Anything, Everything II -

Every year on vasant panchmi ‘Sarawasti Puja ‘is celebrated in Hindu houses across the world. Saraswati maa is the goddess of knowledge, wisdom, music, art, science, commerce, theatre and all existing education on the earth. The Hindu believe that worshipping Saraswati maa will not only give knowledge and wisdom but also give them right kind of wit  and common sense to overcome all impediment in their life. This is the festival of faith and reverence.

In Bihar, this festival is celebrated with fervor and enthusiasm. Generally, most of the schools, educational institutions, and offices celebrate the festival installing the idol in the premises.  This celebration lasts for two days. On the eve of festival, the employee/ students make pandal (raised platform) and decorate it with flower, banana tree and available artificial   material in the market. On the first day of the festival, idol is installed on/in the pandal and priest worships before the idol for hours. This ritual takes place according to auspicious worship time (puja Muhurtam).  Generally, the puja starts in morning and continues till afternoon. When the worship is over, naivaidyam (oblation) is distributed among themselves. People from the community visit such premises in the evening and the organizer distributes naivaidyam to all devotees/ visitors. Next day Priest completes the rituals and the students/ employees take out procession to immerse the idol of Saraswati maa in river/pond/canal /any alternative water body.

  In Bhagalpur and Munger district, I observed that illiterate and working class people celebrate this festival with more passion and dedication than students and professionals. Most of the villages have many saraswati puja committees and each committee install the idols and celebrate it with zeal. To raise fund for the puja, committee selects some volunteers who can collect the money from community and other places. These volunteers start working after Makar sankriti (14th January).  Volunteers go door to door to collect money from the villagers, some volunteers stand on the main road and collect the money from people who run bus, truck, car, motor or two-wheeler on the road. Sometime they do not spare even commuters; they waylay them and do not leave them until they give their contribution to the festival. This routine of volunteers continues till last date of festival.

Chhat is considered as biggest festival of Bihar. During this festival, devotees and their families shun tobacco, hashish, drugs, wine and other liquor related items completely. But such prohibition is not applicable / followed in Saraswati Puja. It has been seen that sometimes, some groups earmark some amount from the collected money for liquor and drugs, and during festival, they consume it in night.  Such practice vitiates the positive atmosphere of the festival. Such practice must be stopped and voluntary/ community organization should work to ensure drug/liquor free festival.

It has been observed that especially in town / city, during idol immersion, some youth do not hesitate to commit wrongdoing.  They dance vulgarly on raunchy songs, shout offensive slogans, harass women and brazenly do eve teasing on the road. Such act makes mockery of this festival.  Youth should desist themselves from such obscene behavior. Devotee must understand that knowledge, skill, wisdom, wit etc can be achieved through healthy and pious mind  and keeping heart and mind pure during the festival and then after will be true worship to the goddess .

~~~ Ramanuj Dubey

Anything, Everything --

Forts, monuments, pilgrimage and historical places of our country attract me very strongly.  Each fort has a history, each monument has a story, each pilgrimage and historical place has special importance.  When we start to know and understand such place, we feel that, we become closer to history, religion, custom and culture of our country. We start to appreciate diversity, plurality, richness and vastness of our country. 

Whenever I go Calcutta, I must visit Belur Math. Tranquil atmosphere of the Matt accentuate me to ponder over the meaning of life. I sit in the main hall and spend hours in meditation. The peace and joy that I feel at that place that cannot be expressed in words. That campus reminds me the sacred words of swami Vivekananda –“If one religion is true, other must be true”.  What a noble thought he had for humanity!

Every place of pilgrimage has its own special characteristics.  If Belur math I remember for its tranquility, Puskar I remember for its beautiful ponds, rustic environment and superb hospitality offered by the locals. I visited Puskar thrice and each time I stayed there more than four days. 

Whenever I visit religious place of any religion, I always ask myself , am I connecting to this place, am I connecting to this faith, am I connecting to God and all the time I get my answer in affirmation . Many times, I observed that, without any rhythm or reason I cry   when I am inside temple, mosque,church, gurudwara or dargah.  Why I cry, I never get the answer of this question. Perhaps, I have only worthless tears to offer to the God. 

When I was in class five at that time, I had read a book ‘The Important historical places of India’. The book had list of thirty important historical places of our country. That book contained very interesting facts about history and kings too. One such fact was that when King Akbar was nineteen years old, first time he saw the sea. Another such fact was that iron pillar inside the qutubminar campus Delhi is more than eight century old but this pillar is rust free. When I was reading that book, I cherished to see all the places   I have visited almost all the places mentioned in the book. That book mentioned eight important fort of the country, today I was counting I visited more than twelve forts of the country. And yes! I too saw and bathed in the sea (in Chennai) when I was nineteen years old. :)

At Sea Beach

Except northeast (Seven sisters), I have visited all the states at least once.  Still many famous places of our country I yet to visit, yet to explore. In fact, I want to explore many famous places of the world. A long wish list.  Such a long list that sometimes I feel that one life is not enough. Ghalib chacha has rightly said ‘Hajaron khwaeshain aisi ki har khwaesh pe dam nikle-’

~~~ Ramanuj Dubey

Winter melody

It is around  5 AM. Winter in north but here in Hyderabad not so cold. Checked the temperature on internet. At present temperature is 16 degree Celsius , humidity 52% and wind 11km/h. Yesterday , late night, I talked to my mother. She was sleeping in the room covering her body with two quilts. She revealed that in night, first time in her life she is covering her face too by the quilt.  She feels this year cold is creating a new level of record. Out of curiosity, checking the weather report of Bhagalpur on net. Low clouds and fog. Temperature 6 degree Celsius. Oh!  shivering cold indeed.  Being in Hyderabad, I miss winter season.

