A wave of unrest is sweeping across Western Uttar Pradesh over the land acquired for the Yamuna Expressway project. Two people were killed in police action and the protests have found an echo in Parliament, whose proceedings were disrupted by agitated Members. The developments could lead to a new phase of political mobilisation in the state against the Mayawati-led BSP government and could eventually stall the controversial infrastructure project.
The state government tried to silence the protests by hiking the compensation but it found only a few takers for the sop. What has complicated the issue is that land was being acquired not just for the road project but also for townships to be built by the private party in charge of constructing the expressway.
This leads one to the larger question of land acquisitions and the scope of the government in developing infrastructure projects. While there is a logic for the government to acquire land to construct roads, the million dollar question is whether it should also facilitate development of townships alongside by private builders.
As a commentator rightly put it, “a skewed understanding of what constitutes public purpose and private interests is at the heart of the problem. Clearly, the state government ought to have focussed on building the road and allowed market forces to transform villages alongside the road into urban centres in an organic manner.”
Recently, a Supreme Court Bench of Justices Aftab Alam and B.S. Chauhan, in a judgment said: “the whole issue of development appears to be so simple, logical and commonsensical. And yet, to millions of Indians, development is a dreadful and hateful word that is aimed at denying them even the source of their sustenance.”
The Bench said “the resistance with which the state's well meaning efforts at development and economic growth are met makes one to think about the reasons for such opposition to the state's endeavours for development. Why is the state's perception and vision of development at such great odds with the people it purports to develop? And why are their rights so dispensable?
Justice Alam said the fears expressed by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in the Constituent Assembly had been confirmed. “A blinkered vision of development, complete apathy towards those who are highly adversely affected by the development process and a cynical unconcern for the enforcement of the laws lead to a situation where the rights and benefits promised and guaranteed under the Constitution hardly ever reach the most marginalised citizens.”
“This is not to say that the relevant laws are perfect and very sympathetic towards the dispossessed. There are various studies that detail the impact of dispossession from their lands on tribal people. On many occasions laws are implemented only partially. The scheme of land acquisition often comes with assurances of schools, hospitals, roads, and employment. The initial promises, however, mostly remain illusory”, the apex court observed.
Way back in April 2007, the Karnataka High Court had stated that the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board was “indiscriminately” acquiring agricultural land in and around Bangalore and Bangalore urban and rural districts and Board officials had thrown all norms to the winds and in some cases, acquired entire villages.
Indeed, according to credible report, the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor project has become an instrument of land grab in collusion with Government officials, who have even allegedly misled the Supreme Court, suppressed vital records and documents to favour the developer and reportedly submitted forged records to the Supreme Court.
Instead of 20,000 acres as originally conceived, 30,000 acres were notified and the project company Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises Ltd (NICEL) has allegedly registered several hundred acres of notified land around Bangalore through benami transactions in the name of its employees and business associates and the Board has permitted the same.
Instead of about 70% of land coming back to Government under BOOT (Build, own, operate, transfer), records have allegedly been forged to sell more than half the land. Whereas only a fraction of land was required in and around Bangalore for road construction alone, now half the acquisition is in Bangalore itself and the company has been permitted by forged records to sell land it was supposed to return to Government. This includes patta lands given to Dalits and weaker sections and burial grounds of minority communities.
While the courts approved acquisition of only dry and waste land for the project, records were allegedly forged to acquire even agricultural and forest lands.
When the affected farmers protested against the injustice meted out to them, the police brutally caned them. The muscle men of the company also allegedly tortured them.
In its factsheet on SEZs and land acquisitions, the Delhi-based Citizens’ Research Collective makes a comparative study of the Indian and Chinese experiences vis-a-vis SEZs and points out that while mostly coastal wasteland has been given for SEZs in China, in India, it has been mostly fertile cultivated land.
Unlike in China, where the ownership of such zones rests with the state, in India, it lies with the private corporations and yes, despite the highly successful experience of Shenzhen, the Chinese have gone only for seven SEZs so far whereas in India, where SEZs have been largely unsuccessful and faced bloody, bitter resistance, we are going for 400-500 zones, more than the total number in the world.
There are enough reasons to believe that the skewed land acquisition policy has contributed to the growth of the Naxalite movement in the country, which the Forbes magazine recently described as India’s Dirty War.
I wish to conclude by quoting from a document prepared by Mr Vidya Bhushan Rawat, Convenor of the National Land Alliance. He asks, “one does not understand why the Government wants to give thousands of hectares of land which is agricultural land, for non-agricultural purposes. Where are farmers in the entire structure? Where are the Dalits and tribals in the entire structure of SEZ? In fact, shamelessly, the Government documents do not talk of their participation. It talks of job growth but it does not talk of how many thousands of people are uprooted from their homes and culture. If these were easy questions to answer, there would not have been any problems.”
