Being a Bihari...

Sometime back I was with a school friend, going up to his flat in a happening suburb of Pune. Suddenly out of nowhere, he mused, "Bihari parents are the most unfortunate ones .When we were kids and needed them, they spent their everything trying to make us what we are today Now ,when we have become what we are today and they are the ones who need us in their old age , they are destined to live alone. Because they are caught in the fix between joining their children in the big unknown and sometimes unfriendly cities and the trauma of being uprooted from their homeland, which is the only place they can call- home."

Very recently I have come to realize the full impact of his statement, and the pain behind it; the pain of being a part of the moneyorder economy, where migranting to greener pastures is the only way one can hope to earn money and dignity. This is the penalty we have to pay for letting a Pol Potish regime stay for 15 years whose only aim was to fill its coffers without caring for development, order and prosperity. For 15 years, they sucked our blood shamelessly and we were equally shameless in our impassive tolerance. Hope we realize how dearly we have paid for that blunder.

Two years back, I was appearing for an MBA interview for IMT Gaziabad and the interviewer asked me, "As soon as you said that you are from Bihar, I got a very bad taste in my mouth. Why?"

Why?

That lady got a bad taste in her mouth just because she had a lad from a poor, god forsaken state sitting across the table trying to reason with her? Or was it just plain contempt which a privilaged has for the non-privilaged? I am waiting for the day when the likes of her will be paid in kind, when we rise to such heights that they cannot do anything but stare in awe.

Now when I go back home, I can see that we have a Chief Minster who is trying hard to change things for better. He cannot do it all alone, he needs our unwavering support. Why not give him another mandate so that he can finish the work he started five years back?

This is a message to my brethren back home. Elections are round the corner and the forces which plunged our state into darkness for decades have started rising their heads again. Make sure that you choose for better. Do not let Bihar down by being a mute spectator again.

समर शेष है, नहीं पाप का भागी केवल व्याध
जो तटस्थ हैं समय लिखेगा, उनका भी अपराध !

The story of Shilpi Jain.. and her "suicide"

From my old diary dated sometime in 1999 ..

--

It is pathetic to see how short lived our memory is and how quickly we forget and forgive the criminals. If you are from Bihar, let me ask you this- Do you remember the infamous Shilpi-Gautam murder case of 1999 ? I guess not. Here is the reminder ..

On 3rd July 1999, the dead bodies of Shilpi Jain and Gautam Singh were found in a White Maruti Zen in the garage of MLA Quarter number 12 under the Gandhi Maidan Police Station, Patna. Shilpi was the daughter of Ujjwal Kumar Jain, owner of Kamla Stores, Patna. Gautam was an office bearer of thr ruling Rashtriya Janata Dal and a partner of MLA Sadhu Yadav, brother in law of Laloo Yadav, in the Silver Oak restaurent located at Fraser Road, Patna. It is also alleged that Gautam's father, Mr. B.N. Singh played a key role in laundering the money of the famous Fodder scam to Swiss banks through hawala. The couple were reported to be missing for last 7-8 hours.

The investigation was held in a shabby manner from the begining. Even before the police could arrive, supporters of a certain politician came at the spot and started agitating, it was not known how they got to know about the incident. The car along with the dead bodies was actually driven to the police station by a constable and later no finger prints could be found on the steering wheel.

This was just the begining. From the starting, the police was claiming that the deaths happened as a result of accidental carbon monoxide poisoning, completely disregarding the scratches and "shoe marks" on the victims' bodies. Later when the visra report reveled that Shilpi and Gautam had been poisoned with lethal Aluminum XXXXX, the police termed it a sucide case.
The then City SP Mr. Bhatia could not explain why the post mortem report said that semen samples of more than one person were found from Shilpi's body.

Rumors were rife in Patna that the incident actually happened on 2nd July 1999, not at the Gandhi Maidan quarter but at the Valmi premises, and the bodies were brought there by certain influential people.

The case was finally handed over to CBI. The vaginal fluid of Shilpi was sent to Hyderabad for DNA test. However blood sample of a "high profile youth leader" of RJD coudnot be obtained as the person concerned "refused to cooperate". This is how law in India works, one for common people and different for those in power.

The DNA report confirmed that Shilpi was raped by more than one person before she died. Hoever the identity of these persons was not reveled. After long court proceedings, the accused got a clean chit from the court and the matter became another suicide case.

