The good girl with strong Wills power!

“What! You actually saw her puffing away in public?” I asked my husband with an incredulous expression, admiring the woman-in-question’s guts. I was reacting to his claim that he had just seen a female pillion rider smoking away to glory while on the busy Bailey Road of the city. “Yeah….it surprised me too. But I reckon Patna is changing,” he replied matter-of-factly, and that was the end of it.

The next incident occurred closer home than I had anticipated. I’d gone out to meet some girlfriends at a posh hotel on a crispy Sunday afternoon. After indulging in a heady dose of gluttony (lunch preceded by flutes of cocktails, two of them knocked over the table spread), some of my friends started chanting for a smoke.

We asked the waiter about buying a pack from the hotel lounge, but decided against it when he quoted double the market price. Hence, we embarked on our girlie quest to buy cigarettes from some local paan-wallah and enjoy the pleasures of smoke while safely ensconced inside my car.

After many giggling bouts and much awkwardness (the street vendors all stared at the 5 of us when we peered surreptitiously from the car’s tinted windows and asked for a pack), we finally managed to buy one, the contents of which were soon disintegrated in a puff of smoke, literally!

That got me thinking, that tobacco disclaimers notwithstanding, why are we small-town women so scared of diluting our puritan images within the boundaries of our hometown? How many of us have smoked or boozed when we went to other states for higher studies? Or rather, how many of us have refrained from these so-called “bad habits” while left to our own devices in metro cities, unchaperoned? Not many, would be my guess.

And yet, there it was, that cosmic “dark matter” holding us back from smoking in full view that day (my friends enjoyed the sinful sticks within the car while I drove around, with the windows pulled up, obviously).

“Someone known to me will spot me”, “It does not look good”, “Why, I never touched a smoke in my life!”, and so on….these are the usual refrains one gets to hear when the topic of cigarette crops up. B/S. And you would have us believe that you stayed in New Delhi/ Mumbai/ Bangalore/ Pune and posted your semi-nude, fully-drunk party pictures on FB with alarming frequency without once giving in to the vice of smoke ‘n’ spirit?

Awww…. Come on! We can do better than this. We can be better than this. What’s wrong with giving in to our urges? At a social do, men taking drags is okay, but we like to sit back like demure li’l ladies, talking among ourselves of clothes and house and children. While some of us women may take great joy in such discussions, there are many others who would be yearning for a drag themselves but hold back just for the fear of social stigma.

Hens. That’s what we’ve become.

Inexplicable as this phenomenon is, in a city like Patna and a state like Bihar, it rules. We are prudes when it comes to being open. When stuff as mundane as smoking in public can get us all jittery, imagine the scare when choices as personal as your sexual orientation would need to be declared. Phew!

Perhaps that’s why, to me, this smoking double-standard personifies lack of personal emancipation. It’s my life, but knowing that if I declare my love for fags openly I’ll be labelled of loose morals and bad character, I choose to play my part in the game and suppress my urges.

(*Sorry to disappoint all you gossip-mongers looking to read more into the piece than what’s intended…this is a piece of fiction. Cheers!) 

Living in a less than perfect world

In a perfect world....

Winters would be warm enough
Monsoon would be dry
Summers would be pleasantly cool
And pigs would definitely fly

Girls would be stronger
Boys would have grey cells
They'd fall in love, and only once
We'd hear the wedding bells

Bosses would be lesser paid
We would earn big bucks
Company would grow despite
The management of sitting ducks

Eat Pray Love

Durga Puja means revelry, shopping and nostalgia, and then some!

The hundreds of makeshift junk-food stalls, the crawling traffic of frantic shoppers, the blaring noise of devotional and Bollywood item songs, and the anticipating, shining faces of Puja revellers; yes, Durga Puja is definitely upon us! As the festival season kick-starts with the celebration of Maa Durga, one cannot help but be lost in this frenzy gripping Eastern India.

It’s the time of mouth-watering sweets, melodious songs, dance-till-you-drop dandiya, over the top fashion, feverish shopping sprees, and above all, unadulterated devotion! Durga Puja spans over a period of ten days in case of traditional and household Pujas. The main part of it is, however, restricted to four days only and starts on the evening of 'Shashthi'. The start of the festival sees huge, elaborately crafted statutes of Goddess Durga installed in homes and beautifully decorated pandals all over the city. At the end of the festival, the statutes are paraded through the streets, accompanied by much music, dancing and celebration, and then immersed into the Ganga.

The biggest attraction of the Puja festivities, however, are the thematically done-up Pandals. Ornately decorated with minute detailing, complete with resplendent idols of the Goddess prevailing over the demon king Mahishasura, they are a sight to behold. This year too, hundreds of pandals have sprouted up almost overnight throughout the state capital, Patna, but it’s no secret that they have been painstakingly built over the past few days, primly covered up while in progress to keep them away from the public eye and build the anticipation of the audience.