The experiences in Singur, Nandigram, Chhatisgarh,Orissa and Bangalore highlight the need for a progressive land acquisition law that clarifies the role and responsibility of the state, the private sector and the stakeholders, in the matter of land acquisitions. We can afford to ignore this festering wound only at our peril.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Independence Day Musings
After decades of humiliating existence as a tenant (often treated worse than animals), I finally bought a house of my own. To call it a house would be an overstatement as it only had three box like rooms surrounded by four halls, a small courtyard, a dirty toilet and a dilapidated bathroom and of course, a small chamber where the earlier owners used to cook food, which they lovingly called kitchen. The plaster had come out at most places. There were no cupboards, no proper electric wiring and even the sewerage system was in a mess.
Though I paid a premium to even buy this ‘hot’ property in East Delhi, I knew right from day one that I had to spend a good fortune renovating it. Well, renovation would be an understatement as the house in question virtually required to be rebuilt except that the basic structure would not be pulled down as there were three other similarly fragile flats resting on its tender shoulders.
Thus began a long journey, which not only taught me the nitty-gritties of building a house but also of building a nation and life itself. To begin with the local contractor promised me everything under the sun much like our khadi-clad politicians and with every passing day, he made a sharp u-turn on all of those promises.
Then came the architect and engineer to supervise the work as it progressed much like our Vigilance officials or Chief Election Commissioners and much of the guidelines laid down by them were flouted with impunity the way the model code is violated and yes, there were excuses galore with the maximum blame falling at the doorstep of the ‘mistry’ or the mason under whom the labourers work, much akin to the manner in which the bureaucrats are blamed for the acts of commission and omission on the part of the politicians.
But the labourers too were not the poor and innocent ones like those projected in movies such as ‘Do Bigha Zameen’. They have become worldly wise. Like Sarkari babus, they take an hour or more for lunch followed by a light nap. Prod them as much but they have already made up their mind on the quantum of work they had planned for the day. What’s more, they also want their pound of ‘chai-paani’, not to bestow any favour on us but to do their work properly. “Hamara Khyal rakhiye to hum aapka khyal rakhenge” – this after paying whatever the contractor had asked for.
But once you loosen your purse strings, don’t think the job has become easier. Go for a second visit to the site and one will find them not doing the work they were told to do and there is a stock answer, “thekedaar ne bataya nahin” (the contractor has not instructed us). Then, there is a flurry of calls between the Engineer and the contractor and the ‘mistry’ (or is it mystery?). One feels like a pensioner running from pillar to post for his monthly sustenance. But no hearts melt here. You are the milch cow, the Kamadhenu, on whom depends the prosperity of one and all.
Yes, the officials of the Municipal Corporation, the Development Authority, the local police station who have no time to attend to water logged roads, unauthorised constructions and incidents of rampant chain snatching and eve-teasing in your neighbourhood, have all the time at their disposal to get their ‘baksheesh’ for the new home, much like the fixers who try to cut corners in every Government project.
We also have the Pakistans and Chinas in our neighbourhood, who are less concerned about the unrest in their provinces, such as the leaky taps and broken walls but are more bothered about how many windows the new house has, how deep is the column and how would my children play if the courtyard is covered. They are so concerned that they even threaten to call the police.
Again, you are mistaken if you think you have given the money (vote) to the contractor (ruling class) and your worries are over. On the contrary, you have to face the whims and fancies of multiple agencies including plumber, electrician, carpenter, grill maker et al (panchayat, municipality, PWD, state Government).
What’s more, they don’t have qualms even in attempting to grease the palms of the Election Commission or the Vigilance Commission. The architect and engineer are promised a handsome cut for passing the substandard material, much in the manner the Anti Corruption department or the CBI officials are taken care of. Sometimes, even your own employee whom you had entrusted to supervise takes the bait and tries to strike when the iron is hot. Eternal vigilance, indeed, is the price of liberty, as the fence itself is lured to eat the crop. If this ruse fails, then the work on your dream house is delayed endlessly, much like the bridge in your village, the dispensary in your locality. He keeps promising, you keep waiting and mind you, this is private enterprise.
What we lack as a nation is character, honesty and integrity. Let us face it. Ignoring this and indulging in self adulation as an upcoming super power would only be at our own peril. Let us not have delusions and illusions. We have all become the worshippers of mammon. We have become a nation of shirkers who want to make a fast buck somehow, by hook or crook. Let us not hoodwink ourselves by blaming the politicians alone. We all need to introspect.
I am not sure when my house, my dream home, would finally see the light of the day, but I am sure, my dream nation would take a long time to take shape, if we continue on the same path.
Happy Independence Day!
Though I paid a premium to even buy this ‘hot’ property in East Delhi, I knew right from day one that I had to spend a good fortune renovating it. Well, renovation would be an understatement as the house in question virtually required to be rebuilt except that the basic structure would not be pulled down as there were three other similarly fragile flats resting on its tender shoulders.
Thus began a long journey, which not only taught me the nitty-gritties of building a house but also of building a nation and life itself. To begin with the local contractor promised me everything under the sun much like our khadi-clad politicians and with every passing day, he made a sharp u-turn on all of those promises.
Then came the architect and engineer to supervise the work as it progressed much like our Vigilance officials or Chief Election Commissioners and much of the guidelines laid down by them were flouted with impunity the way the model code is violated and yes, there were excuses galore with the maximum blame falling at the doorstep of the ‘mistry’ or the mason under whom the labourers work, much akin to the manner in which the bureaucrats are blamed for the acts of commission and omission on the part of the politicians.
