“Ael Balan to bandhalon Dalan , gail Balan to tutlai Dalan( The year floods come we have a good crop and house, in a year without flood , we loose whatever we possessed)”.
This age old saying was once the reality of this region now became a distant dream for Maithili folk as the flood turned into a perennial problem throughout the Mithila region. The flooding rivers in this region were not felt as a problem until the drive of unplanned embankments were getting momentum, earlier the floods lasted in merely two days besides depositing the valuable silt. The past fifty-four years of fortifying efforts of Kosi and other rivers of this region instead of decreasing the calamities have actually increased state’s flood-prone area 2.5 times.
Previously Kosi frequently changed courses through numerous channels but with feeble force of its stream, in post embankments period floods last after the two months apart from severely degrading the soil and forming conditions for exodus in this area.
Losses of unplanned development are being lucidly visible; in 1952 Bihar had 160 KM of embankments and a flood prone area of 25lakhs hectare, today Bihar has 3,440 KM of embankments and a flood prone area of 68.8lakh hectare (1994 figures), an increase of more than 2.5 times. These outcomes refers towards empowerment of rivers through the web of embankments because restriction on its natural flow fueled its velocity, consequently it impacts severely in catchments areas.
What we are witnessing today in Kosi and other rivers that complete escapement from basic embankment technology like planning over water levels during the infrastructure building. Consequently magnitude of loss grew deeper yearly; census 2001 suggests that almost 9.88lakh peoples in 380 villages are living between the river kosi and its embankments.
In such grim circumstances they gave there emaciated life a chances to survive by migrating to safer places, these unfortunate compulsions badly altering the age-old socio-cultural fabrics of entire Mithila region. A practical observation can easily revealed the tragical floods of this region that largely aggravate by the failure of integrated management system of state machinery because all efforts are being enforced to lessen the effects instead of finding a permanent solution, indeed the floods of this region is equally influenced through short sighted human actions including the insensitive leadership.
Ofcourse situation was something different in initial years when this region was voiced through relentless leader like Late Lalit Nr Mishra, who contributed immensely but his premature death had weaken the plight of this region at center. By records it would not be exaggeration to say that he was the last leader of Mithila region who did stand to combat all maladies in the way of its development.
After his sudden demise some aspirations were partially sustained during the stint of his younger brother Dr Jagganath Mishra as chief minister of Bihar; but non successive governments shown any genuine considerations towards these calamity prone areas in later period.It has been equally unfortunate to face partiality and moderation of central government with the grief ridden Mithila region, even though its policy in general on natural disaster remained similar on other cases also.
This could be appropriately acknowledged through the fact that India is alone accounting for one fifth of global flooding deaths besides it’s ranked 36th in vulnerability to natural hazards, apart from this 50% of its GDP accrues from areas at high risk and a third of the districts are hazard prone.
Even the reality is we are lagging behind to neighboring Bangladesh in disaster managements as the precautionary measures taken by the Bangladeshi government in 1970’s through the early warning system has considerably reduced the losses of cyclones in this country. Similar policies including indigenous propositions are need of the hour to tackle the ferocity of rivers in India.
According to an expert Rajiv Sinha (IIT Kanpur)-“ Embankments don’t offer a permanent solution also jacketing of the river can be dangerous since Kosi carries around 80 million tones of silt every year “. Silt yield of the river Kosi is about 19-cusec meter/hectare/year; it’s one of the highest in the world. This is a major reason behind this year’s disastrous flood (2008). In 1968 Kosi carried a maximum of 9,13,000 cusecs when the western embankments broke at five places in Darbhanga district; the embankments were designed for accommodating the flow of 9,50,000 cusecs water, this year Kosi was carrying only 1,44,000 cusec water when it breached the embankments because being highly silted up.
Since the inception of Kosi Project (1955), it’s risen five inches annually climbing as high as the original embankments (18 feet). The river Kosi is an unpredictable creature which requires extremely cautious tackling during the infrastructural planning; Kosi shifted exceeding 120 KM in the last 250 years through the channels in more than twelve districts. Once the river used to flow near Purnea district in the 18th century now flows west of Saharsa district. Entire Mithila region has been witnessing the series of devastating floods of 1954,1974,1987,2004,2007,2008 which broken the spine of socio-economic structure of this region.
In the old folk songs of Mithila, some sort of curse on Kosi being symbolized to lessen its devastation, according to local beliefs the river Kosi is an unmarried entity so peoples tried to lure through praying, offering vermilion etc. These were the indicatives of their symbiotic relationships that damaged in course of time.
An IIT educated civil engineer turned an environment activist Dr Dinesh Kumar Mishra doing fine work in this area with intensive research and great patience that is extremely condemnable. He have penned a very comprehensive book over the flood problem ‘Dui Patan ke Beech Mein (Trapped Between Devil and Deep Waters, 2006,Peoples science institute, Dehradun) which suggested some alluring solution to check the perennial devastation of floods like-
1.Improvement of drainage
2. Check the silt load by spreading it
3.Skill and wisdom based on the concrete intimacy with the river
4. Freshlook on the Indo-Nepalese treaties including the agreements of the 1950’s which was not a regional co-operation etc.
In 1961-64 the treaty were amended to take care of Nepalese concerns, but that didn’t materialized, further the Tanakpur episode/ Mahakali treaty (Feb 1996) worsened the situation of co-operation between the India and Nepal.
It’s an absolute truth that the flood problem of this region couldn’t be solved without the co-operation of Nepal, so it would be quite imperative to take some practical measures by the Indian government like to withdraw of their present plan on Karanali, Pancheswar and Sapta Kosi and put some pragmatic efforts to construct the appropriate flood controlling infrastructure with an active co-operation of Nepali government.
Prime minister Prachanda had shown positive response in this regard during his first official Indian trip, although recent political developments in Nepal may create some fresh challenges in this regard. Despite this time is ripe to draw a comprehensive plan by both the government to short out the practical hurdles of long-term solution of water management.
Any positive outcome from the further action would have capacity to relieve the pain of around three thirty Million population on both side of the border. We must admit the fact our rivers are auspicious even today as they were hundred year back, any violation of these relationships are caused by our own humane vision… so we need to save first our ecology to save our life.
Atul Kumar Thakur
Tuesday, 5th May 2009
atul_mdb@rediffmail.com
New Delhi
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Let Plot a Fight back for Democratic Participation
Often statistics are considered a complex stream because deciphering its fundamentals needed a meticulous observation, despite this it’s so relevant that an escapement is not possible when judging the core of any organized happening. Obviously statistics remind us about the actuality of an outcome besides also insulate to look after on some deciding implications, even though we are quite aware about it’s not being the sole proposition of inquiry in present context.
On the date these words are taking place there could be also seen a smooth progress of parliamentary election 2009(at least on cards); but neither the word smooth nor the progress justified the genuine claims in present election. It’s alarming to see the scale of violence and lower turnout of voters in so far completed three phases of voting.
These two ill indications are I think countering the spirit of Indian democracy and making it elusive to form a genuine representation at the center. Violence jeopardizing the democratic sentiment of nation because it’s chocking the peoples from exercising their franchise freely besides this it also revealed the growing impatience of a large number of peoples toward the existing political and social order.
Such feelings among its practitioners creating a sense of distortion in their cognition state further which shaping their action of fauxpas. This miscommunication between the government and aggrieved groups are deepening the mistrust that is proving disastrous and failed to acknowledge each other’s plights.
It should be a foremost aim of next government at the center to restructure the governance with the help of respective state governments to tackle with this growing divide at social, economic and political sphere. It will require a set of conscious efforts including some drastic reforms in growth agenda and honest disbursement of opportunities throughout the country, which would indeed lessen the isolation of backward areas and infused parity in socio-economic order.
The falling polling turnout is another area of grave concern which dampening the overall electoral practice in recent times. So, it would be worthwhile to acknowledge the regional variance in this regard because completely contradictory conditions are prevailing among the rest states and Jammu & Kashmir.
Many crucial determinants and their magnitudes differs state-wise; where in Jammu &Kashmir a lower poll of 26% is indicative of decades long prevailing turmoil in state which is a unique case because the security of this state is immensely critical from national point of view as it consists utmost concern of India’s external security as well.
