Dr Chandrakant Patil was a young medical student at KEM college at Mumbai. He travelled all the way from Mumbai to the Kosi region of Bihar to serve the flood ravaged people. While serving the suffering humanity, he was struck by lightning and lost his life. Dr Patil comes from a rather humble background. His father is a mill worker and his mother is a house wife. His younger sister is a student. His family had great hopes from him as he was effectively the sole bread winner for them. http://www.patnadaily.com/news2008/sept/092208/doctor_killed_by_lightening.html
His supreme sacrifice is especially laudable since it has come at a time of increased regional chauvinism. It is like a balm to the divisiveness that we see all around us. We have been justifiably vocal in voicing our protest against the cancer of regional chauvinism. Now let us come forward to the aid of the family of a person who gave his life rising above such narrow sectarianism. It is through such gestures that we can combat the poison of divisiveness.We earnestly appeal to all of you to contribute generously. Guneshwar Anand (a guy known to me) has volunteered to collect the money on our behalf. You may send your contribution to the bank account of
Guneshwar Anand A/C No. 016501513442 ICICI Bank.
He will personally visit his family to hand over the money. Full details of this campaign can be seen at the blog
http://drchandrakantpatil.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Maharashtra not among top five destinations for Bihari migrants
According to a recent survey by
What is noteworthy is that this survey pertains to 2005-06 and hence a period which precedes the recent anti Bihari tirade. Another study by TISS and IPSS had estimated the migrants from Bihar to
All this makes one wonder what is all this fuss about Biharis swamping Mumbai and changing its culture. Are these just political gimmicks?
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Rajdeep and Goa- lessons in media management
Have a look at the blog of the great moralist Rajdeep Sardesai.
http://www.ibnlive.com/blogs/rajdeepsardesai/1/50559/goan-with-the-wind.html
The same Rajdeep Sardesai who does not hesitate to use terms like Biharisation to describe crime of any hue is disturbed that Goa's image is getting sullied due to Keeling murder.
It is a case of crime, of murder. If I am not mistaken, the primary duty of the state is to maintain law and order and prevent of crime. In Goa, most politicians, whether the CM or other ministers, have taken turn to publicly blame the parenting, family value and god knows what else for the crime. I have not heard even an opposition leader to point to the failure of the state to act in time. No one of any stature from the state government thought it fit to explain why the investigation was shoddy and why the accused was not arrested until the mother of the murdered made such a noise about the affair.
The great moralist Rajdeep does not see anything wrong in it. He is more worried about the image of his beloved state. I can only compare the news with the way the likes of Rajdeep react when a much smaller incident takes place in Bihar which they roundly condemn. Take the case of the minister of rural development Raghuvansh Prasad Singh. Reader's will recall his family was accused of employing children for ploughing the field with pictures showing what was clearly giving 'henga' or 'chowki' Or the case of Anant Singh, MLA, wrongly accused of murdering a muslim girl which DNA tests proved was totally false. Or the thrashing of the motorcycle thief which was relayed ad infinitum on TV.
What are these if not instances of double standard - of morality being made into a hand maiden of convenience?
As a Bihari, it is perhaps best to take this as a lesson in image management. It is also an opportunity to analyse how Bihar's image has been tarnished by the media to suit their end of selling their channels and earning their ad revenue.
http://www.ibnlive.com/blogs
The same Rajdeep Sardesai who does not hesitate to use terms like Biharisation to describe crime of any hue is disturbed that Goa's image is getting sullied due to Keeling murder.
It is a case of crime, of murder. If I am not mistaken, the primary duty of the state is to maintain law and order and prevent of crime. In Goa, most politicians, whether the CM or other ministers, have taken turn to publicly blame the parenting, family value and god knows what else for the crime. I have not heard even an opposition leader to point to the failure of the state to act in time. No one of any stature from the state government thought it fit to explain why the investigation was shoddy and why the accused was not arrested until the mother of the murdered made such a noise about the affair.
The great moralist Rajdeep does not see anything wrong in it. He is more worried about the image of his beloved state. I can only compare the news with the way the likes of Rajdeep react when a much smaller incident takes place in Bihar which they roundly condemn. Take the case of the minister of rural development Raghuvansh Prasad Singh. Reader's will recall his family was accused of employing children for ploughing the field with pictures showing what was clearly giving 'henga' or 'chowki' Or the case of Anant Singh, MLA, wrongly accused of murdering a muslim girl which DNA tests proved was totally false. Or the thrashing of the motorcycle thief which was relayed ad infinitum on TV.