But the labourers too were not the poor and innocent ones like those projected in movies such as ‘Do Bigha Zameen’. They have become worldly wise. Like Sarkari babus, they take an hour or more for lunch followed by a light nap. Prod them as much but they have already made up their mind on the quantum of work they had planned for the day. What’s more, they also want their pound of ‘chai-paani’, not to bestow any favour on us but to do their work properly. “Hamara Khyal rakhiye to hum aapka khyal rakhenge” – this after paying whatever the contractor had asked for.
But once you loosen your purse strings, don’t think the job has become easier. Go for a second visit to the site and one will find them not doing the work they were told to do and there is a stock answer, “thekedaar ne bataya nahin” (the contractor has not instructed us). Then, there is a flurry of calls between the Engineer and the contractor and the ‘mistry’ (or is it mystery?). One feels like a pensioner running from pillar to post for his monthly sustenance. But no hearts melt here. You are the milch cow, the Kamadhenu, on whom depends the prosperity of one and all.
Yes, the officials of the Municipal Corporation, the Development Authority, the local police station who have no time to attend to water logged roads, unauthorised constructions and incidents of rampant chain snatching and eve-teasing in your neighbourhood, have all the time at their disposal to get their ‘baksheesh’ for the new home, much like the fixers who try to cut corners in every Government project.
We also have the Pakistans and Chinas in our neighbourhood, who are less concerned about the unrest in their provinces, such as the leaky taps and broken walls but are more bothered about how many windows the new house has, how deep is the column and how would my children play if the courtyard is covered. They are so concerned that they even threaten to call the police.
Again, you are mistaken if you think you have given the money (vote) to the contractor (ruling class) and your worries are over. On the contrary, you have to face the whims and fancies of multiple agencies including plumber, electrician, carpenter, grill maker et al (panchayat, municipality, PWD, state Government).
What’s more, they don’t have qualms even in attempting to grease the palms of the Election Commission or the Vigilance Commission. The architect and engineer are promised a handsome cut for passing the substandard material, much in the manner the Anti Corruption department or the CBI officials are taken care of. Sometimes, even your own employee whom you had entrusted to supervise takes the bait and tries to strike when the iron is hot. Eternal vigilance, indeed, is the price of liberty, as the fence itself is lured to eat the crop. If this ruse fails, then the work on your dream house is delayed endlessly, much like the bridge in your village, the dispensary in your locality. He keeps promising, you keep waiting and mind you, this is private enterprise.
What we lack as a nation is character, honesty and integrity. Let us face it. Ignoring this and indulging in self adulation as an upcoming super power would only be at our own peril. Let us not have delusions and illusions. We have all become the worshippers of mammon. We have become a nation of shirkers who want to make a fast buck somehow, by hook or crook. Let us not hoodwink ourselves by blaming the politicians alone. We all need to introspect.
I am not sure when my house, my dream home, would finally see the light of the day, but I am sure, my dream nation would take a long time to take shape, if we continue on the same path.
Happy Independence Day!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Wizard of Needles
Imagine a visually challenged person perfecting the art and science of inserting needles to heal others! Unbelievable but Anil Kumar has proved the skeptics wrong and established his credentials as a wizard of needles – a story which has been beautifully brought before the world by journalist Deepak Parvatiyar in his debut documentary, which was released at the India International Centre recently before a discerning and distinguished audience and the saving grace was that there were no politicians around.
The Wizard of Needles is an inspiring story of how physical disabilities cannot be a deterrent to one's achievements and ambition to serve mankind. “This is a story that can motivate others. Here all characters are real,” said Parvatiyar.
Anil was a five-year-old child when he lost his eyesight due to meningitis. He was hospitalized for two years and his optical nerves had to be removed to save his life. He braved all odds to become an acupuncturist. In 2003, the President of India presented Anil the National Award for his achievements. The Wizard of Needles documents the true story of this indomitable human spirit to achieve the impossible.
“I was inspired to make this documentary as I was swayed by Anil’s zest for life. His life story is very inspiring and I am sure the documentary will inspire people never to lose hope and faith,” Parvatiyar, a journalist with an experience of over 20 years in print and electronic media, said. The Wizard of Needles is Parvatiyar’s maiden directorial venture. In the documentary, he has used his narrative skills blended with excellent Indian classical music that conjures up morning freshness and invokes hope and eternal optimism. His novel use of quotations to underline the importance of a scene is quite innovative. Anil's deep faith in God adds a new dimension to the film that is all about hope and faith. The film has been shot over a period of about two years in Delhi, Kolkata and Bijnor.
May Anil’s life and struggles inspire not only the differently abled but also the so-called normal individuals who are too scared to face the challenges of life and resorts to short cuts including drugs and suicides.
May the tribe of journalists like Deepak Parvatiyar, who are moved by such human interest stories and not craving for sensationalism and instant fame, increase.
Both the Government and the private sector should encourage such noble and innovative endeavours.
The Wizard of Needles is an inspiring story of how physical disabilities cannot be a deterrent to one's achievements and ambition to serve mankind. “This is a story that can motivate others. Here all characters are real,” said Parvatiyar.