In such state of affairs even the peaceful completion of election in the state should not be seen less than a breakthrough but the same are not justifiable in the case of state like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh where the polling got confined on a meager 44%. It’s extremely regrettable because alone these two states have deciding capacity in any political formation with its strength of more than hundred parliamentary constituencies.
Even we cannot compare these two states and Jharkhand with lower turnout of polls in Mumbai (50%), because a metropolis like Mumbai has some inherent characteristics in which we could locate a consistent alienation among the sizable number of its participants from political arena, I think its not a noble happening in Mumbai although it’s equally unfortunate in broader sense.
Situation of India’s two states is awesome on development front as these two states have a history of bad governance and parochialism at their political sphere. Such political anatomy harassed the plot of development and caused for weaker socio-economic indicators like poverty, unemployment, migration or better saying exodus, casteism, illiteracy etc.
Such state of affairs formed a sense of deception among the common men whatever they are facing in daily life impulses them for political alienation. Another major reason of lower turnout is state of exodus in these states due to lack of employment opportunities in their home states they forced to migrate in metro cities. Majority of migrants are flew conditionally to survive in material world.
So, lower turnout of polling in these states are caused by the forcible migration generated through absence of proper sustainable infrastructure and opportunities in their near by areas. To some extant political participants reflects the overall picture of socio-economic progress and its entitlement with the common men’s.
So, being the most worlds most esteemed and vibrant democracy, India now needs some fresh look at their electoral mechanism by which it might be possible to strengthen the alternative system of voting and many other conducive approaches in this regard. Remote system of voting and a rational ceiling on electoral expense of candidates would infuse fresh hopes among the masses. Indeed democracy would emerge in its finest form and masses of this country have lot to cheer in their life through their genuine political participation.
As a common man I am optimistic about such reforms, but presently very remorseful to missed the casting my votes in present election… because of having physical remoteness from my constituency. Hoping to see new dawn in Indian politics through fresh approaches on our electoral institutions.
Atul Kumar Thakur
Saturday, 2nd May
New Delhi
atul_mdb@rediffmail.com
On the date these words are taking place there could be also seen a smooth progress of parliamentary election 2009(at least on cards); but neither the word smooth nor the progress justified the genuine claims in present election. It’s alarming to see the scale of violence and lower turnout of voters in so far completed three phases of voting.
These two ill indications are I think countering the spirit of Indian democracy and making it elusive to form a genuine representation at the center. Violence jeopardizing the democratic sentiment of nation because it’s chocking the peoples from exercising their franchise freely besides this it also revealed the growing impatience of a large number of peoples toward the existing political and social order.
Such feelings among its practitioners creating a sense of distortion in their cognition state further which shaping their action of fauxpas. This miscommunication between the government and aggrieved groups are deepening the mistrust that is proving disastrous and failed to acknowledge each other’s plights.
It should be a foremost aim of next government at the center to restructure the governance with the help of respective state governments to tackle with this growing divide at social, economic and political sphere. It will require a set of conscious efforts including some drastic reforms in growth agenda and honest disbursement of opportunities throughout the country, which would indeed lessen the isolation of backward areas and infused parity in socio-economic order.
The falling polling turnout is another area of grave concern which dampening the overall electoral practice in recent times. So, it would be worthwhile to acknowledge the regional variance in this regard because completely contradictory conditions are prevailing among the rest states and Jammu & Kashmir.
Many crucial determinants and their magnitudes differs state-wise; where in Jammu &Kashmir a lower poll of 26% is indicative of decades long prevailing turmoil in state which is a unique case because the security of this state is immensely critical from national point of view as it consists utmost concern of India’s external security as well.
In such state of affairs even the peaceful completion of election in the state should not be seen less than a breakthrough but the same are not justifiable in the case of state like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh where the polling got confined on a meager 44%. It’s extremely regrettable because alone these two states have deciding capacity in any political formation with its strength of more than hundred parliamentary constituencies.
Even we cannot compare these two states and Jharkhand with lower turnout of polls in Mumbai (50%), because a metropolis like Mumbai has some inherent characteristics in which we could locate a consistent alienation among the sizable number of its participants from political arena, I think its not a noble happening in Mumbai although it’s equally unfortunate in broader sense.
Situation of India’s two states is awesome on development front as these two states have a history of bad governance and parochialism at their political sphere. Such political anatomy harassed the plot of development and caused for weaker socio-economic indicators like poverty, unemployment, migration or better saying exodus, casteism, illiteracy etc.
Such state of affairs formed a sense of deception among the common men whatever they are facing in daily life impulses them for political alienation. Another major reason of lower turnout is state of exodus in these states due to lack of employment opportunities in their home states they forced to migrate in metro cities. Majority of migrants are flew conditionally to survive in material world.
So, lower turnout of polling in these states are caused by the forcible migration generated through absence of proper sustainable infrastructure and opportunities in their near by areas. To some extant political participants reflects the overall picture of socio-economic progress and its entitlement with the common men’s.
So, being the most worlds most esteemed and vibrant democracy, India now needs some fresh look at their electoral mechanism by which it might be possible to strengthen the alternative system of voting and many other conducive approaches in this regard. Remote system of voting and a rational ceiling on electoral expense of candidates would infuse fresh hopes among the masses. Indeed democracy would emerge in its finest form and masses of this country have lot to cheer in their life through their genuine political participation.
As a common man I am optimistic about such reforms, but presently very remorseful to missed the casting my votes in present election… because of having physical remoteness from my constituency. Hoping to see new dawn in Indian politics through fresh approaches on our electoral institutions.
Atul Kumar Thakur
Saturday, 2nd May
New Delhi
atul_mdb@rediffmail.com
Friday, April 17, 2009
Hurdles of Participatory Democracy at Panchayats
It is now universally recognized that goals of development, eradication of poverty, gender justice, literacy, health and several other programs and their imperatives that make for humane and civilized living cannot be met by state alone through the centralized planning. Collapse of the U.S.S.R and other satellite states in Europe have irretrievably discredited planning from above, it has now been realized that if there has to be efficiency and equity in delivery of services, greater participation and better accountability in governance from local bodies would be much required now than they have been doing so far.
The 73rd and 74thamendments of the Indian Constitution represents a watershed in the evolution of local government in India. They affirm not only that local bodies have constitutes the gamut of local governance but also that they form an integral and vital part of the whole gamut of governance in India, they are no more the “creatures of the state governments”.
But one of the apparent shortcomings of the amendments is that their still have considerable discretion's at the hands of state governments regarding the financial and administrative charges of the local bodies. The consequences have been that there is wide variation in the actual functioning of the local bodies in different states of India, some states have been more faithful to the spirit of the amendments mode and they endeavored to give panchayats a considerable autonomy and financial aid.
However some states have been tardy in this respect, they view the panchayats not as partners in development but as rivals in governance. However it must be admitted that state alone are not responsible for the uneven performances of the local bodies.
There are still some parts in India particularly in north where rigid, patriarchal and the other centuries old beliefs and practices do not being disappeared , in these state there are still exists only the formal representation of women’s at local levels .
Their authorities are effectively dominated by their men folks through remote control of any judgments in their hand they confined in most of cases like nothing more than a puppet, there are immense conditional similarities could be found in the case of Schedule casts and Schedule tribes in state of representation. In some places they have been able to effectively raise their voices and express their concerns, but in most of places they have reduced to the status of mute spectators.
Such state of affairs are arising due to stickiness of authority with the male dominance, this trend is hardly reversed even after the implementation of women’s reservation in many states. Effects of these maladies are universal in all communities irrespective of their position in social hierarchy which causing for the suppression of aspirations and innovations among the women’s.