I have very sweet childhood memory of winter season. In Bihar, paddy crop is harvested in winter season. In daytime, farm laborers cut  the crop and gather in the field and then they bring it to the farmhouse/ farmer’s house. Generally, in night, the labourers who cut and bring the crops in the farmer’s house, beat the crops against the choky (wooden bed) to remove the grains from the straw. This work usually they start from midnight and try to finish it in the morning. Once this work is finished, grains are measured and share of grains are given to all the laborers. This whole process used to appear a festival for me. My grandfather would take special interest in farming. Even when he was serving Government, that time also he would take leave to look after the paddy harvesting. After retirement, he became a very enthusiastic farmer who loved traditional method of farming. In my house, paddy crop was prepared just outside the house. The country yard was made in such a way that my grandfather could monitor the work from his room. In winter, my grandfather would get the special bed made in his room. He would instruct the workers to spread  atleast 15-20 inch height padding of soft paddy straw in the room. After that, he would tell the workers to put two three carpets  over the straw padding in such a way that not a single piece of staw could be seen through naked eyes. Then he would tell them to put thick mattress, bed sheet and three to four big round pillows (bolster) on it. This was his ‘Winter gaddi (throne bed) and he used to take special pride on it. In evening, other fellow villagers would come and sit in that room. Because the thick layer of straw inside the bed, the bed and room used to be very warm. Whole winter I used to sleep with my grandfather in that ‘gaddi wala room’. It was the duty of my grandfather to tell everyday at least one story. He used to tell many stories from Ramayana, Mahabharata, history, Indian independence struggle.  Sometimes he would tell funny stories of his fellow villagers too. He was a very good storyteller and I used to enjoy his story thoroughly.

In Hyderabad, I have never experienced winter. Even when I was in north India, that time also I could not feel the real essence of winter in the cities.  In my opinion, winter has mellifluous melody and that melody can be felt and experienced optimally in village only.

~~~ Ramanuj Dubey

Assignment --

Former Director General, NIRD &PR , Shri B.K.Sinha    

While searching for one field visit photograph today, I stumbled upon an assignment folder. When I opened it, I found very interesting assignment that was given to us by Director General (DG, NIRD), B.K.Sinha Sir. During our Post Graduate Diploma in Rural Development Management (PGDRDM 2009-10) Course in National Institute of Rural Development (Now NIRD&PR), the Director General Sir used to take our class. He used to teach us ‘Panchayti Raj’ and ‘Rural Development Programmes of GOI’.  His pedagogic technique was very different and engaging. He used to relate theories and principles through case studies, stories, role-plays and his own administrative experiences. Even his informal talk outside classroom used to be very informative and useful. This assignment folder took me almost five years back in classroom. I am looking back nostalgically through this assignment. The assignment and the reply I am sharing here verbatim.

A woman named Ramabai from the weaker section became the sarpanch of a village. Earlier her family used to work in NREGS programme. Now her family is denied to work in NREGS. Government gives her some stipend for being a Sarpanch but it is meagre. To sustain a dignified life she wants 10% commission from each government scheme. Is it justifiable?

Reply -Sarpanch post must have brought some advantage and disadvantage to Ramabai .now we are exploring what are the advantages and disadvantages.

Advantage:-

o   She enjoys position of power.

o    She has a say in local development

o   Her Social contacts have improved.

o   She has become influential.

Disadvantage:-

        Loss of livelihood: - Earlier her family used to work in NREGS programme. But her family is denied to work in NREGS as she is the sarpanch. If her family worked 100 days @ 100 Rs then the she is incurring 10,000 Rs loss per annum.

  §   An improved social contact means more expenditure: - if she spends 50 Rs per day in hospitality (tea, coffee, bidi, tambaku, sorbet etc) then she spends 18,250 Rs per annum.

  §      Time-consuming job:-‘sarpanch’ is not a part time job; instead, it is a full time job.

We do not know being a women of weaker section how much Ramabai enjoys position of power or has say in local development but she is incurring loss of 28,250 Rs at least due to her post. She is getting stipend from government but it is meagre. These steps she may take to ameliorate her conditions.

v  She should write about her grievances to Government and concerned department and ask for a raise in stipend. If it is not possible then ask concerned department to allow her family to work in NREGS programme.

v  If first option does not work then she should look beyond of NREGS.she may take loan from SHG or local bank and start a business so that her family engage themselves in work and earn something.   

v  She should cut down the expenditure on hospitality. Even though it is not easy to do in rural culture, but she should realise that her dedication and Honesty will speak louder than hospitality.

v  If Ramabai’s family do not get work due to her position, she should disassociate herself from family at least on paper. Then she and her family will be two entities and in this condition, her family can get job in NREGS easily. Even though it appears unethical and general sentiment may go against for her but at least her family will not be denied the right to job.

Should she be given 10% commission on government scheme, my answer is big NO. In any circumstances, public fund should not be siphoned off. If she really feel aggrieved being a sarpanch she should leave the job instead restoring malpractice and trying to enjoy public money. 

I remember, after reading my reply, Sir asked me ‘Don’t you think Ramabai’s dissociation from family member on paper will be unethical practice?’

‘But sir, denying her family to work in NREGS is also injustice . Even it is against the spirit of the Act too.’

Sir once again read the reply and smiled. 

~~~ Ramanuj Dubey