Kumhrauli sees a new dawn
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Sanjay Mishra
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Darbhanga-09-05-11
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Ahilya had to wait endlessly for lord Ram, to get her salvation. This mythical anecdote is fervently referred to by people in and around Kamtaul area. But villagers of Kumhrauli, which is so close to Ahilya-asthan and Kamtaul, had no such patience nor did they exhibit faith in the intentions of welfare measures of the government. Nothing but hard labor, pumped in year after year, saw fallow lands of Dhamaul Chaur(a bowl shaped land), converted into a fertile area. Today, altogether 80 bighas of sterile land is dotted with wheat crop. The success of Kumhrauli has become a buzz word in the region.
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Kumhrauli is 45 kms away from Darbhanga. Situated in Jale Thana, the village is ravaged by floods of Khiroi river of Adhwara group every year. Faced with this, farming is not seen as a productive venture. Young hands have no other option but to flee to other states for jobs. But Vashi Ahmad had something different in mind. “if we could till the fields in Punjab, why could not we do it in our own village”, said Vashi. Like his co-villagers, most of his ancestral lands are in Dhamaul Chaur.
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He, along with his brothers, started reclaiming the fallow lands for farming in 2001. Initially, people made fun of them. First three years were challenging for this family. In the meantime, they got a tractor financed from a bank. But it was proving to be difficult to repay the installments. The farming done on 10 bighas of land, however, showed expected results. Vashi then persuaded laborers of his village, who had their lands lying in the Chaur, to join his band-wagon instead of opting for Punjab.
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Some of them joined though a bit reluctantly. Now they were not laborers under Vashi. Besides tilling their fields, they worked together on the lands of other farmers taken on lease. The output was distributed among themselves. It reminds us of the working of a commune. In fact, unconsciously, these farmers are showing signs of some sort of a co-operative farming.
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“We are all masters and laborers at the same time, there is no question of one dictating the other”, says Ravi Paswan. According to him, going elsewhere for job is not seen in right esteem now. The remarkable thing of this experiment is that the landless laborers have also been roped in. They get their due share in the produce as if they are landowners. The feeling of becoming farmers from laborers, excite them.
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Shaping the destiny was not easy as government assistance was not there. Beaming Ram Narayan Yadav, a farmer of this village quipped-“getting government help was time consuming and invited hassles……instead we concentrated in our relentless efforts on the farm”. Wheat worth over 20 lakhs of rupees has been produced this year.
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Although this output can not be described as bumper, but people involved in the pursuit are high in spirit. Besides contacting other farmers of Kumhrauli they have sent feelers to nearby villages also. The target is to reclaim 2200 acres of fallow lands of Dhamaul and other Chaurs in the ad-joining area. Their patience is worth praising for they are banking on a single crop of wheat. Paddy crop is not possible due to flood.
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Saturday, May 14, 2011
Monday, May 2, 2011
hope from east
Sanjay Mishra
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Darbhanga – 01-05-11
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The rumpus in politico-social life of mainstream India, usually, leaves little scope for anyone to ponder over North-East. Most of the time, the area is remembered as one of the sore spots of India. It is true this region is still un-free from the shackles of insurgency. But in the midst of it all, a ray of hope is emanating from Arunachal Pradesh, the 24th state of India. The state stands out alone in the cascade often referred to as the seven sisters.
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Very few Indians have the inkling that Arunachal Pradesh is rapidly moving on the path of progress. The state is soon going to replace Chhatisgarh as the power hub of India. The credit for this changed scenario of peace and progress is given to Dorjee Khandu, the chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh. So far, the missing Pawan Hans chopper carrying Dorjee, is untraceable. And it has sent ripples throughout the country. Arunachali’s are shell-shocked.