There may be some solace to found the growing proportion of participation in Panchayat elections but it’s alone is not sufficient for smooth functioning of this lower tier of democracy, I think apart from all regular practices at Panchayat level there is dire need to take some stringent action to ensure fair participation as well as representation . The priorities should be to…
1. Lessen the strife during polls
2. Strengthening of women’s candidate with aim to end the pseudo representation
3. Better placements and assistance to the economically marginalized candidates ( in terms of ensuring some financial assistance by the government only)
4. Transparency in bureaucracy
5. Better monitoring by election commission etc.
Apart from such measures there is need to alter the groupism and narrow favor’s during the Panchayat elections, because such tendencies are severely hampering the universal rights of franchise among the socio economically weaker sections. As peoples will is foremost for any political consensus, so, it should be always taken into account that each and every vote is indispensable and crucial due to having lower intake of numbers (voters) in Panchayati constituencies.
Without ensuring the efficiency and fairness at local level of governance it would be a distant dream to meet with the goal of social security programmers. Positive initiatives like NREGS, is coping with frequent hurdles because of practical shortcomings of governance and lower awareness among the peoples.
Institutionalization of participatory democracy at local level becomes very strategic because it is quite imperative to avail the advantages of citizenship and social welfare schemes. Quality and vibrancy of a democracy could be sensed only through the empowered participation instead of number based or emotional participation's which are hardly coeds with real issues.
Strong polarizations of peoples will at local level would have a stronger effects on central plans and policy matters regarding the rural India. No doubt, it would be as par with what its deserves.
Atul Kr Thakur
17th april 2009, New Delhi
atul_mdb@rediffmail.com
The 73rd and 74thamendments of the Indian Constitution represents a watershed in the evolution of local government in India. They affirm not only that local bodies have constitutes the gamut of local governance but also that they form an integral and vital part of the whole gamut of governance in India, they are no more the “creatures of the state governments”.
But one of the apparent shortcomings of the amendments is that their still have considerable discretion's at the hands of state governments regarding the financial and administrative charges of the local bodies. The consequences have been that there is wide variation in the actual functioning of the local bodies in different states of India, some states have been more faithful to the spirit of the amendments mode and they endeavored to give panchayats a considerable autonomy and financial aid.
However some states have been tardy in this respect, they view the panchayats not as partners in development but as rivals in governance. However it must be admitted that state alone are not responsible for the uneven performances of the local bodies.
There are still some parts in India particularly in north where rigid, patriarchal and the other centuries old beliefs and practices do not being disappeared , in these state there are still exists only the formal representation of women’s at local levels .
Their authorities are effectively dominated by their men folks through remote control of any judgments in their hand they confined in most of cases like nothing more than a puppet, there are immense conditional similarities could be found in the case of Schedule casts and Schedule tribes in state of representation. In some places they have been able to effectively raise their voices and express their concerns, but in most of places they have reduced to the status of mute spectators.
Such state of affairs are arising due to stickiness of authority with the male dominance, this trend is hardly reversed even after the implementation of women’s reservation in many states. Effects of these maladies are universal in all communities irrespective of their position in social hierarchy which causing for the suppression of aspirations and innovations among the women’s.
There may be some solace to found the growing proportion of participation in Panchayat elections but it’s alone is not sufficient for smooth functioning of this lower tier of democracy, I think apart from all regular practices at Panchayat level there is dire need to take some stringent action to ensure fair participation as well as representation . The priorities should be to…
1. Lessen the strife during polls
2. Strengthening of women’s candidate with aim to end the pseudo representation
3. Better placements and assistance to the economically marginalized candidates ( in terms of ensuring some financial assistance by the government only)
4. Transparency in bureaucracy
5. Better monitoring by election commission etc.
Apart from such measures there is need to alter the groupism and narrow favor’s during the Panchayat elections, because such tendencies are severely hampering the universal rights of franchise among the socio economically weaker sections. As peoples will is foremost for any political consensus, so, it should be always taken into account that each and every vote is indispensable and crucial due to having lower intake of numbers (voters) in Panchayati constituencies.
Without ensuring the efficiency and fairness at local level of governance it would be a distant dream to meet with the goal of social security programmers. Positive initiatives like NREGS, is coping with frequent hurdles because of practical shortcomings of governance and lower awareness among the peoples.
Institutionalization of participatory democracy at local level becomes very strategic because it is quite imperative to avail the advantages of citizenship and social welfare schemes. Quality and vibrancy of a democracy could be sensed only through the empowered participation instead of number based or emotional participation's which are hardly coeds with real issues.
Strong polarizations of peoples will at local level would have a stronger effects on central plans and policy matters regarding the rural India. No doubt, it would be as par with what its deserves.
Atul Kr Thakur
17th april 2009, New Delhi
atul_mdb@rediffmail.com
Worrisome Public Appearances
Amidst the ongoing move of parliamentary elections, sudden influxes of unparliamentarian remarks are taking place at political as well as civic sphere, this hardly justifies the ethos of democracy or Indian constitution. Euphemism are rampant now a days among the leaders to woo the voters without aversion to unethical practices, opportunism, hate speeches, double speaking, blame games, promises , dreams ,despair, failure, success, casteism ,religion etc are being increasingly evident from the speeches of political players that means the macro area of unbiased development forfeited its claim from their priorities because it’s considerably felt by them as a feeble determinant of their fate in electoral field.
Obviously what happening this time is not an unique occurrences because there are numbers of such obscene remarks and situations could be easily found from the page of sixty two years of democratic history of India.
Though the scale is certainly deteriorating much faster now in comparison with the initial phase of post independence when the principles was at least followed by the most of democratic representatives; now the case is entirely reversed as their motive and aim of electoral participation. What we are witnessing now a considerable erosion of decency from its participants… though still we have some exceptions who stands for cause based action but caught in awkward situation like a flickering lights amidst the violent storm, hope they will keep striving for a healthy ambiance to sustain real politic in democracy.
Despite following the principles of Westminster model, Indian democracy stands with unique proposition because its inheritance of democratic values from across the world, besides its own geographic, demographic and cultural diversity impulse it for own conditional set of democratic model.
Consequently Indian democracy apart from being biggest in size also endowed with all the uniqueness which is very scarce in other democracy, but such uniqueness must regarded as strength rather than a loopholes. But contrary to such positiveness we keep witnessing a series of awkward behaviors of politicians in recent times in state like Gujrat , Bihar, West Bengal , Andhara Pradesh, Delhi etc and there are many more to come in near future and even after.
In such situation a common men reduced to being a mute spectators by such unfair happenings and their glamorous portrayal by media. The new nexus are created and devastated by the political parties during the elections as per their conditional needs, sometimes these seems so opportunistic that even a master of probability can not guess the next result of its outcome.
What changes has taken place in Bihar and U.P are sufficient to acknowledge the downward trend of Indian politics. In U.P alliance are formed on caste basis to uplift their position against the growing might of ruling party, more or less the political development in Bihar having emerged from similar apprehensions.
Merely four years back RJD and LJP were caught in cut throat battle with each other for their positions in state assembly elections, than the political agenda of LJP was development, which the state have been denied under the RJD rule so far, now those issues are fall back of their agenda, there real issues is now to regain their lost political position in state by pursuing new agendas.
Why such shifting is inevitable in their agenda? There may be a long debate on this question but in short such unpleasant moves are reflecting the growing divide between peoples aspirations and interest of political parties, which is absolutely unfortunate for our democracy as well as for our life. What I mean to say by all these examples that peoplecentric issues are diminishing from political space and a new wave of rhetoric’s are taking place among the political parties to sustain their credentials, sometimes it seems contrary to our own democratic achievements which has been culminated in independent India.
To sustain and blossom the democracy peoples must deified the false rhetoric’s of political parties and indulge in action to uplift their own genuine vision for their own life, their society and their nation.
If peoples would stand with their vision ,the political parties would also act in same manners otherwise the case may working different direction. We should have to act genuinely to live the broad dreams for our own nation, of course every conscious people must rethink about their own new role to strengthen the democracy because there is reason for each and every one among us to put their action for broader causes. We have some good news in terms of finding some new inclusion in our political spaces like active arrival of Shashi Tharor and some more candidates from different professional field.
So, it’s time for us to strongly condemn the political hypo crates and create a new level playing field in our democracy. Reinforcing of greater role of mass people will eradicate the culture of false promises and betrayal from our political system…Let us strive for better public appearances with great determination to save the humane civility.