According to sources, last year, more than 800 Puja Samitis, big and small, vied to outdo each other in and around Patna. This year, this number may have easily crossed 1000, says Amit Sinha, secretary of Bengali Akhada in Machchuatoli. Sinha reveals that when it comes to worshipping Maa Durga, no expense is spared, be it on water-proof pandals or on elaborate bhog distribution arrangements. “This is the 119th year of Durga Puja celebrations for the Bengali Akhada. Here, we highlight more on pure Kolkata style celebrations,” he adds.

Secretary of PWD Puja Samiti, Sriraj, says that along with themes and decoration, audience engagement has also assumed great importance nowadays. “We have been celebrating Durga Puja here since 90 years, and along the way, the mode of celebration has evolved. We put up food and game stalls, hold musical nights and quiz competitions et al to provide age-specific entertainment for everyone. We understand that Pujas are a time to enjoy and bond with family as much as they are a time of devotion,” he explains.

The Puja Samitis spent crores on the special lighting effects and for hiring expert pandal decorators and sculptors from West Bengal. According to an estimate, around Rs 20 crore was spent on Puja celebrations in the city last year, with over 1000 Puja pandals across the city and its suburban areas. No wonder then, that the grandeur of the pandals remains a talking point for the city residents for a long time. Some pandals are created painstakingly – like the ones at Dak Bunglow crossing, Rajabazar, Kalibari, Bengali Akhada, PWD, Kankerbagh, Boring Road crossing, etc -- and with so much meticulous detailing that people from all over Bihar throng them.

“It’s a sight to behold – people numbering in thousands come to participate and seek the blessings of Maa Durga here,” says D Sengupta, treasurer of Patna Kalibari in Yarpur. “So high is the number of visitors that during saptami and ashtami, the task of distributing free bhog to revelers starts around mid-day and continues till late in the evening! A incredibly long queue stretches in front of Kalibari,” he exclaims. This year too, one can expect a breathtaking showcase of artistry and craftsmanship as the Puja Samitis strive to recreate palaces, forts, temples and monuments for the benefit of the onlooker.

“Pandal hopping constitutes the best part of Durga Puja celebrations. Some of these pandals are so beautiful, they take your breath away!” enthuses Sharmistha, a student of BCom second year. “True, and the fact that there’s yummy food being dished out at the fast food stalls around the pandals, make the Pujas so much fun. I absolutely love the bhel-puri and kulfi combo,” adds her friend, Kanupriya, a self-confessed foodie.

However, for BTech student Kumar, shopping is the biggest draw of the Puja season. “I make it a point to buy, whatever electronic items I require, during the Puja season as one can expect to get the best deals around this time of the year,” he says. “Plus, purchasing new stuff during the Pujas is considered auspicious too. So, for me, the Pujas are the most suitable time to buy gadgets ” he explains.

Many people share his view about getting a good deal. Subhash, a law student, has just got himself a newly launched tab with discounted one-year 3G pack deal. However, some, like engineer Amit Kumar who has booked a sedan, are still waiting to take possession. “The car model I’ve chosen is currently unavailable. According to the showroom manager, the vehicle can only be made available to me after October 8,” he rues.

But they are minor disappointments in the larger scheme of things. Caught up in the celebrations, not many seem to be minding such small inconveniences. “Patna is all spruced up for the upcoming festivals. And though the roads are mostly clogged with perpetual traffic jams and it’s a pain to travel within the city, very few people actually mind it. But that’s to be expected: after all, the atmosphere of fun and gaiety is absolutely infectious,” says art manager Manisha Chourasia, who is looking forward to buying clothes for herself for the Puja season.

Some, like Shobha Sen, turn nostalgic at the mention of Durga Puja. Having settled in Bihar from Bengal around three decades ago, she recalls the stories and legends behind the Puja: “Goddess Durga is worshipped because she vanquished the demon Mahishasura and restored the heavens to the gods. But more than that, I believe we worship the phenomenon of good prevailing over evil, the positive surmounting the negative, the feminine form defeating the beast who was undefeatable.”

She also feels that now more than ever, the time is ripe to recall and put to good use, the learnings from Durga Puja: of positive forces vanquishing the negative forces. “New evils like corruption have reared their head; they need to be destroyed with positive tools,” she adds. Indeed, different people, different thoughts. But one common feeling of joyous exuberance running through all of them. That’s Durga Puja for you.

