My 120th Mithila Jagaran yatra Darbhanga-Jamalpur (April 4-8, 2012)-B (Darbhanga- Asha Mishra, Dr NP Mishra, Mithila Mahotsava,)-Jamalpur
On the morning of 7th April at Simariaghat , I was awoke and Barauni too passed unnoticed and as usual I was pleased in the lap of core Mithila. I like LAAI of Ramdana( of some grass’s seeds) and I took that as if any fruit without bath.
The train reached Samastipur and I started distributing Mithila pamphlets.
At Darbhanga I wished to meet my teacher, Dr. Ganpati Mishra first and went nearby Laxmisagar where his wife Mrs. Asha Mishra welcomed me. She is a learned lady and we talked a lot on the Maithili’s development and the prize process. She was sorry as to why we did not have any Gyanpeeth so far! Alas in the days of Suman and Nagarjuna Maithili was not in the VIII Schedule and later our writers could not maintain that standard.
I was of the view that in considering prizes, the poor financial condition of the writer should also be one of the criteria , if everything was equal like that of the cost of medicine we prescribe though she was of the view that the standard should not be compromised.
I agreed to her with a note that if some poor’s writing would have come to selection stage that should not be marred by the influence of anybody else.
I also interviewed her on many aspects of literature and females’ role to which she responded very well. When I put a question that now even ladies are asking for divorces for petty considerations she was astonished and was of the view that adjustment must be made.
We both were appreciative to Taslma Nasreen . I quoted a line from Lajja where a person differentiates between Jal and Paani in the heydays of communal riots.
While she was bringing water for me, there I read a news in the Hindustan Times that day that a family from Poland had been talking in Sanskrit only and one had translated Bhagwadgeeta in Polish language for the first time and I recalled those young boys and girls at Munger chanting Sundarkand in Awadhi and Sanskrit. Though I felt asking her for a cutting, I dared not and at the station I forgot to take a copy of the HT though I had visited there for new Maithili Panchang and purchasing a ticket for night returning to Jamalpur by return Dhuriyan at 22 Pm.
Mrs. Mishra brought fried Makhan with sugar for me though tasty that was (and I took that too without having puja that day), I feel frying sugar in ghee must be an unhealthy practice (and may be even carcinogenic like halua when fat is fried at high temperature?).
I came to my sister’s house at Lalbagh and there was a girl student from Varanasi selling Dictionary and maps from oxford as a part of her training to BBA and I purchased one to gift Sonal (the third daughter of my younger sister).
In the evening, I started for the Laheriasarai and instead of entering in the much acquainted proper lane I went to the street of late Dr. B. Jha whose house was dilapidated (his English wife, Mrs. Jenny Jha had once been guest to my house in a Maithili Camp. Quickly I reverted back to proper street where the Mithila Mahotsava was to be held in the Ramashray Public Schhol, named after a MLA of the BJP, Ramashray Ray.
Though I was there in due time 6 pm , only some organizers were there and I was informed by Prof. Udhayshankar Mishra that the programme would start from 7 pm. They asked me to seat with important persons like Dr. Satyanarayan Mahto, President, Mithila Rajya Sangharsh Samiti, Rajeshwar Sah Nepali, vice-president of the Antarrashtriy Maithili Parishad and Baidyanath Choudhary ‘Baiju’ but I put my bag there and preferred to go out in the Balbhadrapur mohalla to meet some persons ( Mrs. & Dr. N. P. Mishra who had the parental affection to me when I had been there in my pre-clinical classes), son of late Narendra Narayan Mishra, long time chief of the RSS, Darbhanga and Dr. G. N. Lal whose house was neighboring the venue but at the house of Dr. N. P. Mishra I could know that he too had expired recently).
This mohalla was my abode when I had left Ranchi for study at the Darbhanga Medical College and found there were many new buildings come up in between though many were the same. There was a big Hanuman mandir which was very small at that time.
Dr. N. P. Mishra’s clinic was barren and I guessed he might be outstation. I knew all the doors of that house and I entered through side gate and knocked the inner house’s door and probably a servant came and replied that he was there. Though he did not know me I needed no time to wait and went in the courtyard where both were sitting whom in my teen years used to say ma and papa like their own daughter Kumkum and son Belu.
Excerpts from my autobiography-
I was better in Physiology and Biochemistry, I had also a notion that these were necessary for studying Medicine and to pass MRCP had become my aim like Dr. N. P. Mishra,(b.1.3.1929) with whose family I came in contact through my mother’s illness in those days.
Dr. Mishra’s residence was in the neighbourhood of the Sangh Karyalya where I was residing. His son, Belu, was attracted to me as he was to appear for the PMT. When I asked him for an appointment from his father for the treatment of my mother, he arranged it. I had written a detailed history of my mother’s illness, which probably impressed Dr. Mishra and I later knew in my clinical years that he was a perfect case historian.
Gradually, my bondage with his family grew and I started to get a treatment anyone can deserve from one’s parents. I used to read from the books of his daughter, Kumkum, (one year senior to me) but my mood was not stable. Sometimes I had the memory of Ranchi which had become my second home so much so that in the immediate vacation I went to Ranchi and not to my parents and that agonized Dr. B. N. Prasad and it took him much pains to explain to me the realities of social life.
I was often thinking to leave medical science and prepare for BSc so as to compete for the UPSC.
Dr. N. P. Mishra was a hard taskmaster. He used to say, “Read Cunningham 100 times.” I used to reply, “I have read three times, now I cannot.” Usually Mrs. Mishra (b. 15.11.1936) favoured me and saved me from chiding.