Atul Kr Thakur
April 17th, New Delhi
atul_mdb@rediffmail.com
Obviously what happening this time is not an unique occurrences because there are numbers of such obscene remarks and situations could be easily found from the page of sixty two years of democratic history of India.
Though the scale is certainly deteriorating much faster now in comparison with the initial phase of post independence when the principles was at least followed by the most of democratic representatives; now the case is entirely reversed as their motive and aim of electoral participation. What we are witnessing now a considerable erosion of decency from its participants… though still we have some exceptions who stands for cause based action but caught in awkward situation like a flickering lights amidst the violent storm, hope they will keep striving for a healthy ambiance to sustain real politic in democracy.
Despite following the principles of Westminster model, Indian democracy stands with unique proposition because its inheritance of democratic values from across the world, besides its own geographic, demographic and cultural diversity impulse it for own conditional set of democratic model.
Consequently Indian democracy apart from being biggest in size also endowed with all the uniqueness which is very scarce in other democracy, but such uniqueness must regarded as strength rather than a loopholes. But contrary to such positiveness we keep witnessing a series of awkward behaviors of politicians in recent times in state like Gujrat , Bihar, West Bengal , Andhara Pradesh, Delhi etc and there are many more to come in near future and even after.
In such situation a common men reduced to being a mute spectators by such unfair happenings and their glamorous portrayal by media. The new nexus are created and devastated by the political parties during the elections as per their conditional needs, sometimes these seems so opportunistic that even a master of probability can not guess the next result of its outcome.
What changes has taken place in Bihar and U.P are sufficient to acknowledge the downward trend of Indian politics. In U.P alliance are formed on caste basis to uplift their position against the growing might of ruling party, more or less the political development in Bihar having emerged from similar apprehensions.
Merely four years back RJD and LJP were caught in cut throat battle with each other for their positions in state assembly elections, than the political agenda of LJP was development, which the state have been denied under the RJD rule so far, now those issues are fall back of their agenda, there real issues is now to regain their lost political position in state by pursuing new agendas.
Why such shifting is inevitable in their agenda? There may be a long debate on this question but in short such unpleasant moves are reflecting the growing divide between peoples aspirations and interest of political parties, which is absolutely unfortunate for our democracy as well as for our life. What I mean to say by all these examples that peoplecentric issues are diminishing from political space and a new wave of rhetoric’s are taking place among the political parties to sustain their credentials, sometimes it seems contrary to our own democratic achievements which has been culminated in independent India.
To sustain and blossom the democracy peoples must deified the false rhetoric’s of political parties and indulge in action to uplift their own genuine vision for their own life, their society and their nation.
If peoples would stand with their vision ,the political parties would also act in same manners otherwise the case may working different direction. We should have to act genuinely to live the broad dreams for our own nation, of course every conscious people must rethink about their own new role to strengthen the democracy because there is reason for each and every one among us to put their action for broader causes. We have some good news in terms of finding some new inclusion in our political spaces like active arrival of Shashi Tharor and some more candidates from different professional field.
So, it’s time for us to strongly condemn the political hypo crates and create a new level playing field in our democracy. Reinforcing of greater role of mass people will eradicate the culture of false promises and betrayal from our political system…Let us strive for better public appearances with great determination to save the humane civility.
Atul Kr Thakur
April 17th, New Delhi
atul_mdb@rediffmail.com
Friday, April 10, 2009
Ritwik Ghatak : A Relentless Maverick
In the last quarter of year 2008, Cine club of India Habitat Centre organized a screening of Ritwik Ghatak’s Meghe Dhaka Tara; being a cinema lover I had reason to attend this show and interact with the serious viewers of cinema. On this occasion, I availed an opportunity of interaction with the renowned cinema maker Kumar Sahni who was once very closed to Ritwik Ghatak at FTII (Pune) and in later period of life. He profoundly revealed his relentless creativity and his promising attitude towards the progressive ideology.
Every close observer of his life and work can see a close connection between his Idea and action. Writer and activist of international repute Mahasweta Devi, who is a close family member of Ritwik Ghatak, recalls his work with great admiration and memorized his restlessness in pursuit of purposeful creativity.My own frequent conversation with Mahasweta Devi in last six months enhanced some of my closer views about this great cinema-maker-Ritwik Ghatak.
Ritwik Ghatak was born on November 4, 1925 at Zindabazar in Dhaka (East Bengal), He and his twin sister Prateeti were the youngest among nine children of his parents. They grew amidst the natural proximity, those memories and nostalgia canopied over his consciousness throughout the life. It’s also quite visible in his cinemas. Ritwik Da was born and brought up in East Bengal but at the time of partition, they had to flee away from their own land to Calcutta, where he along with his family bound to live an extremely strained new life. Like many others, they too lost their belongingness from East Bengal, but anecdotes kept Ritwik Da culturally sensitive and oddities of life, even more progressive.
Though a sense of alienation never fled from Ritwik Da’s mind in Calcutta, probably his own bitter experiences in life enabled him to see sufferings of modern time, like war, partition, exile, and dispossession in acute way. Distortion of his life further made him inclined towards an organized and solid ideological base of Marxism.
Ritwik Da was a perfectionist practitioner of art, music and literature, articulation from his natural impulses assisted him in cinema making. In his childhood, he was deeply influenced through the works of Abnindranath Tagore and certain paintings of Gangendranath Tagore. In later phase, he practically comprehends the works of Rabindranath Tagore and with certain conditions, liked his intent for the humanity.
As an avid reader, he found taste for the progressive Bengali and world literature, especially he admired the works of Sukanta Bhattacharya, Bibhutibhusan Banerjee,Manik Banerjee,Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar,Abrahan Lincoln Marx and Lenin. He even used the poem (Cheel) of Sukanta Bhattacharya in his masterwork Bari Theke Paliye.
In the sphere of music, he learned its universal anatomy from the great maestro-Ustad Alauddin Khan. He had great taste of music (mostly in background scores) which he consistently shown in his cinema’s like Meghe Dhaka Tara.
Probably that affection for music made him among the real admirers of Beethoven, Thaickovsky, Paul Robeson, S.D.Burman and others. In1920’s, influenced through the literary impression of Manik Banerjee, a legendary Kallol group was formed. Manish Ghatak (Elder brother of Ritwik Da) was one among its founders. Radicalism of this group shaped the child mind of Ritwik Ghatak for the progressive ideas.
In 1942, IPTA came into existence and involved itself to forward the collective opposition of masses against the British imperial rule. The formidable front-bearers were-Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, Sambhu Mitra, Balraj Sahni,Salil Chaudhary, Ravishankar,Udayshankar, Bijon Bhattacharya.
Ritwik Ghatak entered in active Communist politics during his college days in Berhampur in 1946. In 1948, he graduated from Berhampur College and joined the IPTA as full-timer. He started activism with theaters, and later wrote stories, plays, essays in Bangla and English. Jwala, Sankho, Dalil are some of the illustrating plays of Ghatak, which spread across the Bengal and earned great attention of peoples.
In 1955, he married with Surama, a renowned IPTA activist. Ritwik Da believed in the continuance of life countering with devastation of life, that way he tried to live a creative life but with clear objective realities. He translated Bertolt Brecht’s, The life of Galileo and The Caucasian Chalk Circle, besides he also penned two remarkable novels in Bangla namely as, Ayananata and Akash Gangar Path Beye.
He had also edited two journals- Abhidhara, Abhinay Darpan and produced a collection of essays in English- “Cinema and I”. Ritwik Da was equally great as a literary genius, which he proved in his very short stint as a script writer for Hindi films in Bombay- he worked on the scripts for cinemas like, Madumati (Directed by Bimal Roy), Musafir (Directed by Hrisikesh Mukherjee). But as he was destined for creating history as a cinema director in Bangla, he left Bombay early for Calcutta, to get completely involved for his own projects.
He had considered cinema, as a form of revolutionary Art. So, naturally he was working as part of the new cinema movement of India, started off with Dharti Ke Lal(IPTA,1949). Cinemas of Eisenstein, Pudovkin, Siegfried Kracaner, Paul Rotha and Roger Manville emphatically influenced him. By reference, Baedeni (1951) was his first cinema under his direction, but with having some technical faults, that could not be screened publicly.