High-voltage drama in Bihar

More than mere lip service, a sense of urgency is required to resolve the power crisis in Bihar

Bihar is reeling under a power crisis. It has the lowest per capita power consumption -- 85 units as against the national average of 715 units -- and the highest peak deficit at 33.7 percent. Bihar's total installed power capacity is 385 MW which is at present producing virtually zero MW and the state is dependent on the central grid for power generation, which supplies 900 to 1,500 MW against the 1,600 MW allocations to the state per day. In fact, only 4% of this power availability is contributed by the state while the rest 96% is drawn from the central sector.
Sadly, only 19,131 of the total of 45,103 villages in the state are electrified. This means that the percentage of villages electrified in the state is less than half of the national average of 86.6 per cent.
But if the energy minister of state Bijendra Prasad Yadav is to be believed, Bihar would have sufficient power by the year 2015-16 as many units including Nabinagar thermal power plant would become operational and renovation of Barauni and Kanti power units would be completed. Besides, the Centre has okayed coal linkages to the proposed Kajra and Pirpainti power plants. The cumulative generation from all these power units would definitely put the state on the power map of India, the minister said.
The energy minister said that by the end of 2012, the power scenario would start improving. The state would also get power from Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh. This apart, the government is planning to construct 200 biomass units for power generation. Besides, 1,400 husk power system units would be set up to provide power to villages. He further mentioned that solar power units with a capacity to 2 HP pump would be provided to farmers so that they could irrigate their farms. The farmers would have to bear only 10% of the cost and the rest would be borne by the state government. The Central government also gives subsidy on such solar units, he added.
This comes as good news for a state that till now has been haunted by prolonged power cuts. The severe power crisis prevailing in the state has resulted in law and order problem with agitated people taking to streets in various parts of the state.

Barring Patna, power is virtually non-existent in the other parts of the state. Big announcements were made. Three Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) were signed amid much hype. Yet people of Bihar are yet to get any relief from the on-going power crisis. "It will take at least five years to implement all such promises," admits a senior government official.
The replacement of burnt power transformers in remote areas continues to be wishful thinking for the villagers. "We do not depend on the power board for replacement of transformers. That has never worked out. Instead, we collect donations from the local people. It’s a do-in-yourself formula," said Prabhat of Siwan district.
Some of the better-known big nursing homes in the state capital have purchased high-capacity generators in view of the large number of patients admitted there. "Now our main investment is on costly generators to run our business," said Akash of Pataliputra Colony.
"We have learnt to live without power in districts. Forget about TV, fridges and coolers. They have become showpieces in our houses," said Nikhil of Madhepura.
Power position in Bihar is very critical and the state is totally dependent on allocation from the Central sector for meeting its power requirement, which is adversely affecting the overall prosperity of the state, including its industrial and agricultural growth.
The essential power requirement to meet the load of railways, defence, industries, grid sub-stations and power houses, is around 300-350 MW.

Sorry figures
Bihar is perhaps the state having the lowest number of power consumers in the country. Out of the total population of around 11.5 crore, there are only 21 lac effective domestic power connections in the state.
"If there are four persons consuming power from each domestic connection, it means number of power consumers in the state is 84 lac, much less than even one crore. In other words, not even 10 percent of the total population of Bihar. Inquiries disclosed there are only 31.1 lac registered and 23.4 lac effective power connections in the state, including non-domestic and connections like irrigation and industrial units," said an official.
Power consumption is one of the parameters of any developed state and it indicates the state is under-developed. There are over 3.25 lac non-domestic power consumers in Bihar. Statistics say there has been no growth of any major or minor industrial units in the state for several years. With almost complete absence of industrial units, the power consumers are restricted primarily to domestic sector only.
In the non-domestic sectors, there are major chunk of consumers who are running flour mills, timber mills, computer centres, beauty parlours, printing press, departmental and garment stores.

So, there are few industrial units consuming power in the state. Statistics say that there are over 82,000 such consumers in the state.
Only six per cent households are electrified in the state as against the national average of 35 per cent. Interestingly, power supply to 10,005 villages in Bihar has been disconnected over the years due to non-payment of bills, theft of materials and natural calamities.
As per the 2001 census, only 5.13 per cent of rural households in Bihar were electrified, which was the lowest in the country. The total number of rural households in Bihar was 1.26 crore.

Vision 2020
Bihar State Electricity Board, in its concept note on power vision 2020, has admitted that the existing per capita consumption of 75 units is expected to grow 10 times by 2012.
Requirement of power by the year 2012 will be 11,500 MW in peak hours and 9,000 MW in off peak hours. It appears that there will be a deficit of 4,400 MW in peak and 1,900 MW in off peak.
The projected demand of power as per the vision 2020 include the peak demand of 15,738 MW and off peak 12,316 MW. There will be a big deficit in available power and the demand by the year 2020. As such for meeting the demand, possibility of taking up many more new projects will have to be explored.
The BSEB roadmap includes commissioning of two major power projects at Nabinagar and Chousa. The Nabinagar project in Aurangabad district with five generation units is being built in collaboration with NTPC and will have an installed capacity to generate 3,300 MW. The Chousa project in Buxar district, being executed by the BSEB, will generate 1,320 MW on its completion.
In addition to this the government is banking on the NTPC-owned Barauni and Kanti thermal power plants which are undergoing modernisation and are together expected to generate over 600 MW. Besides, the government is also concentrating on its small hydro-electricity projects at Balmikinagar, Bathnaha and Arwal, which would together generate around 50 MW of power for the state. Added to that will be NTPC’s 2,000 MW super thermal power project at Barh which is expected to be commissioned within five years and will give its share of power to the state.
However, with a total of 5,000 MW of power, the projected generation may not be enough to meet the 2015 or 2020 demands.
Non-availability of suitable land and adequate water has been proving a bottleneck in setting up new power plants in Bihar.
About 2,200 acres of land was acquired for setting up a 660x2 MW thermal power plant at Chausa in Buxar district. However, villagers had filed a case in the Patna High Court against the acquisition.
Also, the BSEB had to abandon about 3,000 acres of land at Sandesh in Bhojpur district due to non-availability of adequate water. This land was earlier identified for setting up a 2,000-MW power plant as a BSEB-NTPC joint venture.