Anil was a five-year-old child when he lost his eyesight due to meningitis. He was hospitalized for two years and his optical nerves had to be removed to save his life. He braved all odds to become an acupuncturist. In 2003, the President of India presented Anil the National Award for his achievements. The Wizard of Needles documents the true story of this indomitable human spirit to achieve the impossible.
“I was inspired to make this documentary as I was swayed by Anil’s zest for life. His life story is very inspiring and I am sure the documentary will inspire people never to lose hope and faith,” Parvatiyar, a journalist with an experience of over 20 years in print and electronic media, said. The Wizard of Needles is Parvatiyar’s maiden directorial venture. In the documentary, he has used his narrative skills blended with excellent Indian classical music that conjures up morning freshness and invokes hope and eternal optimism. His novel use of quotations to underline the importance of a scene is quite innovative. Anil's deep faith in God adds a new dimension to the film that is all about hope and faith. The film has been shot over a period of about two years in Delhi, Kolkata and Bijnor.
May Anil’s life and struggles inspire not only the differently abled but also the so-called normal individuals who are too scared to face the challenges of life and resorts to short cuts including drugs and suicides.
May the tribe of journalists like Deepak Parvatiyar, who are moved by such human interest stories and not craving for sensationalism and instant fame, increase.
Both the Government and the private sector should encourage such noble and innovative endeavours.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Mani Speaks, Money Sings
The Commonwealth Games has once again hogged the headlines for the wrong reasons. This time, former Sports Minister Mani Shankar Iyer has expressed doubts over the success of the games, leveled bribery charges, raised concerns over the escalating costs and maintained that the funds could have been better utilized for developing sports in the country as also developmental activities. On expected lines, the Organising Committee and the Congress party have defended the games. The spat has once again sparked off a fresh round of debate whether a poor country like India can afford to spend so much money on just building sports infrastructure.
Reports of thousands of tonnes of wheat rotting in a nation where millions find it hard to arrange two square meals a day only substantiates this argument. Moreover, except in cricket and in some individual games such as snooker, badminton, chess etc, we are yet to arrive on the world stage as a major sporting nation. China hosted the Olympics after becoming a sports power to reckon with internationally.
Yes, we need more warehouses to store grain in this country than stadia, which are more often used to organize music concerts and mango festivals. Delhi can do with more planning and less flyovers and subways. The upgradation of the airport and the expansion of the Metro need not be linked to the Games. But yes, we can certainly do without demolishing the existing tiled footpaths and laying new ones in their place. There is certainly more to the expenses than meets the eye. Many new billionaires have been created, courtesy the sticky fingers on the games funds.
Yet, isn’t it too late now to call the bluff? We are only two months away from the games and most certainly, this is not the time to hang the boots. All the advantages and disadvantages of hosting the event should have been thought about before making the bid in the first place. For the time being, let us put our acts together and make the Games a resounding success, an event that the World will remember for a long, long time like the Beijing Olympics and the recent soccer World Cup in South Africa.
As I mentioned in my last piece, let the Commonwealth Games be the catalyst for turning into a global sports power. Let these new stadia and sports complexes serve as the foundations to nurture our budding talents across the country.
As for the corruption involved, we can always have a Joint Parliamentary Committee or a CBI probe once the games are over. Investigations into corruption, after all, has itself become a national sport and entertainment over the years with the ‘Common Man’ ending up as the jest or the joker. Why ‘Commonwealth’ should be an exception?
Reports of thousands of tonnes of wheat rotting in a nation where millions find it hard to arrange two square meals a day only substantiates this argument. Moreover, except in cricket and in some individual games such as snooker, badminton, chess etc, we are yet to arrive on the world stage as a major sporting nation. China hosted the Olympics after becoming a sports power to reckon with internationally.
Yes, we need more warehouses to store grain in this country than stadia, which are more often used to organize music concerts and mango festivals. Delhi can do with more planning and less flyovers and subways. The upgradation of the airport and the expansion of the Metro need not be linked to the Games. But yes, we can certainly do without demolishing the existing tiled footpaths and laying new ones in their place. There is certainly more to the expenses than meets the eye. Many new billionaires have been created, courtesy the sticky fingers on the games funds.
Yet, isn’t it too late now to call the bluff? We are only two months away from the games and most certainly, this is not the time to hang the boots. All the advantages and disadvantages of hosting the event should have been thought about before making the bid in the first place. For the time being, let us put our acts together and make the Games a resounding success, an event that the World will remember for a long, long time like the Beijing Olympics and the recent soccer World Cup in South Africa.
As I mentioned in my last piece, let the Commonwealth Games be the catalyst for turning into a global sports power. Let these new stadia and sports complexes serve as the foundations to nurture our budding talents across the country.
As for the corruption involved, we can always have a Joint Parliamentary Committee or a CBI probe once the games are over. Investigations into corruption, after all, has itself become a national sport and entertainment over the years with the ‘Common Man’ ending up as the jest or the joker. Why ‘Commonwealth’ should be an exception?