So, it would be appropriate to recall Nagrik (1952), as his first cinema, which was based on the middle class families’ agony in Calcutta in post-partition days. The cinema exposes and condemned the insensitivity of the system. It does lucidly cinematize the grim struggle and tragic fall of a middle class family in heartless metropolis of Calcutta. Nagrik reflects Ritwik Ghatak’s own painful struggle in Calcutta; he portrayed the city life in as like ‘web of betrayals’.
Ritwik Da personalizes his odd experiences in this cinema through showing pauperization of its protagonist Ramu, who even fall to the label of a wage laborer despite being a teacher’s son-the depiction creates the grim picture of helplessness of exiled masses in cruel city life. Observers of such realistic works also become equally helpless with watching Ramu and his old mother to enter in a slum, his conditional drifts from girlfriend Uma and seeing turning of Uma’s sister in to prostitution.
Ritwik Da moved to making a documentary after his first breakthrough of Nagrik, in 1955, he made “Oraon”, on the tribes of south Bihar. His next major work was Ajaantrik (1958), centered on an unusual story of Subodh Ghosh, this proved one of the few cinemas to win international acclaim within a short span of time. The cinema was based on the relationship between men and machine, with concentration on the nuances of divergence that modern system creates with the humanity.
The next from him was Kato Ajanare (1959), which chosen not to be released after the last scene was shot. In the same year, he came out with a landmark work in Indian cinema-”Bari Theke Paliye”, Ghatak could be seen doing technical experiments in this cinema. The cinema presents various faces of city life though unnamed postures but portrayal of Calcutta becomes visible on screen and in mind of audiences. Despite having all the typical concepts of Ritwik Da, cinema allowed the viewers to enjoy for some moment, but the centrality of ideas remains serious.
I personally take “Meghe Dhaka Tara (1960)’” as one among the greatest cinemas, the world has seen so far. Here, every character appears immortal with the great casts from Supriya Chaudhary, Anil Chatterjee, Bijan Bhattacharya, Niranjan Roy, Geeta Ghatak and others. This cinema shows a lower middle class family in suburban Calcutta where the bread earner Neeta (Spriya Chaudhary) severely struggles for the survival of her family. But in the course of time, her family started to show indifference from her falling emotional and physical conditions, even with the deadly Tuberculosis which she got in solitaire.
Only her elder brother (Dada, acted by Anil Chaterjee) offers true emotion for her falling condition but his late success in the field of music could not make his dream true for her loving sister. The relationship between these two touches high moral ground, cinema ends in sanatorium amidst the emotional exchange of words between brother and sister. After listening about the recently earned fame of her brother, she could not resist her temptation for life, she broke out for the first time for own sake…”Aami bachbo Dada”.
That forwards the core concerns of feminism and other aspects of our problem ridden society in modern times. In 1961, ‘Komal Gandhar’ was released and elegantly visualized the shattering dreams of the principle characters; he very cautiously utilized the metaphor of “Anasua” from the “Abhijana Shakuntalam” (Kalidas) and “Miranda” from “Tempest” (Shakespeare). “Suvarnarekha (1962)” should be considered among his best works, it also touches the life of Ritwif Ghatak in Calcutta. Madhavi Mukherjee and others characters including of Ritwik Da himself lived the story of uproot beingness at various levels.
Cinema starts with viciousness of a displaced brother, sister and an orphan (outsider), presence of this outsider radically altered the life of its prime character Sita (Madhavi Mukherjee). She represents the sound of opposition (in her suicide) against the decaying values of society. Ghatak Da again becomes successful to utilize the realistic metaphors from Indian tradition.
In 1970, he made an exceptional documentary on “Chhou” dance of Purulia-a year later, “Amar Lenin (Short Film)” was screened in Russia though it never released in India. In 1973, he made a cinema ‘Titas Ekti Nadir Naam’ on the tragedy stricken lives of a fishing community living along the banks of river Titas in Bangladesh. It could fetch modest response from the critics.
‘Jukti Takko Aar Gappo (1974) could be said his last cinema, because his last work (Documentary on Ramkinkar) was mysteriously lost, and therefore could not screened publicly. Ritwik Ghatak made eight feature films, four short films, four documentaries and an Ad film in his life time and like his own role acted in ‘Jukti Takko Aar Gappo’ disappeared suddenly from the scene on February 6,1976.
His premature death was a major blow for the world of progressive cinema and its admirers. It is regrettable that Ritwik Ghatak could achieve the proper evaluation of his work only after his death, still his cinemas deserve fresh look from the critics and cinema lovers, because even today, his kind of works are as relevant as they were fifty years back!
Atul Kumar Thakur
New Delhi
10th April 2009
atul_mdb@rediffmail.com
Every close observer of his life and work can see a close connection between his Idea and action. Writer and activist of international repute Mahasweta Devi, who is a close family member of Ritwik Ghatak, recalls his work with great admiration and memorized his restlessness in pursuit of purposeful creativity.My own frequent conversation with Mahasweta Devi in last six months enhanced some of my closer views about this great cinema-maker-Ritwik Ghatak.
Ritwik Ghatak was born on November 4, 1925 at Zindabazar in Dhaka (East Bengal), He and his twin sister Prateeti were the youngest among nine children of his parents. They grew amidst the natural proximity, those memories and nostalgia canopied over his consciousness throughout the life. It’s also quite visible in his cinemas. Ritwik Da was born and brought up in East Bengal but at the time of partition, they had to flee away from their own land to Calcutta, where he along with his family bound to live an extremely strained new life. Like many others, they too lost their belongingness from East Bengal, but anecdotes kept Ritwik Da culturally sensitive and oddities of life, even more progressive.
Though a sense of alienation never fled from Ritwik Da’s mind in Calcutta, probably his own bitter experiences in life enabled him to see sufferings of modern time, like war, partition, exile, and dispossession in acute way. Distortion of his life further made him inclined towards an organized and solid ideological base of Marxism.
Ritwik Da was a perfectionist practitioner of art, music and literature, articulation from his natural impulses assisted him in cinema making. In his childhood, he was deeply influenced through the works of Abnindranath Tagore and certain paintings of Gangendranath Tagore. In later phase, he practically comprehends the works of Rabindranath Tagore and with certain conditions, liked his intent for the humanity.
As an avid reader, he found taste for the progressive Bengali and world literature, especially he admired the works of Sukanta Bhattacharya, Bibhutibhusan Banerjee,Manik Banerjee,Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar,Abrahan Lincoln Marx and Lenin. He even used the poem (Cheel) of Sukanta Bhattacharya in his masterwork Bari Theke Paliye.
In the sphere of music, he learned its universal anatomy from the great maestro-Ustad Alauddin Khan. He had great taste of music (mostly in background scores) which he consistently shown in his cinema’s like Meghe Dhaka Tara.
Probably that affection for music made him among the real admirers of Beethoven, Thaickovsky, Paul Robeson, S.D.Burman and others. In1920’s, influenced through the literary impression of Manik Banerjee, a legendary Kallol group was formed. Manish Ghatak (Elder brother of Ritwik Da) was one among its founders. Radicalism of this group shaped the child mind of Ritwik Ghatak for the progressive ideas.
In 1942, IPTA came into existence and involved itself to forward the collective opposition of masses against the British imperial rule. The formidable front-bearers were-Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, Sambhu Mitra, Balraj Sahni,Salil Chaudhary, Ravishankar,Udayshankar, Bijon Bhattacharya.
Ritwik Ghatak entered in active Communist politics during his college days in Berhampur in 1946. In 1948, he graduated from Berhampur College and joined the IPTA as full-timer. He started activism with theaters, and later wrote stories, plays, essays in Bangla and English. Jwala, Sankho, Dalil are some of the illustrating plays of Ghatak, which spread across the Bengal and earned great attention of peoples.
In 1955, he married with Surama, a renowned IPTA activist. Ritwik Da believed in the continuance of life countering with devastation of life, that way he tried to live a creative life but with clear objective realities. He translated Bertolt Brecht’s, The life of Galileo and The Caucasian Chalk Circle, besides he also penned two remarkable novels in Bangla namely as, Ayananata and Akash Gangar Path Beye.