Other options
The state has in the hydel sector an installed capacity of 55 MW currently and it is hoped that another 20 MW would be added by the end of this year through projects under execution. All these projects are canal based.
The Bihar Hydel Power Corporation (BHPC) is now venturing into another area by planning installation of run of river hydropower plants in the Kosi basin. Already there are three plants with accumulated capacity of 28 MW. These include Bathnaha Phase-1 (8MW) Ararghat (12MW) and Nirmali (8MW).
On the nuclear energy front, Bihar government had requested Nuclear Power Corporation Limited for the installation of 4x700 MW nuclear power project at Rajauli for which a team of experts has already visited for site selection few years back. Approximately 3150 acre of land has been identified at Rajauli for setting up 4x700 MW nuclear power station.
Some young entrepreneurs like Gyanesh Pandey have taken initiatives in generating power through rice husk in remote areas of Bihar. Husk Power Systems (HPS) has already successfully implemented rural electrification (RE) projects in 50 remote, totally off-grid, virgin villages of West Champaran and is set to dramatically expand its footprints in the coming years. HPS is a RE company's unique biomass gasification technology which converts rice husks into electricity, which is not only used for lighting but also for small fans, TVs and radios.

Man Of All Times

India's freedom was not won in a day, but one successful experiment of non-violent civil resistance in a remote corner of Bihar irrevocably paved the way for the Struggle for Independence. Here, I recount the high drama that ensued following a notice served to Gandhi in Champaran and his reply to the same, and explore the meaning of Satyagraha in today's world...

German scientist Albert Einstein once paid homage to Gandhi, saying, "Generations to come, it may be, will scarce believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth."
American lawmakers described him as a "man of all times and places" and one of its Congressmen aptly remarked, "It is important we never forget that without Gandhi, the fates of what is now the world's largest democracy India, and the oldest democracy, the US, would likely be far different."
As for Gandhi himself, much before he became a global phenomenon, many incidents shaped and supported his belief in non-violence and civil resistance as a tool against injustice.

Gandhi's first true encounter with the injustices inflicted by the British in Bihar was on April 16, 1917. While in Motihari, Raj Kumar Shukla, Gandhi’s host, had arranged for an elephant to take them to Jasaulipatti, to talk to the farmers there and gather information about their sufferings at the hands of the British indigo planters. En route, they stopped at Chandrahia village, few kilometres from Motihari, to talk to one of the labourers. Within no time a constable came running and handed over an order from the collector, asking Gandhi to leave the district within 24 hours and in case of non-compliance, explain the reason.
"Upon hearing the news of the notice served to him, many top lawyers of Bihar visited Gandhi and most of them advised him to take up legal recourse for non-compliance, but Gandhi decided otherwise and was consequently tried on April 18," says Razi Ahmed, secretary of Gandhi Sangrahalaya, Patna.
That day of trial, points out Ahmed, effectively became the first day of Champaran Satyagraha, for there, facing the collector, the public prosecutor and other government officials and with thousands of farmers and land tenants thronging the court premises to show solidarity with the man "who was willing to go to jail for them", Gandhi read out aloud his reply to the notice. The summon was full of holes but he did not quote any legal provisions, much to the surprise of the public prosecutor, and neither did he attempt to talk his way out of the penalty in store. Rather, he said that he was in Champaran to find the truth about the atrocities on indigo farmers, and would not leave until he had done exactly that. Only when he arrived at the truth will he decide upon his next course of action. If he were thrown out, he would come back again.
This reply threw those present completely off balance. After much deliberation, they asked Gandhi to furnish a bail of Rs 100 for his release. Gandhi replied that he had no bailor and could not offer bail. Disconcerted yet again, the magistrate found a way out by offering to release him on his personal recognizance.