Incidently, the brother of Shilpi Jain was kidnapped a few years later when he was trying to get the case reopened. As a result the case results shut till now.
----


So this is the story of Shilpi Jain, a bubbly, intelligent and beautiful girl who became just another statistics in the suicide records. We will never be able to know whether she really committed suicide or was murdered; and if she was murdered, when will her culprits be booked under the law. The wait seems to go on forever.


==

Some news articles related to this sad story:

1. Shilpi, Gautam committed suicide: CBI

2. New turn in Shilpi case

3. Shilpi Jain's brother kidnapped

4. State in anarchy

5. Sadhu Yadav denies links with deaths

Ruchika case -will we ever get justice for Shilpi Jain?

TV news channels and Newspapers are filled with Ruchika case.. made me very sad to see the abortion of Justice and Democracy. Now since the nation seems to have finally woken up to the injustice meted to Ruchika and her family, there are chances that she will get justice at last.

This reminds me of another girl who was raped and killed along with her boyfriend in Patna years ago. The case was another miscarriage of justice, closed as a suicide case while the criminals went scot free and went on to become Member of Parliament.

She has been dead all these years and the case has been shut down after a "thorough" investigation by the CBI, in which one accused was not tested for DNA because he refused to provide his blood sample.

Will Shilpi ever get justice ?

-- more about Shilpi Jain here --

बेताल की साढ़े सत्ताईसवीं कथा

बेताल उवाच : हे कलियुगी मनुष्य जैसा कि तुझे पता ही होगा ..हर कथा के उपरान्त तुझे मेरे सवालों के ज़वाब देने होंगे वरना तेरा सर फट जायेगा

बेताल : इस दुनिया में एक देश है .. भारत गणराज्य .. जिसका एक राज्य है, बिहार .. वैसे तो गणराज्य होने की प्रथा प्राचीन बिहार से ही निकली थी.. पर जैसे प्राचीन काल में बिहार ने भारत वर्ष को गणराज्य की प्रथा दी वैसे ही आधुनिक युग में 'गन'राज्य की प्रथा भी.

इस महान 'गन'राज्य की प्रथा को कुछ लोग जिन्होंने चारा खाया था उनलोगों ने बहुत ही आगे तक बढाया और बिहार का नाम विश्व पटल पे लहराया ..

पर हरेक अच्छी प्रथा की तरह ये प्रथा भी बिहारी मनुष्यों को ज्यादा दिन तक रास नहीं आई और उन्होंने २००५ में इस प्रथा को बदलने के लिए नितीश कुमार नाम के एक तुच्छ प्राणी को अपने राज्य का मुख्यमंत्री बनवा दिया |
श्री नितीश कुमार जी के आते ही बिहार में जो 'गन'राज्य स्थापित था वो फिर से उसी सड़ी गली और पुरातनपंथी गणराज्य व्यवस्था पे आने लगा जिसे देख कुछ परम बुद्धिजीवी लोगो को वो होने लगा जो स्वाभाविक था .. घुटन ..!!

अब घुटन भी क्यूँ ना हो .. 'गन'राज्य के चले जाने से चिकित्सा क्षेत्र में जो बिहार का परचम लहराता था वो उन्हें खतरे में दिखने लगा क्यूंकि 'गन'राज्य के समय लाशों की कोई कमी नहीं थी ..एक ढूंढो चार मिलते थे 'गन'राज्य की दया से... तो बच्चे उसपे अपने शुश्रुत संहिता के सारे ज्ञान आराम से सीखते थे .. पर गणराज्य में लाशों की घोर कमी हो गयी है और शुश्रुत संहिता अब मृतप्राय होने के कगार पे पहुँच गयी है .. हाय रे बद-इन्तेजामी ..!

'गन'राज्य के जाने से बिहार के कितने ही 'गन' कारखानों पे ताला लग लगा और लोग भूखमरी के कगार पे पहुँच गए .. हाय रे बेरोज़गारी .. किन नासपिटों ने ये गणराज्य लाया ... कितने भले और खुशहाल दिन थे 'गन'राज्य के ..!!

'गन'राज्य के जाते ही अब पुरुष अपनी नव विवाहिताओं को छोड़ दिल्ली पंजाब कमाने नहीं जाते जिसकी वज़ह से अब विरह के गीत नहीं गाये जाते .. 'गन'राज्य के के ज़माने में हर गाँव में हर गली हर कूचे में नव विवाहिताएं विरह का करुण क्रंदन करतीं थीं..

