negotiation of daughter. Poet Sarasji informed me that at Hazaribagh too Maithili organization has become inactive(which he gave this week and also I had detailed talk with Pt. revatiraman Jha of Nagadah who will arrange my meeting at 2 days notice whenever inform him).
My friend of nationalist organization Gyanbrahm Pathak of Ramgarh was at Kolkata and was suspicious of his return to Ramgarh by 9th. I had a brief spell of my private practice there and I vividly remembered his wife’s affection to me there
I was almost ready to go to Kathara but Thakurji told me on Friday evening that on Sunday the workers get double pay and so though some teachers will be there better to postpone meeting for some non-Sunday days.
Then I talked to Anilji of Muri who accepted for a Saturday evening meeting and I reached Ranchi station after going to Transport office for my driving license renewal which was also not done-probably employees were scared after recent srtctness and nobody was reay to guide and agents were not allowed. I went to a Purnea resident Mishra but he also did neither recognized me nor did my work despite that I gave him a copy of Maithili Sandesh and came down where in the court where I had a casual meeting with Lekhanad Jha, president of the Vidyapati smarak Samiti. He asked me as to why I did not come to Janki Utsav and I had to say that I was not invited. He had some mishap in the family still he worked for the function. I had that evening though returned Ranchi had taken a meeting with the Maithil motias of railway at the Maithil Hanuman Mandir made by those poor Maihtils and then had attended my medical meeting in a star hotel of the Redisson Blue.
I requested Lekhanandji to leave presidentship which he already had in his mind. I also requested him to make way for the unification of the VSS with the Jharkhand Maithili Manch on my formula of consensus president and secretary and one from harmu and the other from town but I think none of the organizations will abide me though I may be called the founder of the Maithili Manch and the rejuvenator of the VSS despite aMP was already formed.

At Ranchi station there was a long queue for Bhagalpur bound Vananchal Express and I preferred to wait in a cool corner watching the Tourist Information Centre with a lady posted there having no visitor. I went near her and got some printed materials for tours in and around Ranchi and in Jharkhand, many things were even unknown to me though I am in this city since 1970.
I felt such materials will be printed for Mithila cuircuit and Seeta Cuircuit once Mithila State was formed. I phoned Muri and Anilji said none was there and to ostpone it for the next week(I was not sure even for the 17th and I see my Ramcharitmanas class will be lost if though I go..).
So I took a passenger ticket to Bokaro and seeing a train leaving I ran to platform 3 but it was a train to Bankura and soon came my train.
I ate jamun(gooseberry?), and guabha and chana(Bengal gram) and talked with a young Monica whose 12th birthday that day was! Her parents had taken first time a full ticket for her! The importance of 12. I saw a birthday card from her friend and penned dpwn a poem for her. See was very happy. Her family was going to Silli where her maternal grandfather was residing. Her mother had a camera and she took a photograph of ours. Her father Lambodar Mahto was named thus by a Maithil teacher and he was knowing many Maihtils and had high regards for them. I gave him few copies of the Maihtili Sandesh to give those Maihtils and inform me their number.
Ranchi-Silli rail route’s greenery always attracts me and I was happy.
At Muri some I changed seat seeing sunrays. Some passengers from Jamshedpur boarded there and one of them commented, Biharis eat too much.”I took that and explained how meticulous Maithils are in food and how are Chura-dahi differ from litti sattu of Bhojpris. He was from Barelly of Up and with his friends he loved to listen me on linguistics, statesm customs and nation. I did not divulge that I was a doctor and soon came Bokaro.
I reached to my sister’s residence in the evening and till late I was watching TV on the Swami Padnabh;s treasures. Though I had visited Thiruvananthpuram several times I did not got o that temple because in my first visit when I had been there around 11 am it was told to me that the darshan was closed because the King was inside temple. In 1985, after returning I had wrotten an inland tot hat king that at least one window was to be ket open while he or any VIP was performing puja as god is equal for all. My that letter was not replied and whether it was closed because the king was watching the locks or treasure than god Padmanabh?
Anyway I am of the oinion that the money be spent on the welfare of Hindus as these were donations from Hindus and Govt. of Kerala or GOI is not a Hindu Govt.
Sometimes I think a Hindu nation Travancore (like Nepal on the top) would not have been bad, if as per TV report the then premier of Travancore CP Ramaswami Nayar had desired!
Next day for long I talked to my sister for my early education by a tutor ( a washerman who was teaching her also) and many things.
There in the noon assembled villagers of Koilakh who had a monthly meeting since 1960s at Ranchi and there at Bokaro since 1980s. The meetings became infrequent and there was a suggestion to drop contribution of Rs.5 to 10 which was to be used for Bhagwatisthan’s uplift at Kiolakh. I protested that. My maternal unces was also present who has retured and has settled there.
The treasurer was to leave as the Mithila Sanskritik Parishad, Bokaro had a meeting for the election of new office bearers. The all present were sore that though they all were members they were not informed. Such things prevent participation of all in the contribution to any organization.
Soon came Nagina Mahtoji, GSecy, AMP, Jharkhand and I took leave. We reached Sector II Maithil kali Mandir and had a small group meeting.
We welcomed Darbhanga- Hyderabad express which had its first run that day and I had thought to catch that. Naginaji left me at Naya More and in the shared auto the Youngman seated near was Ritesh Jha of a village Sudai near Jhanjharpur who worked in IT sector at Hyderabad and I gave him numbers of Dayanath Jha, BK karma and Jyoti Prakash Lal.
As soon as I reached station taking a ticket for Ranchi a train was moving which was Anad Vihar –Ranchi superfast .I again went to the counter and took a superfast surcharge ticket and cound catch the train by prohibited route(without going through foot overbridge), the train just sliding! It was a sleeper coach and and thought a passenger told me to travel as he had some connections in the railway, I did not like and I tried to change that at the next stop Jhalda but could not but at Muri I changed to general coach.I reached Ranchi before expected though missed Hyderabad train which must had been welcomed by Chhatsgarhi Samaj there at Bokaro who were waiting with banners.
At Ranchi I walked and saw near over bridge a young boy drunk amidst shrubs and took help of others to bring on safer place. This drinking habit is the worst among young.