Monday, July 12, 2010
India as world soccer champs
The tremendous interest the recent soccer World Cup generated in India once again proved wrong the propaganda that cricket is religion for all Indians. Football always had great fan following in many parts of the country including West Bengal, Goa, Kerala and the North-East but thanks to the heavy financial stakes, advertisement revenue and television rights involved in cricket, all other sports remained marginalized and cricket grew at the expense of other disciplines.
Soccer clubs have thrived in these states and in states such as West Bengal, more than the Gotra so obsessively followed in some northern parts of the country, it is the loyalty to the football club (East Bengal, Mohun Bagan etc) which is a major criteria in matrimonial matters. In fact, there are even specific fish menus to mark the victory or defeat of these teams.
Not that there was or is any dearth of talent in other sports disciplines. Hockey, India’s own national game, notwithstanding its steady decline over the years, continues to get honours for the country including the recent Azlan Shah trophy. In individual events too, whether it be chess, snooker, boxing, shooting (India’s first Olympic Gold medalist Abhinav Bindra), athletics (P T Usha etc), weightlifting etc, Indians have proved that they are second to none in the world.
Badminton is another arena where Indians have proved their excellence time and again, from the days of Prakash Padukone to the recent victories of Saina Nehwal, Jwala Gutta, Chetan Anand et al. In tennis, Leander Paes along with Kara Black once again made history recently in the mixed doubles event. Even in motor car racing, we have world class drivers such as Chandihoke and Narain Karthikeyan. We have registered impressive victories in South Asian, Asian and Commonwealth Games.
One can go on and on. Yet, the fact remains that other sports received scant attention as against cricket. Cricketers remain our national icons even as they laugh their way into the banks. The recent IPL controversy and oft-repeated charges of match fixing have proved that cricket is not just about sports. There is huge money involved and even big names in the world of business and politics such as Vijay Mallya and Sharad Pawar have great stakes in them.
For a change, it was a sheer delight to see boys playing football in the neighbourhood parks and playing grounds. Here was team spirit and work at play. In South Africa too, one did not see players working for individual glory and new records. They were all playing to see their country win. And back home, it was depressing to see not one player protesting against the cash-rich BCCI’s decision not to participate in the upcoming Asian Games, where cricket is being introduced for the first time. The match fee has become more attractive for our advertisement driven player-turned-models than glory for the country. Certainly, they have become too upmarket to even contemplate staying in a games village.
Of course, one doesn’t hold a brief against cricket. All said and done, cricket has brought glory to the nation as also to individuals. We are proud that India has produced world class players such as Sachin Tendulkar, who are revered all over cricketdom. The only point is that a nation of a billion plus just cannot confine itself to a game played by eleven players. We have talents across the sporting spectrum and they need to be honed and harnessed for the greater glory of the nation.
When so many corporates are supporting and sponsoring cricket, let there be a Government directive to all PSUs including those belonging to the state Governments, to back disciplines other than cricket. The Indian media did a great job in highlighting the soccer World Cup but the euphoria shouldn’t die down. Let the fever continue. Let this interval not be once in a blue moon but once every 24 hours. Let schools promote sports other than cricket. Let there be a Mohun Bagan and East Bengal in every state. Let Paul the Octopus predict a victory for India in the next World Cup. Ambitious? What’s life without dreams? Let the Commonwealth Games be the catalyst.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
National Integration, Literally
‘Mile sur mera tumhara’ a popular song aired on Doordarshan during the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure symbolized the unity in diversity of this great nation of ours. We have had jugalbandis between Hindustani and Carnatic vocalists and instrumentalists dwelling on the theme of national unity and integration. We have food courts under one roof such as the Dilli Haat in Delhi where the rich cuisine from different parts of the country are showcased, not to talk of variety cultural programmes involving troupes from different regions.
We have also seen organizations such as the National Book Trust translating major classical works from different languages into English, Hindi and regional languages for the benefit of the common reader and to bring home to him the rich literary legacy we have inherited over the ages. Among the first things that I discussed with my Oriya wife at our first meeting was the novel written by my novelist neighbour and Jnanpeeth award winner Thakazhi Shiva Shankara Pillai, which she had read in Oriya. That gave her the first impressions of my home state Kerala, which later became her home too.
But all these efforts, by and large, were state sponsored, directly or indirectly, somehow giving the impression that except rhetoric by leaders and such symbolic ‘stage-managed’ initiatives, we Indians remain parochial and linguistic fanatics. The regular protests and outbursts by our friends in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and other states only serve to reaffirm this theory.
However, two recent individual efforts, sans any media hype or publicity, caught my attention. I thought I would share these original, spontaneous yet unconscious attempts at national integration with our readers.
After excelling in fine arts (Shovana Narayan and others) and literature (Upamanyu Chatterjee et al), bureaucrats are making a mark for themselves even in the difficult and sensitive literary art of translation and Umesh Kumar Chauhan, who was till recently Managing Director with NAFED, chose a Dravidian language to prove this point.
He learnt Malayalam as part of his job but the Kerala language left such a deep impression on him that this IAS officer from Uttar Pradesh got attracted to its literature.
Falling in love with Malayalam literature, Chauhan, a 1986 batch officer of Kerala cadre, translated 21 poems of Akitham Achutan Namboodiri, the well known Malayalam poet and a recipient of Kabir Samman and Kendra Sahitya Academy award.