He had also edited two journals- Abhidhara, Abhinay Darpan and produced a collection of essays in English- “Cinema and I”. Ritwik Da was equally great as a literary genius, which he proved in his very short stint as a script writer for Hindi films in Bombay- he worked on the scripts for cinemas like, Madumati (Directed by Bimal Roy), Musafir (Directed by Hrisikesh Mukherjee). But as he was destined for creating history as a cinema director in Bangla, he left Bombay early for Calcutta, to get completely involved for his own projects.
He had considered cinema, as a form of revolutionary Art. So, naturally he was working as part of the new cinema movement of India, started off with Dharti Ke Lal(IPTA,1949). Cinemas of Eisenstein, Pudovkin, Siegfried Kracaner, Paul Rotha and Roger Manville emphatically influenced him. By reference, Baedeni (1951) was his first cinema under his direction, but with having some technical faults, that could not be screened publicly.
So, it would be appropriate to recall Nagrik (1952), as his first cinema, which was based on the middle class families’ agony in Calcutta in post-partition days. The cinema exposes and condemned the insensitivity of the system. It does lucidly cinematize the grim struggle and tragic fall of a middle class family in heartless metropolis of Calcutta. Nagrik reflects Ritwik Ghatak’s own painful struggle in Calcutta; he portrayed the city life in as like ‘web of betrayals’.
Ritwik Da personalizes his odd experiences in this cinema through showing pauperization of its protagonist Ramu, who even fall to the label of a wage laborer despite being a teacher’s son-the depiction creates the grim picture of helplessness of exiled masses in cruel city life. Observers of such realistic works also become equally helpless with watching Ramu and his old mother to enter in a slum, his conditional drifts from girlfriend Uma and seeing turning of Uma’s sister in to prostitution.
Ritwik Da moved to making a documentary after his first breakthrough of Nagrik, in 1955, he made “Oraon”, on the tribes of south Bihar. His next major work was Ajaantrik (1958), centered on an unusual story of Subodh Ghosh, this proved one of the few cinemas to win international acclaim within a short span of time. The cinema was based on the relationship between men and machine, with concentration on the nuances of divergence that modern system creates with the humanity.
The next from him was Kato Ajanare (1959), which chosen not to be released after the last scene was shot. In the same year, he came out with a landmark work in Indian cinema-”Bari Theke Paliye”, Ghatak could be seen doing technical experiments in this cinema. The cinema presents various faces of city life though unnamed postures but portrayal of Calcutta becomes visible on screen and in mind of audiences. Despite having all the typical concepts of Ritwik Da, cinema allowed the viewers to enjoy for some moment, but the centrality of ideas remains serious.
I personally take “Meghe Dhaka Tara (1960)’” as one among the greatest cinemas, the world has seen so far. Here, every character appears immortal with the great casts from Supriya Chaudhary, Anil Chatterjee, Bijan Bhattacharya, Niranjan Roy, Geeta Ghatak and others. This cinema shows a lower middle class family in suburban Calcutta where the bread earner Neeta (Spriya Chaudhary) severely struggles for the survival of her family. But in the course of time, her family started to show indifference from her falling emotional and physical conditions, even with the deadly Tuberculosis which she got in solitaire.
Only her elder brother (Dada, acted by Anil Chaterjee) offers true emotion for her falling condition but his late success in the field of music could not make his dream true for her loving sister. The relationship between these two touches high moral ground, cinema ends in sanatorium amidst the emotional exchange of words between brother and sister. After listening about the recently earned fame of her brother, she could not resist her temptation for life, she broke out for the first time for own sake…”Aami bachbo Dada”.
That forwards the core concerns of feminism and other aspects of our problem ridden society in modern times. In 1961, ‘Komal Gandhar’ was released and elegantly visualized the shattering dreams of the principle characters; he very cautiously utilized the metaphor of “Anasua” from the “Abhijana Shakuntalam” (Kalidas) and “Miranda” from “Tempest” (Shakespeare). “Suvarnarekha (1962)” should be considered among his best works, it also touches the life of Ritwif Ghatak in Calcutta. Madhavi Mukherjee and others characters including of Ritwik Da himself lived the story of uproot beingness at various levels.
Cinema starts with viciousness of a displaced brother, sister and an orphan (outsider), presence of this outsider radically altered the life of its prime character Sita (Madhavi Mukherjee). She represents the sound of opposition (in her suicide) against the decaying values of society. Ghatak Da again becomes successful to utilize the realistic metaphors from Indian tradition.
In 1970, he made an exceptional documentary on “Chhou” dance of Purulia-a year later, “Amar Lenin (Short Film)” was screened in Russia though it never released in India. In 1973, he made a cinema ‘Titas Ekti Nadir Naam’ on the tragedy stricken lives of a fishing community living along the banks of river Titas in Bangladesh. It could fetch modest response from the critics.
‘Jukti Takko Aar Gappo (1974) could be said his last cinema, because his last work (Documentary on Ramkinkar) was mysteriously lost, and therefore could not screened publicly. Ritwik Ghatak made eight feature films, four short films, four documentaries and an Ad film in his life time and like his own role acted in ‘Jukti Takko Aar Gappo’ disappeared suddenly from the scene on February 6,1976.
His premature death was a major blow for the world of progressive cinema and its admirers. It is regrettable that Ritwik Ghatak could achieve the proper evaluation of his work only after his death, still his cinemas deserve fresh look from the critics and cinema lovers, because even today, his kind of works are as relevant as they were fifty years back!
Atul Kumar Thakur
New Delhi
10th April 2009
atul_mdb@rediffmail.com
Tribute to Uma Singh
In mid of January 2009 I came to struck through passing a report of HINDU, which was about the brutal murder of a young journalist from Janakpur (Nepal). Indeed such eventuality was extremely shocking for those who stand with the truthful voices to cope with the atrocities of both institutional nature and its beyond. It was unusual to see a lucid report from a distant hinterland of Mithila because of having low leaning of national media towards this geography. But I am extremely acknowledging the role of this newspaper in creating civic awareness about this unfortunate incident through the elaborate coverage.
Uma Singh was a daring journalist in her early twenties working in a Janakpur based Radio Today FM. Even though she was an obscure figure from outside of Madhes region but she had earned a lot of repute in her very short stint through her professional commitment and caliber.
Of course she was endowed with the spirit to resist the evils of society but she had to stopped in her midway. Hailing from a landlord family of Sirha district was proven a major misfortune for her as she became the third victim of her family after her father and brother, who kidnapped and killed by the Maoists few year back but case with her is different as some close links were found in conspiracy. After carnage in her family she spent most of her time in Janakpur working candidly in both the print and electronic medium.
Uma Singh was emerged from a new generation of Madhes region who promisingly striving for their political and civil rights which so far has been neglected in this region. Like many of her colleagues she had also shown her critical temper against the violence and criminality of Maoists and other armed groups of Madhes region.
She had stand for genuine cause of Madhes but refrained her self from being cynical about in action, she was quite aware about the moral imperatives. In her little age she confronted with too much oddities, which infused rationality in her approach. She used to host a radio show ‘Garma garam chah’ which was being very popular with her responsive presentation.
I came to know more about her work from Jitendra Jha (a journalist friend from Nepal) who once working with her in radio .He called me in detail about the incidents, he was extremely shocked to see such tragical outcome of a promising colleague.
To know more about the incident I searched some leading newspapers of Nepal where I found a very closed account from an article of Prashant Jha, in which he admired a lot to her relentless pursuit for right of peoples. Of course she became a victim because her candid approach towards the social evils and its practitioners. She remained agitated for better outcome of political and social issues, she could have leave a normal life if she had chosen a submissive approach like most of women of Terai region. She was targeted because she spoke truth against the wrong practices without being afraid of its consequences.
It was a solace to viewing a full length article of Kalpana Sharma (Requiem fo Uma Singh, HINDU, Jan 2009), she tried to evaluate this unfortunate incident in very true manner and exposed the real story on larger platform. Such happenings are very alarming in a democracy, which deserves strong universal condemnation.
