Improvement in Bihar - labour crisis everywhere!

Was going through newspapers this week and found some interesting articles here and here which corraborate the facts what I wrote in my last post.

These two news articles.. first reported in Times Of India on 17 June and then on 19 June talk about labour crisis in farms in Punjab. Every year, hoards of labours would board the trains at various towns and stations throughout Bihar and would alight at various places in Punjab. Marred by poor agricultural facilities, recurring floods and administrative apathy, they would have no other way but to migrate seasonally to Punjab during the paddy season. However, this year, it is a different story... the trains are empty and there are not too many labours who alight these trains.

The same is the scenario in the industrial units at Surat, Nashik and other places in Maharashtra.

This turnaround has been possible by successful implementation of just one single program - National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA)

It seems that the tide is turning now. Only a few months ago, I wrote here how certain people from Maharashtra wanted to oust Bihari/UP labours from their state. I warned there itself:

...infrastructure will be crumbled if people from UP and Bihar come back and do not do any work in states like Punjab and Maharashtra...

And now it is evident that my fears have been proved true!

This also validates the fact that now there is a development process started in Bihar. Good for poor people of Bihar.. and in fact good for entire Bihar. This has started a never ending process of development from where there is no looking back.

The basic amenities of life are Roti, Kapda aur Makaan (food, clothing and shelter). These fulfilled, people look for next set of three amenities, namely Bijli, Paani aur Sadak (electricity, potable water and road). While NREGA has fullfilled the basic amenities, Nitish Kumar's government is looking after fulfilling the next set of requirements. One the infrastructure is in place, it is just a matter of time that investments will start pouring in and will finally result in complete development of Bihar.

One more area where I would like to see and improvement, and which has got the potential also, just what is required is political will and funding, is channelization of the rivers to facilitate irrigation througout the state. Punjab is called the food bowl of India and it has got only five major rivers. It was just the planned channelization of rivers which resulted in green revolution there. Bihar has got hundreds of large and small rivers which originate from Himalayas and which have water in them around the entire year. These rives criss-cross entire Bihar in a way that almost every District has got around 10-30 rivers flowing through it.

It is just a matter of channelization so that the water is available to every field for irrigation and it would help in flood control also. Floods cause most of the fertile land in Bihar to remain unutilized for almost three months a year. The land which is capable of yeilding three to four crops per year!

It is just the political will that is required. We have seen the impact of just one successful implementation. Just think of the potential... there are so many government schemes. And with the news of opening of an IIT in Bihar, it seems that the day is not too far now, when everyone will held his head high and would not feel ashamed to say -

Yes! I am a Bihari!!

Tour de Roots

Getting on to writing something after a long time...

Well, there was a reason.. and the reason was that I was on a tour to my native place for two weeks! A two weeks' leave for the first time since last four years!

So I went on a sojourn to my native place and this time, it was a surprise for me. Believe me!

I spent my childhood and teenage days in Bihar and initial youth as well. Had been to Bihar around 2 years back on a short vacation. What I saw this time was a surprise.. a pleasant surprise!!

Laloo Prasad Yadav has long ago talked about making the Roads of Bihar akin to Hema Malini's cheeks, but did nothing in his 15 yrs of rule except for looting lots of public money. The roads were more of a potholes and this was the condition everywhere. The roads were of course repaired... but every rain would act like Duryodhan of Mahabharata and would raise all the sarees from Draupadi's (road's) body, thus exposing the bloody game that politicians and contractors played openly in Bihar.

However, this time I was taken aback by surprise.. The roads were all smooth except for far flung places and that too were limited and work was already planned.. almost everywhere! Sudden shift in government's policy? Then I realize that Laloo no more rules Bihar either directly or through a proxy (Rabri?) and now Nitish Kumar is the Chief Minister for last 22 months.

I talked to people and came to know that the improvement was almost everywhere. Any society needs basic infrastructure to develop -- Electricity, Water, Roads, Education, Health Care, etc. What I observed was that improvement was drastic and positive in almost all arenas... at least in the ones that matter the most.

Electricity.. which I never remembered to be there for more than 6-8 hours a day (except when you are not living in government/railway quarters, which have their own supply).. this time I found it to be available for around 18-20 hours. Specially it was available generally during the day hours.

Bihar has no dearth of highly skilled Doctors, although they all preferred to sit in the comfort of their own clinics/private hospitals.. ran a virtual mint to print money.. and never bothered to visit the hospital that they were attached to. Government hospitals were turned into shelter for stray dogs and cattles (even photographs were published in papers and magazines, I remember!).. forget about any aminities! But this time, I saw the same hospitals sparkling clean, buzzing with activity and the doctors actually sitting there, treating people. Even free medicines are now being dispensed!

I know personally some teachers (some relatives as well!) who would never go to their school/colleges and run private classes/coaching institutes. Even if they would go, it would be just to mark their attendance or take their salaries. I remember myself had taken admission for graduation in science.. but there were no classes held for the entire year and the exam dates came! I left the college/university and went to Hyderabad for further education. Student unions fought election on the promise of getting 180 days of classes! Now this time I know that the same teachers/lecturers/professors are attending the college.. even carrying a lunch box to the college!