I was bluffing to Dr. Mishra as well. I used to read the newspaper in his home after coming from the college. Whenever it was late and I was guessing that he might ask me to study, I promptly used to ask the meaning of some words from the newspaper. Being a good teacher in explaining a word he used to forget to chide (I used to ask some words which many a time I might knew already). My bonds of relationship with his family still exist.”
I was gladly received by Mrs. Mishra- ..”Dhanakar has come –with gray hairs.. “and it was nostalgic to talk Mother was in a perfectly good health but papa in bad, he had suffered stroke and when I enquired as to why he had left practice as it would lead dementia he was very honesful tha if he could not give proper service to patients he would not like to give at all even free service was to be given with full authority.
I took his long interview reminding him that it was the WHO Day. He spoke on varied subjects first on Dr. BN Das Gupta for the proposed book and then on himself which too I wish is published in his life time.
Mother said it was good that she could see me in her life time to which I replied I would come again and again and asked pardon for my fault of not meeting them earlier and placed my services if any to come and live at my quarters at Ranchi though she repled ,”jarur.” But In know I cannot provide them the facilities they are accustomed of.
Mother’s brother was once a time editor of Scince Today we were reading in college days. There was a lady Mona, probably Belu’s wife though I was confused as to whether she was that young girl daughter of mother’s brother and Bhabhi Neeta?
I do not take silver plated sweets but I took what she had had given.
The time was short and while coming I said it was nostalgic to see that main room of the house the key of the chest would have been with me once when both had tense fight on some problem and I said, “ when I was young I used to mediate between you during quarrels.”
I am greatly indebted to them for many things but had no time..Surely I will find a day to be with them, if I can have( the Mithila work had made me busy like anything and I want to achieve the goal before I become old like them. I gave her a Mithila pamphlet. What papa asked about the journal I had no copy to give him but soon I will publish a special issue on him of that journal, Aayurvigyan pragati. There may be hardly any other teacher like him in the medical field and he was teaching at a local school MLS Academy also while a medical student..
I went to Narendra Nnarayan Mishra’s house where his daughter in law( wife of Dinesh hailing from ballia) met and I took snaps of the deceased swaymsevak(died 16.2.2012). though could not comprehend Mithila work despite being a Maihtil he was a swayamsevak par excellence.
It was already 7 pm and I almost ran to catch time and I had top go to Dr. G. N. Lal’s house as well who too had died recently. His widow came and I briefly talked her and took a snap of Dr. lal who was the first guardian of mine at Darbhanga Medical college( He was father of Vishwamohan’s mother whom I knew at ranchi in premedical days).
The loudspeaker from Mithila mahotsava was calling audience and I went there where Dr. Gurumaita and Rajeshwar Nepali as well as satyanarayan mahto were there.
We were initially not called on dias but Baijuji went without announcement of his name for inauguaral photos with chief guest V. C. of KSSDU.
Later I was asked to inaugurate an exhibition with litteratuere Udaychandra Jha ‘Binod’. The solo exhibitioj by ganga Prasad Jha was his artistic display on a single peepar ( Ficus religiosa) leaf of anything- persons to art and what not! Kalpkavi Umesh Karn too was there.
We returned to pandal. Someone asked me to go to dais but I asked him to take Dr. Gurumaita instead. Later we all were called.
Dr. Gurumaita was honoured for his contribution on varnratnakar(despite mention to vajpayee’s meeting with Sudarshanji for VIII Schedule,it was not spoken in clear words where the credit was shared to baijuji with Dr. CP Thakur in clear words.
It is miscarriage of history still we are accustomed to that.
Baijuji insisted that he had to go urgently home and was ill( some problem in knee) but this tactics I had seen at Biratnagar too where too he gulped much of the time like here, in eulogizing each person on the dais in 2-3 minutes each and hence later president Dr. C K Mishra had to interrupt that dias need not be decorative words any more .
I was hesitant but had no choice than to say that my time of train was approaching and I was given time after VC spoke for dearth of Tirhuta knowing scholars.
I spoke that big speeches do not make state rather should work on all parts whichever map is accepted by anyone.
I also pointed out dangers of asking Nepali territory .
I pointed out media’s wrong propaganda that Jahrkhand was not progressing.
I appealed to celebrate Mithila divas on April 13/14 in reply to Bihar Divas.
I also asked if Darbhanga was be capital of Mithila the Mahotsav would have much more people and they should make win 10 Mithiola candidates or defeat 10 mithila baiter MLAs.
I could not listen Dr. Mohan Mishra under whom I had my MD but in the start I had addressed him first even before the chair because Guru Govind dono khare kako lagu panv..
My sister had given me parothas but Uday and others insisted for dinner that somebody would drop me at Laheriasarai station and that they did,
The train was late somehow. I could enter with difficulty in the great rush for Baishakh Gangasnan by the pilgrims and till Samastipur it was a hard time to stand even no space for an ant. Passengers were asking me to move inside but where and how when nobody was slipping a cm.
One Bhojpuri person old man was very angry at me but after some time he had syncope and was given water by passengers(I did not reveal my identity as a doctor- was it for my prestige sake that I was in such a rush!)
At Muktapur many female venders(kujarnis) got down and I could go inside and at Samstipur could be accommodated as fourth passenger on a three-sitter. At Simaria Rajendra pul the train was vacant and I slept on that seat to got up at Kiul and even after that in way to Jamalpur in the dawn of the rising sun.