Gandhi stayed back in Champaran till August 15, 1917, and along with others including Brajkishore Prasad, Dr Rajendra Prasad, Mahadeo Desai, Narhari Parikh and Jivatram Bhagwandas Kripalani, went from village to village, cross-examining and recording the statements of farmers to understand the situation better. During these trips, Gandhi noticed the acute poverty, widespread illiteracy and unhygienic living conditions, and realised that educating the masses was the only way of emancipation. He felt that his efforts to uplift them would not bear fruit unless a desire for the same was created within them. Thus, through mid 1917 to early 1918, he opened schools and ashrams at Barharwa Lakhansen, Bhitiharwa and Madhuban villages. Additionally, he roped in his wife Kasturba, son Devdas and Dr Avantikabai Gokhale to teach the villagers about hygiene, says Ahmed. In light of the deep, entrenched rural poverty, he encouraged people to adopt the 'swadeshi' model for maintaining cleanliness, like using saltpetre to wash clothes.
An AICC report states, "It is worth mentioning that the Satyagraha of Champaran was responsible for initiation in the service of the motherland of two volunteers Acharya Kripalani and Deshratna Dr Rajendra Prasad. While Bihar's indebtedness to Mahatma Gandhi is irretrievable not only for having succoured her millions from the tentacles of white planters but also for having breathed into her soul the new message."
Says Ahmed, "Gandhi was a firm believer of dignity of labour. His economic formula based on cooperation was unique and effective. He truly believed that rather than clash among the factors of production as was the cornerstone of socialism, it was cooperation among the factors that would do the trick.” According to Ahmed, Gandhi's Satyagraha is as relevant today as it was then; maybe even more.
"With more than 23,000 nuclear warheads in the world and decreasing levels of tolerance, resorting to aggression and violence has become easier than ever. To add to the woes, corruption is at an all-time high. Given the situation, Satyagraha in its truest sense is our only hope," he says.
Sadly, the form of resistance that many people are opting for today to pressurize the government into accepting their demands is not Satyagraha, but Duragraha, says the Gandhian, without naming anyone but clearly alluding to a particular social activist in news nowadays. Satyagraha, according to Ahmed, is to accept the injustices willingly without budging from one's stand, without feeling any malice towards the antagonist, until the conscience of the antagonist awakens. When we start pressurizing and threatening the antagonist, it becomes Duragraha – something that the 'Father of our Nation' would have opposed almost as much as he opposed the injustices on Indians!

*During his stay in Champaran, Gandhi came to realise the full extent of rural poverty. Upon seeing the dirty clothes of the women of a particular village, he asked his wife Kasturba to talk to them about cleanliness. When asked, one of the women took Kasturba inside her hut and said, "Look around you, I don't have any cupboards or clothes. The saree I am wearing is the only one I have. Ask Gandhi Ji to give me another saree and I promise to bathe and wear clean clothes everyday."

*Reply of the Satyagrahi
Gandhi's Statement In Court On April 18, 1917
"With the permission of the Court I would like to make a brief statement showing why I have taken a very serious step of seemingly disobeying the order made under section 144 of Cr. P. C. In my humble opinion it is a question of difference of opinion between the local administration and myself. I have entered the country with motives of rendering humanitarian and national service. I have done so in response to a pressing invitation to come and help the ryots, who urge they are not being fairly treated by the indigo planters. I could not render any help without studying the problem. I have, therefore, come to study it with the assistance, if possible, of the administration and the planters. I have no other motive and cannot believe that my coming can in any way disturb public peace and cause loss of life. I claim to have considerable experience in such matters. The administration, however, have thought differently. I fully appreciate their difficulty and I admit, too, that they can only proceed upon information they receive. As a law-abiding citizen my first instinct would be, as it was, to obey the order served upon me. But I could not do so without doing violence to my sense of duty to those for whom I came. I feel that I could just now serve them only by remaining in their midst. I could not therefore voluntarily retire. Amidst this conflict of duty I could only throw the responsibility of removing me from them on the administration. I am fully conscious of the fact that a person, holding in the public life of India a position such as I do, has to be most careful in setting examples. It is my firm belief that in the complex constitution under which we are living the only safe and honourable course for a self-respecting man is, in the circumstances such as face me, to do what I have decided to do, that is, to ‘submit without protest to the penalty of disobedience’.
I venture to make this statement not in any way in extenuation of the penalty to be awarded against me, but to show that I have disregarded the order served upon me not for want of respect for lawful authority, but in obedience to the higher law of our being, the voice of conscience."

On The Mahatma's Trail

Gandhi had a unique relationship with Bihar. This Independence Day, I revisit history with Gandhian Razi Ahmed to explore why, among other places, Bihar is considered his ‘karmbhoomi'

All of us have heard of Anna Hazare's threat to resume his indefinite fast on August 16, and most of us have shown a clear appreciation for his conviction and commitment, as also awe for the Gandhian tool of Satyagraha used by him to rout corruption from India. But what many of us – or, at least, the newer generation – are unaware of is that Satyagraha as an effective tool of resistance was, for the first time, successfully tested at Champaran in Bihar, almost 94 years ago.
The Champaran Satyagraha in 1917 was the first experiment of mass struggle in India. Before that, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi had adopted his still evolving methodology of Satyagraha or non-violent protest, for the first time, in South Africa, to protest against the discrimination directed at Indians. Says Razi Ahmed, secretary of Gandhi Sangrahalaya at Patna, "It was an unremarkable place like Champaran in Bihar that introduced a remarkable leader like Gandhi to India, as well as catapulted leaders like Dr Rajendra Prasad, Jivatram Bhagwandas Kripalani and Anugrah Narayan Sinha into national prominence."