Great achievement I'd say and Kudos to whoever is responsible for this drastic change! Seems we will again have a time when people like me would not look further to any place else to get good education and a livelihood.

Amen!!!

Borewell fame

First there was a Prince and now a Vandana... famed due to a fall in a bore well pit... Borewell fame?

About two years ago, a child named Price fell into a bore well pit near Kurukshetra (Haryana) and was rescued by army after over 50 hours, alive and kicking. Hail the army! Prince, after successful evacuation was bestowed with many announcements with the best being Rs. 5 Lakh being given to his family. Hail the government!!

Then there is a two year old Vandana, who fell into a similar pit near Agra on 26 March this year and was rescued by army around 27 hours later, alive and kicking. Hail the army! The entire district administration came up to the spot and camped there till the evacuation. Hail the administration!! The local MLA announced that he would take care of the lifelong expenses that would occur on Vandana's studies. Hail our representatives!!!

Do I sound sarcastic? Yes I do! and that's because I am!!

We know that this does not happen when there is a road accident. No District Magistrate/SP/MLA/MP come on the spot and announce even a rupee to their family. We know that.

Then why this generosity and pro-activeness?

Well, everyone has to get his 30 seconds of fame! You know when the action scene is being covered by spate of media, that too live, you have your chance of getting your 30 seconds of fame. Entire India, and if possible, many parts of the world will watch you... listen to what you say... and you'd be popular... or a recognized face at least! So we have our District Magistrate available on the spot with his mercenary, we have a super special ambulance with the best doctors available, and of course we have our local democratic representative -- our MLA present on the spot. Everyone plays his role and everyone gets to share some time on small screen.

But who's the loser at the end in all this mayhem?? Me of course! You'd ask how?

Simple:

• who paid for army to pitch in and do the rescue work? Me, a genuine taxpayer!
• who paid for the super special ambulance? Me, my taxes foot the bill!
• who paid for all the government mercenary to be present on the spot? Me, I pay them salaries through my taxes!
• who suffered due to loss of work by top brass while they were on the spot? Me, or people like me!
• who foots the bill when the government offers sops to people?? Me of course!

I pay the taxes, but I don't get what I deserve in return - better roads, better electricity supply, better water supply, better education... to name a few. But where does my money go? Paying the salaries to these fat slimy officials who do not do anything unless paid extra for that.

Do I want to say that Prince and Vandana should have been left in the ditch to die? No Way! But I just want to say that "Look! I'm paying for what you are doing. So please! Do not work only when TV cameras are watching. Pay some attention to that accident victim who is dying on the roadside. Pay some attention to the person who is dying in the hospital for the want of medicine and proper care. Please!"

Manjunath Kalmani -- what's the fuss about?

Everyone in India, going through a newspaper daily, must have by now read about Manjunath Kalmani. So who is he? Why has he became famous?

Well, the details you can get at this site, a brief of the same is here:

In a nutshell, this is the story:

• Engineer from India loses job
• Has car accident
• Paralyzed - can barely talk, but uses a laptop and sip-n-puff & Morse Code to communicate
• Visa expires, gets sent to India, dumped in hospital where family abandons him
• Laptop vanishes.

Something is amiss here, and I'll complete the pieces shortly, but let me ask a frank question to you all -- do we really care is someone is dying? do we care if someone is dying due to utter neglect?? do we really care if someone is dying for the want of right medical treatment and the cost to avail it???

NO! We all know we don't care. This is the truth. I may be a bit blunt here but isn't really this is the truth?

You could have saved one life when you though you have something more important to do than to save a road accident victim! If you would not have cared about the blood-stain on your car-seat cover, you'd have taken him to hospital and may be he would be alive. But No!

If you'd care about person dying due to utter neglect, you'd first look into your own house -- your old parents in the smallest and dingiest room possible. The same persons who nourished you to grow, to become a great personality. Have you ever thought about those persons who have became just a show-piece in your house, and that too broken, whom you prefer not to show to any friends. Have you tried to spare some time and talk to them even on weekends? No!

Have you ever been caring enough to send some money to a charitable organisation like CRY or Prayas? Have you ever tried to fund the medical expense of any unknown person, or even a known person who is not related to you? You have been to hospitals, and seen many poor, rickety people sleeping on the floor in January -- you have always put a handkerchief on your nose and passed by commenting how filthy they are -- have you ever thought of funding them to get a room, a bed, clean cloths? No!

(And mind it, when I say you, it means an average Indian, myself included)

Then? what is that is special in Manjunath? Fine that he was a techie and went to US for job. But when he met with the accident, he was already jobless -- laid off, and more importantly with out a medical insurance. Why? -- It is said that he didn't had money to renew the insurance. Then why was he still at US?

He met with the accident and US have done whatever they could on humanitarian ground. They could have left him to die, specially since no one was there to take care of him. Medical assistance was provided to him on state expenditure, as is the case in US and UK with other residents. It was only when his visa expired that they had to send him back to India. He was technically being deported, but in a special air ambulance, free of cost!