"As I was posted with Kerala cadre, I had to learn Malayalam. It was part of my job. I had an interest in literature and I started reading newspapers and books,” he said.
In ‘Selected Poems of Akitham’ published by Bharatiya Jnanpeeth, Delhi, Chauhan, who already has to his credit two volumes of Hindi poetry, has translated 21 poems including the Malayalam poet's famous 'Irupatham Noottandinte Itihasam' (The History of 20th Century) which is often compared to T S Eliot's monumental 'Waste Land'.
In the words of Dr Aarsu, Head of Hindi Department at the University of Calicut, “To read popular poems of Akkitham in Hindi would be a rare experience for poetry lovers. Umesh has successfully transfilled the emotions and charm of poetry of Akkitham into his translation, besides doing apt linguistic conversion of lyrical Malayalam verses into free Hindi verses, which gives a pleasure similar to reading original Malayalam poems of Akkitham, while reading these poems translated into Hindi. This translation of Akkitham’s poems by Chauhan is a significant contribution made by him towards bringing Malayalam and Hindi literature closer to each other. He has been continuously doing the job of literary exchange between the two languages.”
The book also carries an article written on Akkitham by the renowned Malayalam Writer and Jnanpith Awardee M.T. Vasudevan Nair and a write-up titled ‘Mera Kavya Sansar’ written by Akkitham himself on his poetry.
Chauhan’s lyrical collection in Hindi ‘Ganth Mein Loon Bandh Thodi Chandni’ was published in 2001 and the poetry collection ‘Dana Chugte Murge’ in 2004. His several poems have been published from time to time in various Malayalam magazines also.
The officer is now back in God’s Own Country and has promised nothing short of a literary ‘Sadhya’ (traditional Kerala feast).
ITISHESH
An equally significant work, not a translation but an original piece, has come out from another retired Government official,
‘Itishesh’ is an autobiographical work written in Hindi by Neelakantan Namboodiri, a retired officer with the Commission for Scientific and technical terminology under the Ministry of Human Resource Developement. His main job was evolving Technical Terminology and compiling Dictionaries of Mathematics in Hindi and other Indian languages.
The book is divided into four parts. The first part describes the social background into which the author was born. This part elaborates the complexities of the parallel existence of matriarchal and patriarchal systems of inheritance prevalent in Kerala in the early parts of 20th Century. The miseries meted out to low caste Hindus and Brahmin women and the fight against these evils are also described. Although the part played by orthodox Namboodiris in perpetrating these social maladies are condemned in the book, their simplicity of life, straightforwardness in dealings and contributions to art and literature are also highlighted.
The second part describes the education of the author which remained informal for a long period of his childhood causing delay in starting formal schooling. His school and college life are vividly recollected up to his emergence as a post-graduate in Mathematics. His initiation to the study of Hindi is claimed as a turning point in his life.
The next section describes his service story where he retrospects his work under great scientists and linguists. He claims that he worked to the satisfaction of his seniors and to the affection of co-workers.
Namboodiri concludes the book with a portrayal of his retired life and evaluates the gains and losses. He feels that his closing balance (Itishesh) is on the positive side.
While Namboodiri is the best judge on his closing balance, he has done a commendable job by writing an original work in Hindi and thus contributing to literature and the cause of national integration.
India needs many more Umesh Chauhans and Neelakantan Namboodiris.
We have also seen organizations such as the National Book Trust translating major classical works from different languages into English, Hindi and regional languages for the benefit of the common reader and to bring home to him the rich literary legacy we have inherited over the ages. Among the first things that I discussed with my Oriya wife at our first meeting was the novel written by my novelist neighbour and Jnanpeeth award winner Thakazhi Shiva Shankara Pillai, which she had read in Oriya. That gave her the first impressions of my home state Kerala, which later became her home too.
But all these efforts, by and large, were state sponsored, directly or indirectly, somehow giving the impression that except rhetoric by leaders and such symbolic ‘stage-managed’ initiatives, we Indians remain parochial and linguistic fanatics. The regular protests and outbursts by our friends in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and other states only serve to reaffirm this theory.
However, two recent individual efforts, sans any media hype or publicity, caught my attention. I thought I would share these original, spontaneous yet unconscious attempts at national integration with our readers.
After excelling in fine arts (Shovana Narayan and others) and literature (Upamanyu Chatterjee et al), bureaucrats are making a mark for themselves even in the difficult and sensitive literary art of translation and Umesh Kumar Chauhan, who was till recently Managing Director with NAFED, chose a Dravidian language to prove this point.
He learnt Malayalam as part of his job but the Kerala language left such a deep impression on him that this IAS officer from Uttar Pradesh got attracted to its literature.
Falling in love with Malayalam literature, Chauhan, a 1986 batch officer of Kerala cadre, translated 21 poems of Akitham Achutan Namboodiri, the well known Malayalam poet and a recipient of Kabir Samman and Kendra Sahitya Academy award.
"As I was posted with Kerala cadre, I had to learn Malayalam. It was part of my job. I had an interest in literature and I started reading newspapers and books,” he said.