Ahmed proceeds to share with TOI, the story of Gandhi's sojourn in Bihar. The annual session of Indian National Congress at Lucknow in 1916 saw participation of leaders of national stature like Lokmanya Tilak and Gopal Krishna Gokhale. Gandhi too, having recently returned from South Africa, attended as a delegate for the first time. It was at this Lucknow Congress that barrister Brajkishore Prasad along with 40 delegates from Bihar appealed to the leaders to take up the cause of the 'ryots' of Champaran – landless serfs, indentured labourers and poor farmers – who were forced to grow indigo and other cash crops instead of the food crops necessary for their survival.
Among the delegates from Bihar was a farmer called Raj Kumar Shukla. The session was extraordinary because for the first time a semi-illiterate, rustic man like Shukla was allowed to address the distinguished audience and share with them the plight of the indigo farmers of Champaran. In broken Hindi, Shukla gave an impassioned account of the tenants' misery. Gandhi gave a separate, patient hearing to him later, but did not commit to a visit to Champaran due to time constraints.
Gandhi then went on to Kanpur, where to his surprise he found Shukla already waiting for him. In fact, so committed was the farmer that he kept on pursuing Gandhi to visit Champaran and take stock of the situation first-hand. But it was in Kolkata – where Shukla had arrived before Gandhi to wait for him and beseech him to come along – that Gandhi realized the extent of the farmer's commitment.
Without further delay, Gandhi accompanied Shukla to Motihari, the district headquarters of Champaran, via Patna and Muzaffarpur.
"While in Patna, Gandhi came face-to-face with one of the social evils plaguing Bihar at the time – untouchability. Upon reaching Patna, the duo decided to pay a visit to Dr Rajendra Prasad. Dr Prasad was, unfortunately, away at the time and his servants, mistaking Gandhi to be a lower-class rustic because of his plain clothes and unremarkable demeanour, did not allow him inside the house nor offered him water," says Ahmed.
Gandhi then remembered that his London classmate, Mazharul Haque also lived in Patna. Upon getting Gandhi's message, Haque, a noted barrister at the time, came personally to fetch the duo to his Sikandar Manzil home on Fraser Road.
Gandhi and Shukla then moved onwards to Muzaffarpur where, having got a message to meet them at the station, Kripalani had come to receive Gandhi. Having never met Gandhi earlier and thinking Gandhi to be travelling in the first class of the train, Kripalani – a professor at GBB College (now, L S College) started searching the first class bogie with his supporters but without any success. Upon seeing the crowd assembled on the platform, Shukla knew it must be in Gandhi’s welcome, and so he took Kripalani and the others to the third class and presented them to Gandhi. If it was a jolt to see Gandhi travelling in the "poor man's" class, it was a bigger shock to realise that this frail, unassuming man dressed as a peasant was Gandhi, come to deliver the farmers from their plight!

The next day Gandhi and his supporters shifted to noted barrister Gorakh Prasad's house in Muzaffarpur. Once there, such a large number of people came to meet – and in many cases, catch a glimpse of – the leader, that Gandhi joked about Prasad's house having turned into a 'caravanserai'.
Finally, on April 15, 1917, the group reached Motihari in Champaran. An AICC report of 1917 states that "a large crowd of people of Champaran witnessed the greatest architect of Indian Freedom Struggle in Motihari". In fact, the huge response of the people to Gandhi irked the administration to no end.
On April 16, while Gandhi was talking to villagers at Chandrahia village, the administration served a notice to him to leave the district within 24 hours.
On April 18, Gandhi appeared for trial in the court of the magistrate, who ordered him released on condition of bail payment. Gandhi refused to pay the bail and instead, indicated his preference to remain in jail under arrest. Alarmed at the huge response Gandhi was eliciting from the people of Champaran, and intimidated by the knowledge that Gandhi had already managed to inform the Viceroy of India of the mistreatment meted out to the farmers by the British plantation owners, the magistrate set him free without payment of any bail.
The case against Gandhi was finally withdrawn on April 21. Also, the government yielded and a commission was appointed to look into the entire matter and suggest remedies. Gandhi, too, was invited to join the commission and he accepted. The commission recommended the acceptance of the peasants' demands and taking legal steps to implement them, and within a few months the Champaran Agrarian Bill was passed providing a marked respite to the farmers and land tenants.
Thereafter, Gandhi visited Bihar many a times, the visit to Patna on August 8, 1947, being his last one. Through these visits and by connecting and empathising with the masses here, he left an indelible mark on the evolution of Bihar as a state – a mark that we would do well to remember now that Bihar is in a resurgent phase and needs direction in its growth.