Having myself very familiar with the Terai region and especially with the Janakpur town, I never imagined that such acts could be happen in this peaceful locality. In back thirteen years Nepal undergone through a severe political metamorphosis which badly altered the traditional tolerant social fabrics of whole country, obviously Janakpur also not remain unaffected.
During my last visit to Janakpur in November 2008, I have had a detailed chat with some of local journalist friends like Ramesh Ranjan, Ashok Dutt, Prateek Bhandari, brother Ashuosh Thakur about the falling resistance of media in the wake of ongoing turmoil in Nepal, which chunked the healthy debate over recent happenings in country.
They were quite despaired with the inertness of media and its falling role in recent developments. Situations has worsened even after the restoration of democracy , because terms and conditions of ruling Maoists ideology in Nepal is still far from being clear which holding the country in fray situation. I also observed some unfortunate motives in the psyche of pseudo rebellions from Madhes region who are dejecting the peoples in the name of their right and forming strife in co-existential relations with the Pahadis (From hill areas), which is completely unjustifiable and would be proved disaster if not checked immediately.
In recent times Janakpur played a very decisive role in recently held political transformation due to having a conducive approach from Madhesi peoples and their local media in the form of FM Radio channel.
The peoples of region have to acknowledge their recently gained edge in new political order in Nepal which was a distant dream previously, so, they have to adopt the way of harmony instead the reactions to sustain this advantage. The flame of those spirit still matters for the Madhesi peoples if they determined to avoid the future losses.
There could be hardly any answer for rampant violence and brutal killing of a such dedicated figure like Uma Singh; Peoples should farewell to their own torchbearer through saving the flickering ethical spirits from wild winds and put them to condemn the viciousness of violence, this could be genuine solace for her.
Atul Kumar Thakur
New Delhi,April10th 2009
atul_mdb@rediffmail.com
Uma Singh was a daring journalist in her early twenties working in a Janakpur based Radio Today FM. Even though she was an obscure figure from outside of Madhes region but she had earned a lot of repute in her very short stint through her professional commitment and caliber.
Of course she was endowed with the spirit to resist the evils of society but she had to stopped in her midway. Hailing from a landlord family of Sirha district was proven a major misfortune for her as she became the third victim of her family after her father and brother, who kidnapped and killed by the Maoists few year back but case with her is different as some close links were found in conspiracy. After carnage in her family she spent most of her time in Janakpur working candidly in both the print and electronic medium.
Uma Singh was emerged from a new generation of Madhes region who promisingly striving for their political and civil rights which so far has been neglected in this region. Like many of her colleagues she had also shown her critical temper against the violence and criminality of Maoists and other armed groups of Madhes region.
She had stand for genuine cause of Madhes but refrained her self from being cynical about in action, she was quite aware about the moral imperatives. In her little age she confronted with too much oddities, which infused rationality in her approach. She used to host a radio show ‘Garma garam chah’ which was being very popular with her responsive presentation.
I came to know more about her work from Jitendra Jha (a journalist friend from Nepal) who once working with her in radio .He called me in detail about the incidents, he was extremely shocked to see such tragical outcome of a promising colleague.
To know more about the incident I searched some leading newspapers of Nepal where I found a very closed account from an article of Prashant Jha, in which he admired a lot to her relentless pursuit for right of peoples. Of course she became a victim because her candid approach towards the social evils and its practitioners. She remained agitated for better outcome of political and social issues, she could have leave a normal life if she had chosen a submissive approach like most of women of Terai region. She was targeted because she spoke truth against the wrong practices without being afraid of its consequences.
It was a solace to viewing a full length article of Kalpana Sharma (Requiem fo Uma Singh, HINDU, Jan 2009), she tried to evaluate this unfortunate incident in very true manner and exposed the real story on larger platform. Such happenings are very alarming in a democracy, which deserves strong universal condemnation.
Having myself very familiar with the Terai region and especially with the Janakpur town, I never imagined that such acts could be happen in this peaceful locality. In back thirteen years Nepal undergone through a severe political metamorphosis which badly altered the traditional tolerant social fabrics of whole country, obviously Janakpur also not remain unaffected.
During my last visit to Janakpur in November 2008, I have had a detailed chat with some of local journalist friends like Ramesh Ranjan, Ashok Dutt, Prateek Bhandari, brother Ashuosh Thakur about the falling resistance of media in the wake of ongoing turmoil in Nepal, which chunked the healthy debate over recent happenings in country.
They were quite despaired with the inertness of media and its falling role in recent developments. Situations has worsened even after the restoration of democracy , because terms and conditions of ruling Maoists ideology in Nepal is still far from being clear which holding the country in fray situation. I also observed some unfortunate motives in the psyche of pseudo rebellions from Madhes region who are dejecting the peoples in the name of their right and forming strife in co-existential relations with the Pahadis (From hill areas), which is completely unjustifiable and would be proved disaster if not checked immediately.
In recent times Janakpur played a very decisive role in recently held political transformation due to having a conducive approach from Madhesi peoples and their local media in the form of FM Radio channel.
The peoples of region have to acknowledge their recently gained edge in new political order in Nepal which was a distant dream previously, so, they have to adopt the way of harmony instead the reactions to sustain this advantage. The flame of those spirit still matters for the Madhesi peoples if they determined to avoid the future losses.
There could be hardly any answer for rampant violence and brutal killing of a such dedicated figure like Uma Singh; Peoples should farewell to their own torchbearer through saving the flickering ethical spirits from wild winds and put them to condemn the viciousness of violence, this could be genuine solace for her.
Atul Kumar Thakur
New Delhi,April10th 2009
atul_mdb@rediffmail.com
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Stop shunning politics
It’s now become out of fashion to talk about politics in its real terms or in ideological framework. Political practices of a large masses are gradually being confined to the electoral activities…even theirs participation are far from satisfactions. Even though it could not be denied that Indian Democracy has been successfully strengthening democratic institutions throughout the years since independence.
No doubt, the size, peaceful and punctual rotation of governments, diversified representation etc are some strong points in favor of Indian democratic system; but all such indications not necessarily ensures the proper representation of citizens will or genuine quest for own role in political system. Such passivity effects like a handicap on political system which lucidly evaporating the crux of democratic spirit as well as weakening the participatory structure.
Overall such happening creates sense of despair among masses regarding the role of authority, on the other end representatives by large unlikely felt any incentives regarding their role towards citizens.Why shunning politicians?
Indeed, it’s common realization that most of representatives falsified their promises during their tenure, to some extant claim is not wrong but it’s not entirely true, because we have to look at the exceptions too. In the sixty two years of post independence we could easily locate the increasing wave of corruption and dutilessness by politicians, though the scale of such tendencies was not so rampant in early phase because, ideal of freedom struggle was than existed amidst the political arena and leadership have had vision for national consolidation on various fronts.
In subsequent phase political arena immensely exposed to the tracts like opportunism, regionalism, castism, criminalisation, etc which all led to fractional way of politics where to cite idealism became day by day difficult and focus were hugely shifted from development path.
Statistically development remain on the right track but it’s bright side have been not availed equally by lower strata of society, here we got lag behind from our constitutional aim of inclusive development.
So, at this major front on establishment of socialistic principles largely jeopardized in the growth agenda. Such deterioration at public arena is not an independently aroused conditions rather it’s crystal reflexion of equally deteriorating civic morale among the citizens. Falling quality of citizens action towards their democratic rights is a major reason of their estrangement from decision-making mechanism of government.
Once,eminent political scientist Rajani Kothari coined a term” criminalisation of politics” on burgeoning proportion of criminals in politics later by naturalization of their presence it became imperative to modify the quotation as ”Politicization of criminals” which revealed the demerit of quick adoption among the citizens before any short of political representation. Rule in a democracy indeed aroused from the electoral management, which doesn’t allow any political party to come in limelight without having support from mass majority.
So, rule under any elected government signifies respectively by the majoritarian views, means largely representations reflects the morale judgments of Voters in a Democracy which is true at least in principles.