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Arunachal Pradesh is surrounded by borders with China, Bhutan and Tibet. It makes the state highly sensitive. Repeated Chinese claim over major portions of Arunachal although teases Indian policy makers, common people in the state have remained composed. They have tried hard to ward off the bitter memories of 1962 war when they were caught in one of the main theatres of Chinese invasion. Improved infra-structural facilities in Chinese territory across the border, at times, brew in anguish in some pockets in bordering areas, but common Arunachalis repose faith in the intentions of Dorjee. The ‘jan seva’ doctrine initiated by Dorjee and his emphasis on all-round progress of the state as ‘dharma’ are curiously looked upon by them.
-----
A patriotic person at the core, Dorjee Khandu, started his career in defense services. After seven years of service he switched over to social work. In the mean-time, the 21st century vision of Rajiv Gandhi allured him towards politics. He cherished to make Arunachal at par with the mainstream India.
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Dorjee government has embarked upon an era of developmental activities. Welfare schemes have been launched on a large scale. On the front of human development index, indicators show sharp improvement. Today, big investors see this state as a land of happening. Glowing faces in traditional attire, tell all about the hope enthused. The simple and pious life of Dorjee has helped in endearing people. Political analysts in Arunachal are habitual in dubbing him as common man’s Chief-Minister rather than a congress CM.
-----
Dorjee Khandu invited volley of allegations in 2006, when he participated in the National Day Celebrations of China. He then said that his act was intended to sooth the acrimony across the border. He further made his famous remark that ‘the patriotism of Arunachalis was as deep as Indian ocean and as high as the Himalayas’. Dorjee’s intense involvement in shaping the destiny of Arunachal Pradesh has set high standards in governance, for the governments ruling in sister states.
----
-------------------
Darbhanga – 01-05-11
------------------------------
The rumpus in politico-social life of mainstream India, usually, leaves little scope for anyone to ponder over North-East. Most of the time, the area is remembered as one of the sore spots of India. It is true this region is still un-free from the shackles of insurgency. But in the midst of it all, a ray of hope is emanating from Arunachal Pradesh, the 24th state of India. The state stands out alone in the cascade often referred to as the seven sisters.
-----
Very few Indians have the inkling that Arunachal Pradesh is rapidly moving on the path of progress. The state is soon going to replace Chhatisgarh as the power hub of India. The credit for this changed scenario of peace and progress is given to Dorjee Khandu, the chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh. So far, the missing Pawan Hans chopper carrying Dorjee, is untraceable. And it has sent ripples throughout the country. Arunachali’s are shell-shocked.
-----
Arunachal Pradesh is surrounded by borders with China, Bhutan and Tibet. It makes the state highly sensitive. Repeated Chinese claim over major portions of Arunachal although teases Indian policy makers, common people in the state have remained composed. They have tried hard to ward off the bitter memories of 1962 war when they were caught in one of the main theatres of Chinese invasion. Improved infra-structural facilities in Chinese territory across the border, at times, brew in anguish in some pockets in bordering areas, but common Arunachalis repose faith in the intentions of Dorjee. The ‘jan seva’ doctrine initiated by Dorjee and his emphasis on all-round progress of the state as ‘dharma’ are curiously looked upon by them.
-----
A patriotic person at the core, Dorjee Khandu, started his career in defense services. After seven years of service he switched over to social work. In the mean-time, the 21st century vision of Rajiv Gandhi allured him towards politics. He cherished to make Arunachal at par with the mainstream India.
-----
Dorjee government has embarked upon an era of developmental activities. Welfare schemes have been launched on a large scale. On the front of human development index, indicators show sharp improvement. Today, big investors see this state as a land of happening. Glowing faces in traditional attire, tell all about the hope enthused. The simple and pious life of Dorjee has helped in endearing people. Political analysts in Arunachal are habitual in dubbing him as common man’s Chief-Minister rather than a congress CM.
-----
Dorjee Khandu invited volley of allegations in 2006, when he participated in the National Day Celebrations of China. He then said that his act was intended to sooth the acrimony across the border. He further made his famous remark that ‘the patriotism of Arunachalis was as deep as Indian ocean and as high as the Himalayas’. Dorjee’s intense involvement in shaping the destiny of Arunachal Pradesh has set high standards in governance, for the governments ruling in sister states.
----
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