Admiration Guaranteed
Excerpts from the 'Proceedings of the Government of Bihar and Orissa, Political (Special) Department, 1917' show that even though the bureaucracy was openly hostile to Gandhi and friendly to the European planters, there was a fair amount of admiration too, for him, his associates and their cause:
* WH Lewis, the sub-divisional officer of Bettiah, wrote to the collector of Champaran: "Gandhi seems a curious mixture of the East and West. He owes a large part of his belief to Ruskin and Tolstoy, particularly the latter's, and couples these to the asceticism of a jogi. Were his ideas only those of the East, he would have been content to have applied them to his personal existence in a life of his meditative seclusion. It is only the teachings of the West that have made him an active social reformer."
* J T Whitty, manager, Bettiah Raj, wrote to the commissioner of Tirhut: "He is a man who is prepared to go to any length to carry through an idea. He can easily be made into a martyr and cannot be easily suppressed."
* A C Ammon, manager of Belwa factory, had consistently harassed and tortured Raj Kumar Shukla, but upon Shukla's death, he sent Rs 500 to his home for preparation of last rites. When people asked him the reason behind the change of heart, Ammon replied, "You won't understand. He was a great man."

Wish you were me?

Just because I laugh a lot does not mean I don’t take life seriously. It means I enjoy the fact that I’m alive and kicking.

Just because I peacefully sit back and relax does not mean I’m idle. It means I’m self-ideating and mentally strategizing.

Just because I party hard does not mean I’ve had a questionable upbringing. It means I know how to have a great time despite a 9-hour job and hectic work schedule.

And just because I don’t talk to you does not mean I’m snobbish. It means you are not worth talking to, for you will always misinterpret what I do.

Now, go die…

No kid stuff, this

He has been waxing eloquent about the past glory, present developments and future prospects of Bihar. Aryabhatta, Sher Shah Suri, Rashtra Kavi Dinkar, Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan; he discusses Bihar’s association with these names without missing a beat. Meet Vikram Chauhan, age 10. This small wonder from Rohtas district packed a punch while delivering his speech at the Bihar Diwas on Tuesday.

Similar was the case with Priya Kumari of Jamui district, Divya Kumari of Sheohar and Priti Kumari of Saharsa. They, along with approximately 430 students from all 38 districts of the state, have been selected to give a presentation of their talent at the ongoing Bihar Diwas.

“Roughly 10 students from each district of Bihar have been selected to perform at Bihar Diwas. We have a variety of programmes lined up for this representative sample of talent from across the state,” said Anjani Kumar Singh, principal secretary of HRD and chairman of Bihar Diwas organising committee.

Saqlain Wahid from Katihar district claims to be a bit nervous to be performing in front of a packed house, but once on stage, he transforms into a picture of cool composure as he discusses “the challenge of population increase in Bihar”. It’s hard to believe that these children -- all in the age group of 10 to 16 – are displaying so much of confidence.

“The fact that they are getting to perform in front of this distinguished crowd is the biggest thrill for these kids as most of them have never even gone beyond their hometowns before,” said Jyoti, a mass education consultant supervising the programme.

The different performance categories are singing, musical instruments, painting, speech, poem recital and others, which includes magic, yoga, mimicry, gymnastics et al. Dr Sarita Singh, consultant to HRD, informed TOI, “These programmes would provide the participating kids with the right kind of exposure and due appreciation of their talent at the state and national level.”

“This is a great opportunity for us,” enthused a class IX student from Gopalganj, here to perform magic tricks. P Shekhar, or “Jadugar”, as he is popularly called at the Bihar Diwas venue, has been learning magic for the past 5 – 6 years and already made his name at the district level. Going national is a dream, which looks set to be realised given his special talent for sleight of hand.

Priya Mallick of Patna, Srishti Sargam of Saharsa and Srishti Suman of Nawada will perform ‘raag malkonsh’, ghazal, and semi-classical ‘thumri’ respectively, while a Hrithik Roshan dance number would be performed by Zulfi from Gopalganj.

“We have some really talented and unique kids performing here including singers, dancers, artists, poets, magicians, mimics and gymnasts,” said Uday Chandra Bajpei, Dy DSE, Gopalganj. “The best part is, these children have come together on a common platform from all walks of life and from all socio-economic backgrounds,” chiped in Dr J K Shukla, TLC secretary. Both these officials were seen coordinating the programmes in the specially constructed ‘Kilkari’ hall.

Kumar Milan Jha of Patna, a class IX student, who also happens to be a national chess champion of under-14 category, promptly twists his wrist at an angle of more than 360 degree as an impromptu demonstration to TOI of his unique ability. This gymnast is all set too amaze the audience at Gandhi Maidan during the Bihar Diwas.

But perhaps the biggest show of resilience comes from Mahindar Ram, a polio afflicted boy of just 11, hailing from Bhore in Gopalganj. The hall reverberated with his sonorous voice as he sang with gusto a patriotic bhojpuri song. An inspirational moment for those present to realise that his legs may have betrayed him, but his spirit carries him along just fine!