When he was brought back, even his family members were not willing to come to Delhi and visit him. However, when the money started pouring in, they came to Delhi to meet him. Is this how an Indian family works? Leave their son to die knowing that he's not well and needs medical care.?? No! I believe and Indian family would never leave it's member to die even if they don't have any finances to fund his medical care. Anyway....

I don't mean to say that people who have donated money to save Manjunath are wrong. I'm not saying that PM is wrong in allocating Rs 2,00,000/- for his treatment. I'm not saying that TOI is wrong in raising a campaign to save Manjunath.

What I mean to say is that there are countless Manjunaths in this country that you'd meet at every nook and corner -- do you ever think to help them? ever???

Social Networking sites -- are they evil??

A pleothera of social networking sites have come up of late and has started a debate whether they are good or bad for the society... what are your views?

There have been instances where people have been luring young girls to elope from their home and even a murder in Mumbai which was linked to a social networking site. There is abundance of fake profiles all around and people indulging in all sorts of anti-social activities -- be it crime agains any specific person, or a crime against a language/society/country/religion. But does that mean that the tools is wrong??

"Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder"

I strongly believe in the lines above and I believe that every tool in this world that has been devised for a good purpose can find it's usage in bad deeds as well.

For example, the same saw, that is used for cutting wood to convert it into beautiful furniture can be used as a murder weapon. Almost anything that you see around, a wire, a match, a gas cylinder, electricity... almost anything can be a deadly weapon if you do not use it judiciously. Does this mean that all these are evil things?? - NO!

It depends how you use the tool that is available to you for use.

I personally have used Orkut and Alumni.net a lot and really they have helped me to get in contact with long lost friends -- friends who have been out of contact for more than 16 years! Thanks to these sites that I have been able to contact my school friends whom I had lost contact with long ago!!

I would say -- use these tools, use judiciously and they can benefit you!

Board exam stress??

As the 10th and 12th board approach, newspapers have started posting news about suicide and suicide attempts by students who are due to appear their boards. What is this happening??? -- I fail to understand.

I don't understand why there is so much stress on the students? -- Is that because they have to score above 95% in their boards?? -- Why??? -- to get admission in a good school/college for their +2/graduation! Ah, I got the answer myself!

This is the reason that there is pressure from peer and even from the parents to score 95% plus or face their wrath. But why?? -- I am again pushed to the darkness of ignorance by myself!

I haven't seen anyone scoring 99% (or for that matter 100%) in his/her 12th and getting a good job just after that. The point is -- even if you get 100% in your 10th or 12th boards, still you have to fight for admission for technical courses where 65% is quite enough to appear for the exam and then it's your aptitude that helps and not what you have crammed! For getting admission to graduations also, some colleges do demand 90 and 95 percent plus marks for admission. But have we ever given a thought over what happens after admission?? Do all those who get admission to reputed colleges get a decent job after they finish graduation??? I think they have to again fight with everybody for job interview/exam where again 65% is a decent enough score!

So why this fuss all about? I remember my days when getting even a bare 60% was deemed good enough and achieving that also was no mean feat. What has changed since then? -- the marking pattern in board, where people get 100% even in literature subjects? Or it's just about parents wanting to brag about the marks obtained by their child?

Whatever the reason, I believe that this is all not good and we are loosing valuable lives. Can we think of doing something that could avoid this all?

Are we heading towards balkanisation?

Was going through NDTV website when I found this article on their homepage today:
http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/showcolumns.aspx?id=COLEN20080042337
Really surprises me, how such views are allowed freely on a news site that is supposed to be neutral.

The author, though tries to show him a person with neutral views, can't prevent himself from posting his own biased views. He supports Raj & MNS in opposing people from Bihar and UP working in Maharashtra. He says that UP and Bihar is not North India! Does anyone wants to hear that? He says that native people have every right to oppose migrants coming and working. He even tries to create a divide within the states of North India by stating that Punjab, Haryana etc are separate from UP and Bihar.

He and people like Raj forget that people from Punjab, Rajsthan and Gujrat and Maharashtra have always been in the helm of affairs in UP and Bihar and together they control most of the trade and business and no one is complaining. Why should one when this is One India - undivided and united!

Recently Bihar assembly asked to send Hon. Governor Mr. Gawai back as he belongs to Maharashtra in retaliation. This idea is not liked by people like Raj and the author. I fail to understand what they want. Do they want that people from UP and Bihar should be confined to their state and at the same time other people must have complete freedom in whatever they do in UP and Bihar.

I fear for the day when people from UP and Bihar start retaliating give the same treatment to all the people from other states like Maharashtra and Punjab. The day would be quite unfortunate as we can't think of business and trade without Punjabi and Marwari community in UP and Bihar. At the same time, infrastructure will be crumbled if people from UP and Bihar come back and do not do any work in states like Punjab and Maharashtra. This is quite evident from the loss that the industry in Nasik is facing after migration of labours from UP and Bihar.

I believe that this is 100% correct that Honorary Supreme Court of India has called it balkanisation of India. It has started on a state level. Does he wants to bring this to city/town/village level now?

It seems that some people would never think or work in national interest ... and to top that, they are in a position where they can command views of masses.

Please! keep off our minds and let us live in peace.