अब हर मोड़ पे विधवा विलाप नहीं होता क्यूंकि गणराज्य में गन रखना अब आम बात नहीं रही .. 'गन'राज्य के ज़माने में चलते फिरते कोई 'गन'धारी किसी भी जीवीत व्यक्ति की आत्मा को परमात्मा से मिला के उसे मोक्ष की प्राप्ति करा देता था और उनकी धर्म पत्नियाँ विधवा विलाप के अलावा कुछ नहीं कर सकती थी इसीलिए पूरे दिन विधवा विलाप करतीं थीं....

किडनैपिंग एवं "अडल्ट-नैपिंग " की वज़ह से मांओ का मार्मिक रुदन जो की 'गन'राज्य की ख़ास पहचान थी अब नहीं रही ...

हाय रे कितने अच्छे दिन थे .. विरह के गीत , विधवा विलाप , मांओ का मार्मिक रुदन .. सांस्कृतिक प्रतिभा अपने चरम पे हुआ करती थी 'गन'राज्य के ज़माने में ..!!!!

अब ये सारी प्रतिभाएं ना जाने कहा गुम हो गयीं ... बिहार की सांस्कृतिक प्रतिभा खोती जा रही है इस गणराज्य में ..


अब चूँकि गणराज्य व्यवस्था ५ साल तक बदली नहीं जा सकती थी तो इन परम बुद्धिजीवियों ने एक तरीका निकला जिससे की 'गन'राज्य वाली परम खुशहाली के दिन फिर से लाये जा सकें .. उन्होंने गणराज्य के दुष्प्रभावों का प्रचार प्रसार करना शुरू किया .. जैसे की लाशों की कमी से शुश्रुत संहिता के ज्ञान का अभाव, 'गन' कारखानों की बंदी से फैलने वाली बेरोज़गारी, विरह ना होने की वज़ह से विरह के गीतों का लुप्तप्राय होना इत्यादि इत्यादि ..! उनके इस प्रचार प्रसार से जो लोग बिहार में नहीं रहते थे उन्हें फिर से लगने लगा की 'गन'राज्य ही बेहतर था ..!

उन परम बुद्धिजीवियों ने अपने संकल्प को पूरा किया और अब बिहार में 'गन'राज्य आने की पूरी सम्भावना है ..!!!


तो हे कलियुगी मनुष्य अब मेरे सवाल का ज़वाब दे .. ऐसे महान बुद्धिजीवियों के होते हुए ओबामा जैसों को शांति का नोबल पुरस्कार मिलना किसकी बेइज्जती है .. ओबामा की .. नोबल पुरस्कार की ..या फिर ऐसे परम बुद्धिजीवियों की ?

~~श्री शतंजय जी निठल्ले महाराज के सौजन्य से

A Bihari in Pardes and the fable of Trishanku ...

During my recent vacation in Patna, while trying to cope with the dust, traffic and eternal chaos of the city and enjoying being in the only place in the world I can call my home, I recalled the story of Trishanku.

Trishanku was a great king, through his education and medication he so surpassed his fellow human beings that Earth was no longer fit enough a place for him to live. So this great man of ours decided that he need not wait for death to come and take him and instead do some tapasya and go to heaven in his mortal body. And hence our king did a great deal of meditation in all sort of difficult poses and was finally able to please the gods. He was allowed to proceed towards heaven and settle down there.

So one fine day, our king bid adieu to Earth and started ascending towards heaven. While he was still halfway, Heaven was gripped with a fear psychosis. The Devas of heaven started fearing that if this human came there while still being identified by his dirty mortal body, it will be pollute the culture of heaven, and if this was allowed then these immigrants will come and take over heaven from the Deavs. They approached Raj Indra, and appealed to him to not to allow this new outsider migrant in heaven. Indra grabbed this opportunity to score some more brawny points showing him the savior of the Devas' asmita.

Using his powers Indra threw Trishanku outta heaven before he was completely settled. Now poor man couldn't even reach the Earth. He was not welcomed in the Heaven as they would never accept him with this identity of his; and could not even go back to Earth for the fear of being called a failure. Till date Trishanku is hanging between Heaven and Earth with his head towards the Earth and legs towards the Heaven. So tragic was the curse that had befallen him.