What are these if not instances of double standard - of morality being made into a hand maiden of convenience?
As a Bihari, it is perhaps best to take this as a lesson in image management. It is also an opportunity to analyse how Bihar's image has been tarnished by the media to suit their end of selling their channels and earning their ad revenue.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Focus on the migrant issue of Bihar
Nitin Chandra, a young film maker who is a native of Patna, is making a documentary on the on migration issue facing Bihar - agitation in Maharashtra as well as the lynching of Biharis by ULFA thugs in Assam. This is the link to the promo of the film
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGV-2xmiD0k
An article on the issue was written by Bihar CM Nitish Kumar himself in the Indian Express
http://www.indianexpress.com/sunday/story/282073.html
I thought very thoughtful and balanced thinking in an atmosphere supercharged by histrionics
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGV-2xmiD0k
An article on the issue was written by Bihar CM Nitish Kumar himself in the Indian Express
http://www.indianexpress.com/sunday/story/282073.html
I thought very thoughtful and balanced thinking in an atmosphere supercharged by histrionics
Management Institute at Patna - A dream becomes reality
Friends
A committed low profile state govt in India has been quietly working at improving the lot its people. The law and order is better, the roads are better and the primary health centers now have doctors and medicines which the people now find worth visiting. Last year's war with the floods (UN called it the worst in living memory) has been fought pretty well. Basic things like classes and examinations being held on time have been achieved.The state now moves to improve the educational infrastructure to the next level.
As part of this initiative, a management institute will start working at Patna this summer. Supported by the state govt, financially and much more crucially, with an emotional bonding now rarely seen between politicians and the people, it has behind it a vast body of experienced professionals, from Bihar and other places. Apart from teaching post graduate students, it will also have a research center for appropriate technology focussed on powerful ideas that can change the lives of the people.
The management institute, named Chandragupt Institute of Management, Patna (CIMP) has a constitution that will make it highly autonomous so that professionals running it can take it to the envisaged heights of excellence much like the Patna Science College and Netarhat Vidyalaya of yore. All the learnings of the past have been put into it to make it stoutly autonomous.The first director would be Prof V Mukundas, formerly of IIM A. A number of other faculty members, both serving and retired, as well as professionals from the industry, are working for it. The syllabus is largely drawn from those of IIMs and XLRI. The admission would be through combined admission test (CAT) of the IIMs.
Please do visit its website
www.cimp.in
Warm regards
Thakur Vikas Sinha
A committed low profile state govt in India has been quietly working at improving the lot its people. The law and order is better, the roads are better and the primary health centers now have doctors and medicines which the people now find worth visiting. Last year's war with the floods (UN called it the worst in living memory) has been fought pretty well. Basic things like classes and examinations being held on time have been achieved.The state now moves to improve the educational infrastructure to the next level.
As part of this initiative, a management institute will start working at Patna this summer. Supported by the state govt, financially and much more crucially, with an emotional bonding now rarely seen between politicians and the people, it has behind it a vast body of experienced professionals, from Bihar and other places. Apart from teaching post graduate students, it will also have a research center for appropriate technology focussed on powerful ideas that can change the lives of the people.
The management institute, named Chandragupt Institute of Management, Patna (CIMP) has a constitution that will make it highly autonomous so that professionals running it can take it to the envisaged heights of excellence much like the Patna Science College and Netarhat Vidyalaya of yore. All the learnings of the past have been put into it to make it stoutly autonomous.The first director would be Prof V Mukundas, formerly of IIM A. A number of other faculty members, both serving and retired, as well as professionals from the industry, are working for it. The syllabus is largely drawn from those of IIMs and XLRI. The admission would be through combined admission test (CAT) of the IIMs.
Please do visit its website
www.cimp.in
Warm regards
Thakur Vikas Sinha
Thursday, November 01, 2007
The glue of culture
Culture is such a powerful and beautiful thing - it binds where there is nothing else to bind. How else can you explain the closeness one feels when one goes to an island in Africa from Bihar and feels that one has come home. Neither is the terrain similar, nor are the people related to you or are your old friends. Yet they feel like your own, someone calls you beta and your spouse beti - they open their home to you as if you are their long lost brother.
I am really thankful to Santosh for having shared the beautiful vacation at Mauritius where indentured labourers were taken from Bihar more than a hundred years ago. Amazing how they have preserved their culture and how they give you a welcome.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this blogpost.
I am really thankful to Santosh for having shared the beautiful vacation at Mauritius where indentured labourers were taken from Bihar more than a hundred years ago. Amazing how they have preserved their culture and how they give you a welcome.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this blogpost.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)