In ‘Selected Poems of Akitham’ published by Bharatiya Jnanpeeth, Delhi, Chauhan, who already has to his credit two volumes of Hindi poetry, has translated 21 poems including the Malayalam poet's famous 'Irupatham Noottandinte Itihasam' (The History of 20th Century) which is often compared to T S Eliot's monumental 'Waste Land'.
In the words of Dr Aarsu, Head of Hindi Department at the University of Calicut, “To read popular poems of Akkitham in Hindi would be a rare experience for poetry lovers. Umesh has successfully transfilled the emotions and charm of poetry of Akkitham into his translation, besides doing apt linguistic conversion of lyrical Malayalam verses into free Hindi verses, which gives a pleasure similar to reading original Malayalam poems of Akkitham, while reading these poems translated into Hindi. This translation of Akkitham’s poems by Chauhan is a significant contribution made by him towards bringing Malayalam and Hindi literature closer to each other. He has been continuously doing the job of literary exchange between the two languages.”
The book also carries an article written on Akkitham by the renowned Malayalam Writer and Jnanpith Awardee M.T. Vasudevan Nair and a write-up titled ‘Mera Kavya Sansar’ written by Akkitham himself on his poetry.
Chauhan’s lyrical collection in Hindi ‘Ganth Mein Loon Bandh Thodi Chandni’ was published in 2001 and the poetry collection ‘Dana Chugte Murge’ in 2004. His several poems have been published from time to time in various Malayalam magazines also.
The officer is now back in God’s Own Country and has promised nothing short of a literary ‘Sadhya’ (traditional Kerala feast).
ITISHESH
An equally significant work, not a translation but an original piece, has come out from another retired Government official,
‘Itishesh’ is an autobiographical work written in Hindi by Neelakantan Namboodiri, a retired officer with the Commission for Scientific and technical terminology under the Ministry of Human Resource Developement. His main job was evolving Technical Terminology and compiling Dictionaries of Mathematics in Hindi and other Indian languages.
The book is divided into four parts. The first part describes the social background into which the author was born. This part elaborates the complexities of the parallel existence of matriarchal and patriarchal systems of inheritance prevalent in Kerala in the early parts of 20th Century. The miseries meted out to low caste Hindus and Brahmin women and the fight against these evils are also described. Although the part played by orthodox Namboodiris in perpetrating these social maladies are condemned in the book, their simplicity of life, straightforwardness in dealings and contributions to art and literature are also highlighted.
The second part describes the education of the author which remained informal for a long period of his childhood causing delay in starting formal schooling. His school and college life are vividly recollected up to his emergence as a post-graduate in Mathematics. His initiation to the study of Hindi is claimed as a turning point in his life.
The next section describes his service story where he retrospects his work under great scientists and linguists. He claims that he worked to the satisfaction of his seniors and to the affection of co-workers.
Namboodiri concludes the book with a portrayal of his retired life and evaluates the gains and losses. He feels that his closing balance (Itishesh) is on the positive side.
While Namboodiri is the best judge on his closing balance, he has done a commendable job by writing an original work in Hindi and thus contributing to literature and the cause of national integration.
India needs many more Umesh Chauhans and Neelakantan Namboodiris.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Corporate Conscience in Action
No donations, no state funding, no international involvement, no business opportunities and no commercial interests whatsoever. Vegetarianism is the Mantra and healthy and harmonious living the motto. Utopia? No. Welcome to Ahimsa Gram, a cluster of a hundred odd houses in the small town of Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh, which is today being perceived as a revolutionary model for poverty alleviation and rehabilitation of the poor and homeless across the country.
Set up by veteran social worker and industrialist Chetanya Kasyap on a private land of 55000 sq feet, the cluster comprises 100 houses each with two rooms (10X5 ft each), kitchen, a five feet verandah, bath and WC. The pilot project built by the Chetanya Kasyap Foundation under its ‘Lokashray’ development concept aims at eradicating poverty by providing free homes for the poor and opportunities for livelihood besides inculcating values for better quality of life.
Apart from roads, water tank, drainage, sanitation and market facilities, Ahimsa Gram also has a 30 ftX50 ft community hall for vocational and value (Sanskaar) training besides a 7000 feet garden and a primary health center.
Yes to vegetarianism and two child norm and No to alcohol are some of the guiding principles of the village which together celebrates major festivals of all religions.
The village was formally inaugurated on February 3, 2005 by the then Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Sh Babulal Gour and has since been visited by several political, religious and social leaders including present Chief Minister Sh Shivraj Singh Chauhan and the then Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sh L K Advani.
Kasyap, who has a 60 per cent of market share of the sorbitol production in India, always wanted to do something different, something innovative instead of just making liberal donations to charities like his rich forefathers. He firmly believes that homelessness along with alcoholism, non-vegetarianism and absence of a peaceful environment conducive for personal growth contributed in no small way to the perpetuation of poverty, illiteracy, ignorance and resultant violence in society.
“I was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence. If a person is assured of a roof over his head free of cost in a peaceful environment for a period of ten years with opportunities for earning additional family income through vocational training and inculcation of values for a better quality of life, it would certainly encourage and inspire them to come out of the vortex of poverty”, says Kasyap, who is the Chairman and Managing Director of Kasyap Sweetners Ltd. The 50-year old says industrialists like him who have benefited from the society should contribute their mite (if not might) towards its development by empowering people to become self-reliant and not enslaving them through unaccountable charity.