Their sensitivity or insensitivity could be best seen in their scale of tolerance of that particular representation which came in to force through their own act. A sensitive saying of Meri Antoniate (French Queen) during the great French Revolution fueled the rage and sensitivity towards such reckless behaviour, which later caused for the end of Monarchy and ushering into new democratic domains that means the basic pillars of democracy endowed the determining rights in the hands of citizens.
Now its practices depends upon the morale constraints of peoples because whatever will be the representation they would have most determining influences over it, and off course they keep holding magic key of the golden gate. So, one most abscond from shunning politics and politicians alone.
Off course there will be chances of exceptions because every judgment not necessarily have justification for representatives action as authority and opportunity are having some rapid quality of changes, which may or may not be as per the expectations of a democratic participant. Despite acknowledging variable human nature and core of Machiavellian tracts we can’t stop ourselves from being sanguine in our further action at democratic arena.
So, we have to learn making appropriate decision to strive better for our political as well as other key rights instead of becoming merely vocal towards political system or politician. We should have dare to stand with our judgment before frustrating over the act of politician.
Since they are not aroused in isolation; means our selections reflects our leaning in individual life. Even though some times we may caught in option-less circumstances due to ineligible options. To cope with such odds we have to strengthen the people’s initiatives in different domain to see on various options. Because even any utopia (political) can be succeeded only with the participatory action, so this could be best met with remedy from people’s side.
The primary stage of such deliberation should be started from prioritizing the common sacrosanct matters that must be based on principles of common good and in later phase of development our evasive attitudes should be wiped out, in its place a well-structured and meticulous plan should be formed for the further activism.
It must be kept in mind that for countering politician’s insensitivity; a great move of democratic reform among with active participation from every section of society would be extremely worthy. So, participatory action would be a major ‘strive’ in an effective quest of democratic restructuring in peoples favor. Sometimes it is evident philosophical during the layout and execution of any major democratic plan, but there is nothing wrong in it, as an initiation have to arouse from idea which later ushering into practical format; so, these are some initial complexities which get sort out with the time factor.
Time is ripe now for a democratic reform in India…meanwhile even some subtle change in peoples attitude can fetch many positive outcome from political system. At this juncture it would be quite essential to deify the both existing as well as potential culprits of democracy with their electoral rights during the contest.
Universal and adult suffrage are most prolific investment to cope with the odds of democracy…a consineful judgment can create a lot of difference in our public and personal sphere.A political system could not be run in isolation especially a democracy, which needs consistent feedback for its smooth functioning since it’s quite compatiable with it’s essence. There is no alternative of active and quality participation…quality means here the capacity to acknowledge the critical facts related to the governance and their own duty in civil life.
Achieving a realistic goal in a democracy requires dutiful involvement from its citizens. It would be most wise step to stop shunning politics or politicians for their idleness instead every realistic and efficient persons should come forward and lend their contribution for an effective democracy. One should not immune from politics but must keep oneself immune from its maladies. Reward and blame system must be availed by its participants (Both the voters and representatives) comprehensively.
Atul Kumar Thakur
New Delhi
April5,2009
atul_mdb@rediffmail.com
No doubt, the size, peaceful and punctual rotation of governments, diversified representation etc are some strong points in favor of Indian democratic system; but all such indications not necessarily ensures the proper representation of citizens will or genuine quest for own role in political system. Such passivity effects like a handicap on political system which lucidly evaporating the crux of democratic spirit as well as weakening the participatory structure.
Overall such happening creates sense of despair among masses regarding the role of authority, on the other end representatives by large unlikely felt any incentives regarding their role towards citizens.Why shunning politicians?
Indeed, it’s common realization that most of representatives falsified their promises during their tenure, to some extant claim is not wrong but it’s not entirely true, because we have to look at the exceptions too. In the sixty two years of post independence we could easily locate the increasing wave of corruption and dutilessness by politicians, though the scale of such tendencies was not so rampant in early phase because, ideal of freedom struggle was than existed amidst the political arena and leadership have had vision for national consolidation on various fronts.
In subsequent phase political arena immensely exposed to the tracts like opportunism, regionalism, castism, criminalisation, etc which all led to fractional way of politics where to cite idealism became day by day difficult and focus were hugely shifted from development path.
Statistically development remain on the right track but it’s bright side have been not availed equally by lower strata of society, here we got lag behind from our constitutional aim of inclusive development.
So, at this major front on establishment of socialistic principles largely jeopardized in the growth agenda. Such deterioration at public arena is not an independently aroused conditions rather it’s crystal reflexion of equally deteriorating civic morale among the citizens. Falling quality of citizens action towards their democratic rights is a major reason of their estrangement from decision-making mechanism of government.
Once,eminent political scientist Rajani Kothari coined a term” criminalisation of politics” on burgeoning proportion of criminals in politics later by naturalization of their presence it became imperative to modify the quotation as ”Politicization of criminals” which revealed the demerit of quick adoption among the citizens before any short of political representation. Rule in a democracy indeed aroused from the electoral management, which doesn’t allow any political party to come in limelight without having support from mass majority.
So, rule under any elected government signifies respectively by the majoritarian views, means largely representations reflects the morale judgments of Voters in a Democracy which is true at least in principles.
Their sensitivity or insensitivity could be best seen in their scale of tolerance of that particular representation which came in to force through their own act. A sensitive saying of Meri Antoniate (French Queen) during the great French Revolution fueled the rage and sensitivity towards such reckless behaviour, which later caused for the end of Monarchy and ushering into new democratic domains that means the basic pillars of democracy endowed the determining rights in the hands of citizens.
Now its practices depends upon the morale constraints of peoples because whatever will be the representation they would have most determining influences over it, and off course they keep holding magic key of the golden gate. So, one most abscond from shunning politics and politicians alone.
Off course there will be chances of exceptions because every judgment not necessarily have justification for representatives action as authority and opportunity are having some rapid quality of changes, which may or may not be as per the expectations of a democratic participant. Despite acknowledging variable human nature and core of Machiavellian tracts we can’t stop ourselves from being sanguine in our further action at democratic arena.
So, we have to learn making appropriate decision to strive better for our political as well as other key rights instead of becoming merely vocal towards political system or politician. We should have dare to stand with our judgment before frustrating over the act of politician.
Since they are not aroused in isolation; means our selections reflects our leaning in individual life. Even though some times we may caught in option-less circumstances due to ineligible options. To cope with such odds we have to strengthen the people’s initiatives in different domain to see on various options. Because even any utopia (political) can be succeeded only with the participatory action, so this could be best met with remedy from people’s side.
The primary stage of such deliberation should be started from prioritizing the common sacrosanct matters that must be based on principles of common good and in later phase of development our evasive attitudes should be wiped out, in its place a well-structured and meticulous plan should be formed for the further activism.
It must be kept in mind that for countering politician’s insensitivity; a great move of democratic reform among with active participation from every section of society would be extremely worthy. So, participatory action would be a major ‘strive’ in an effective quest of democratic restructuring in peoples favor. Sometimes it is evident philosophical during the layout and execution of any major democratic plan, but there is nothing wrong in it, as an initiation have to arouse from idea which later ushering into practical format; so, these are some initial complexities which get sort out with the time factor.
Time is ripe now for a democratic reform in India…meanwhile even some subtle change in peoples attitude can fetch many positive outcome from political system. At this juncture it would be quite essential to deify the both existing as well as potential culprits of democracy with their electoral rights during the contest.
Universal and adult suffrage are most prolific investment to cope with the odds of democracy…a consineful judgment can create a lot of difference in our public and personal sphere.A political system could not be run in isolation especially a democracy, which needs consistent feedback for its smooth functioning since it’s quite compatiable with it’s essence. There is no alternative of active and quality participation…quality means here the capacity to acknowledge the critical facts related to the governance and their own duty in civil life.
Achieving a realistic goal in a democracy requires dutiful involvement from its citizens. It would be most wise step to stop shunning politics or politicians for their idleness instead every realistic and efficient persons should come forward and lend their contribution for an effective democracy. One should not immune from politics but must keep oneself immune from its maladies. Reward and blame system must be availed by its participants (Both the voters and representatives) comprehensively.
Atul Kumar Thakur
New Delhi
April5,2009
atul_mdb@rediffmail.com
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