So while I was on a hard earned 10 days vacation to my home after nearly one year, I remembered Trishanku. I see him often, working in the IT companies, Textile mills, selling panipuri or working as a construction laborer. I see Trishanku every morning in the mirror when I stand infront of it brushing my teeth....

Go to Patna, young man!

~ Courtesy : http://www.bihartodayonline.com
By Suhel Seth
The author is CEO of Equus Redcell Advertising and also a well known businessman.



For starters, it is a better-looking city than most I have ever been to in India. It is certainly better than most parts of Delhi; there are more schools and colleges which have first-rate syllabi and students than the ones run in Delhi and Mumbai: most of which with dubious ownership! The Bihari people are more large-hearted and far brighter than we would have ever believed, and in many ways Bihar today is at the cusp of what I would imagine will be a boom time in its rather sordid history.

I don’t know how much real progress Lalu Prasad Yadav is making with the Indian Railways, the IIM sojourn notwithstanding, but there sure is a silent revolution taking place in Bihar under Nitish Kumar. I never ever imagined that I would visit Patna. For anything. But I did just that last week and am delighted I did. For starters, it is a better-looking city than most I have ever been to in India. It is certainly better than most parts of Delhi; there are more schools and colleges which have first-rate syllabi and students than the ones run in Delhi and Mumbai: most of which with dubious ownership! The Bihari people are more large-hearted and far brighter than we would have ever believed, and in many ways Bihar today is at the cusp of what I would imagine will be a boom time in its rather sordid history. And much of the blame for that must rest with people who’ve governed Bihar.

I sincerely feel that the rulers of Bihar have consistently damaged the cause of Bihar more than anyone else has or will ever do. There are perceptions about it being a mafia state, which are completely untrue. I saw Bihar’s chief secretary drive in a Tata Indigo without any escort, whereas in Delhi and Mumbai every third-tier secretary also uses a silly red light atop his car with fancy escort vehicles. There was none of the red tape that Bihar is so well-known for. I had gone for some work and the presentations that were made by some officers of the Bihar government were first-rate; and it was only then that some interesting trivia about Bihar became all the more relevant.

Bihar today consumes pharmaceutical drugs worth Rs 1,500 crores per annum: the largest consumption amongst any state, and yet the tragedy is, there is no pharma company in Bihar — an outcome of the negligent manner in which Bihar was run at the state-level and the treatment that was meted out to it by the Centre. Bihar today sends more people to the administrative services than any other state in the country. Of the 47,000 odd medical professionals working in the United States, 50 per cent are from Bihar. Bihar contributes 50 per cent to the patient inflow at AIIMS in New Delhi and so on and so forth.

The attitude of the Bihar government has also seemingly changed and it was no surprise that in the week gone by they’ve had Ratan Tata, Ashok Ganguly, Analjit Singh visit them, with people like Anand Mahindra and others expected this week. There is the obvious influence that the well-regarded N.K. Singh wields over the corporate world in India which plays a large role in getting these corporate honchos there. But having said that, one must applaud the changes that are being slowly brought into the very fabric of Bihar. And with N.K. heading the Planning Commission in Bihar, expect some more miracles.

The fact that you finally have a chief minister who is not a clown but a serious politician also helps, aided by people like G.S. Kang, the chief secretary whose integrity is unquestioned. I guess what Bihar now needs to do is cleanse itself of the past it so remarkably engendered and entrenched into people’s minds. In the serious talk for creating better infrastructure, for encouraging medical tourism, optimising the value of the hot sulphur springs in Rajgir, not to mention religious tourism in Bodh Gaya, you have a blend that just might work.

I believe from a marketing point too there is a lot of potential in Bihar that most of us, sadly, have not woken up to. I saw stretches of markets, not some odd number of shops, and I saw for myself the pattern of frenetic consumer buying: much more than what happens in our malls in the metros. I sometimes wonder why people have missed the Bihar bus.

Finally, the fact that the families in Bihar continue to lay a lot of emphasis on education, augurs well. I feel there may also be some merit in Bihar also becoming an important destination for the services backbone that Eastern India so desperately needs. I know Patna sounds a very incredible destination, but I guess this is what Incredible India is all about. We are so consumed by what we see and what we are fed by the so-called urbane media that we fail to observe the silent changes that are occurring right under our noses.
Go to Patna and see how India is really changing.