Indeed, at Ahimsa Gram, there are no freebies, except the houses, tuition for children, Yoga classes and vocational training for women – all serving as mere facilitators for self-growth. Every family offers ‘Shram Daan’ (Voluntary labour) to keep their streets neat and clean. The Foundation has entered into a tie-up with a nearby private school for providing concessional education to the children of Ahimsa Gram.
The ‘Ahimsa Gram’ brand papads, namkeen, Masala and bags produced by the women (with the option of working either from home or the community centre) are selling like hot cakes both within and outside the state. The women are also well-trained and well-equipped to produce high quality note books.
The residents celebrate all festivals with the Foundation organizing a special lecture to explain the significance of each event and distributing sweets. The Yoga classes along with a vegetarian, non-alcoholic lifestyle has ushered in mental peace and financial stability among the residents.
While the residents of Ahimsa Gram hope to generate income enough to build their own dream homes and pave the way for other underprivileged brethren to move in to Ahimsa Gram, Kasyap is willing to give the dwellings to them for good if they are unable to achieve the target.
Kasyap, who has stridently refused to take any donation or Government grant for the project built with a Rs one crore funding by his family, is now planning to encourage setting up of more projects with a personal grant of Rs 10 lakh each for ten villages to begin with.
Kasyap attributes the increase in crime and violence to poverty and views ‘Ahimsa Gram’ as an antidote. He firmly believes that successful people should do their bit in dealing with the curse of poverty. He has many more plans not only for the rest of Madhya Pradesh but also the entire nation. He has shown the way and it is now for each one of us to follow. May his tribe increase.
Set up by veteran social worker and industrialist Chetanya Kasyap on a private land of 55000 sq feet, the cluster comprises 100 houses each with two rooms (10X5 ft each), kitchen, a five feet verandah, bath and WC. The pilot project built by the Chetanya Kasyap Foundation under its ‘Lokashray’ development concept aims at eradicating poverty by providing free homes for the poor and opportunities for livelihood besides inculcating values for better quality of life.
Apart from roads, water tank, drainage, sanitation and market facilities, Ahimsa Gram also has a 30 ftX50 ft community hall for vocational and value (Sanskaar) training besides a 7000 feet garden and a primary health center.
Yes to vegetarianism and two child norm and No to alcohol are some of the guiding principles of the village which together celebrates major festivals of all religions.
The village was formally inaugurated on February 3, 2005 by the then Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Sh Babulal Gour and has since been visited by several political, religious and social leaders including present Chief Minister Sh Shivraj Singh Chauhan and the then Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sh L K Advani.
Kasyap, who has a 60 per cent of market share of the sorbitol production in India, always wanted to do something different, something innovative instead of just making liberal donations to charities like his rich forefathers. He firmly believes that homelessness along with alcoholism, non-vegetarianism and absence of a peaceful environment conducive for personal growth contributed in no small way to the perpetuation of poverty, illiteracy, ignorance and resultant violence in society.
“I was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence. If a person is assured of a roof over his head free of cost in a peaceful environment for a period of ten years with opportunities for earning additional family income through vocational training and inculcation of values for a better quality of life, it would certainly encourage and inspire them to come out of the vortex of poverty”, says Kasyap, who is the Chairman and Managing Director of Kasyap Sweetners Ltd. The 50-year old says industrialists like him who have benefited from the society should contribute their mite (if not might) towards its development by empowering people to become self-reliant and not enslaving them through unaccountable charity.
Indeed, at Ahimsa Gram, there are no freebies, except the houses, tuition for children, Yoga classes and vocational training for women – all serving as mere facilitators for self-growth. Every family offers ‘Shram Daan’ (Voluntary labour) to keep their streets neat and clean. The Foundation has entered into a tie-up with a nearby private school for providing concessional education to the children of Ahimsa Gram.
The ‘Ahimsa Gram’ brand papads, namkeen, Masala and bags produced by the women (with the option of working either from home or the community centre) are selling like hot cakes both within and outside the state. The women are also well-trained and well-equipped to produce high quality note books.
The residents celebrate all festivals with the Foundation organizing a special lecture to explain the significance of each event and distributing sweets. The Yoga classes along with a vegetarian, non-alcoholic lifestyle has ushered in mental peace and financial stability among the residents.
While the residents of Ahimsa Gram hope to generate income enough to build their own dream homes and pave the way for other underprivileged brethren to move in to Ahimsa Gram, Kasyap is willing to give the dwellings to them for good if they are unable to achieve the target.
Kasyap, who has stridently refused to take any donation or Government grant for the project built with a Rs one crore funding by his family, is now planning to encourage setting up of more projects with a personal grant of Rs 10 lakh each for ten villages to begin with.
Kasyap attributes the increase in crime and violence to poverty and views ‘Ahimsa Gram’ as an antidote. He firmly believes that successful people should do their bit in dealing with the curse of poverty. He has many more plans not only for the rest of Madhya Pradesh but also the entire nation. He has shown the way and it is now for each one of us to follow. May his tribe increase.
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