Delicacies, with a twist!

At the Vyanjan Mela at Gandhi Maidan, the delicacies offered come with a twist. Ole sweets, salted khaza, cauliflower kheer; it’s as though a ‘match the columns’ puzzle has gone haywire. And that, incidentally, is the biggest draw of this Bihar Diwas food festival, which is being used to promote exotic Bihari cuisine. A generous sprinkling of innovation in the delicacies ensures that the food items keep you coming back for more.
On sale are Barh's laai, Maner laddoo, Kesaria peda, Gaya's anarsa and tilkut, Bhojpur's belgrami, Fatuha's khurchan, Banka's hilsa and kalai imarti, Silao khajaa, Mithilanchal 's tilkaur leaves, dahi-chura, tengra fish, Bihia's puri and makhana, West Champaran’s ‘anandi chawal' and 'mirchaiyya chuda', 'makuni' (sattu roti), litti-chokha, puri, kachri, 'ghughni', 'pakori', dahi-vada, and other items like rewari, malpuaa, hot gulab jamuns, ice creams and juices. For those looking to sink their teeth into some non-veg spread, there’s 'chawal-macchli', stew and fried mutton called ‘taas’.

Old-timers' guide to gourmet delight

For Shankar Kishore Chaudhary, answering inquisitive queries about his products has become a way of life. And why not, for this herbal farmer from Hajipur in Vaishali district has been dishing out exotic sweet delicacies made of ‘ole’ (elephant foot yam) when everyone else traditionally associates the crop with chokha, chutney and acchaar.
“We have been preparing 56 different ‘ole’ items, which include ‘puri’, ‘bhujia’, ‘chhole’, ‘rasgulla’, ‘chyawanprash’, ‘ice cream’, ‘halwa’, ‘peda’, etc,” said Chaudhary, in Patna for participating in the Vyanjan Mela at Bihar Diwas celebrations in Gandhi Maidan. He has also received two national level awards in farming. His biggest reward, however, came in January 2010 when Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar had a taste of the ‘ole’ kheer and lavished praises on him.
In business since 1994, Chaudhary does farming on three hectares of land in Hajipur and has been exporting ‘ole’ seeds to states like UP, Goa, Haryana, Kerala and MP among others. Besides he would soon be heading off to Kerala for imparting training on effective farming techniques to self-help groups there.

Somewhat similar is the case with Sanjeev Kumar, a young organic farmer already bestowed with a national silver medal and a progressive farmer award. He has put up a cauliflower ‘kheer’ stall at the food festival. “We have been engaged in organic farming of cauliflower, a fact that has been recognized and duly supported by the state government,” said Sanjeev, who also happens to be the secretary of Annadata Farmers’ Club, which has around 25 active members. Their Rajendra-Chakwara variety of cauliflower (named after Rajendra Prasad Agricultural University and Chakwara village) is to be released by the state government in 2012 and the process to patent this variety is already on, he informs.

Some, like Sanjay Lal of the ‘Silao ka Khaaja’ stall, have been into the preparation of Bihari delicacies since ages. “My shop at Silao, called Shri Kali Sah, is more than a 100 years old. We have been into the ‘khaaja’ business since the time of my great grandfather,” he informed. He too, like many of the distinguished stall-owners at the Vyanjan Mela, has many awards to his name, one of them being the Sagar Mahotsava award he received in Mauritius. Lal reminisced about the time when former President of India, APJ Abdul Kalam, had tasted and appreciated his ‘khaaja’ made in pure ghee. “Much before that, I used to send sugar-free ‘khaaja’ made of ‘gurh chashni’ on special demand to former PM Morarji Desai,” he reveals after some prodding. The Bihar CM too, supposedly, loves his ‘khaaja’, a bulk of which is bought by visiting NRIs and foreigners to be taken back to their respective countries. The next step for Lal is setting up his own ‘khaaja’ plant in Silao, the registration process of which is already complete.

Swastik Sattu, a homegrown company, too has its presence at the food festival, and a heavy rush is seen throughout the day at the stall, what with ‘sattu’ being one of the most preferred item of consumption and relief in Bihar during summer. “Besides being tasty, ‘sattu’ also has many medicinal properties and negative side-effects, unlike junk food,” said Ramesh Agrawal, MD of Swastik Sattu. They have recently launched Swastik Gold Tea, a product packed and branded exclusively in Bihar.

Visitors have been feasting on ‘balushahi’ at Suraj Kumar’s stall. All of 19, Suraj is looking after his family business with vigour and dreams of taking it places. Others, like Mahesh Kumar Singh, have been exporting their product – ‘laai’ from Barh – to countries like Mauritius. Looks like the CM’s vision of putting a Bihari food product on the dining table of every household in the country is inching closer to its realization, what with the Bihari cuisine finally coming into its own at the Vyanjan Mela.