Bihar Success Story- Rajnitish or even better, Simply Nitish! ( NitishJi "AcchaJi")

The historic landslide victory of the National Democratic Assembly (NDA) in the recently concluded Bihar elections has become a famous story overnight than the ever popular magical fairytales.  It has attracted the attention of various management gurus & the most admired political leaders across the world on the strategies and policies adopted which has brought about a magical turnaround in a place like Bihar which no one would have ever dreamt in the wildest of their dreams.

“East or west, India is the best”! Are we getting the order right? Or probably it should be, East is definitely the best and this credit goes to Mr.Nitish completely.

Many factors have contributed to the success story, that we have oflate been reading and hearing to. I have tried my best to summarize the crucial factors with statistics for all of us to comprehend –

5 Crucial Winning Factors for the Magical Success

I. Where there is a will, there is a ‘way ‘

'Roads' led Nitish's way back to power in Bihar! Sounds very simple but once we have a look at the statistics – we will all be persuaded to believe in the fact that if a political ‘will’ to do welfare for the people exists, then there is always a ‘way’ amidst all the difficulties.

Winning facts:

1.   The state now has 23,990.6 km of roads as against 384.6 km of roads in Bihar in 2004-05. Nitish Kumar took over the reins of the state in November 2005.

2.   The plan outlay on roads forms around 30 per cent of the total state plan size against a meagre 5-6 per cent in past years,

3.   The state carried improvement of 1,722 km of National Highways out of their own limited resources, besides the construction of state highways, district and rural roads.

4.   Strict quality monitoring of the roads is maintained through third party inspection and random checking by flying squads comprising of highly qualified engineers. 

5.   1,671 bridges have been constructed in the state during the period. 

6.   Bihar State Bridge Corporation turnover has increased from Rs 42.62 crore in 2004-5 to Rs 923 crore in the fiscal 2009-10.

 II.Behind every successful man, there is a woman

It is said that, for the first time ever, the electoral percentage turnout amongst women has been the highest!

Not quite getting into how this proverb originated, however Mr Lalu Prasad Yadav quite received an answer to his statement when he mentioned just one day before the elections that – “Women vote how men tell them to”.  

The various policies that have been rolled out specifically for the women folks of Bihar has led to their upliftment in the society.

Winning facts:

1. Nitish’s ‘Mukhyamantri Yojana’ which entitles a free cycle to every girl who has cleared eighth class

2. Strict process to ensure that the schools are functioning and the teacher absenteeism has been eliminated

3. Started a direct account cash transfer scheme wherein Rs 2000 was set aside for girls who entered 9^th grade as a result of which high school enrolment for girls has tripled in the last 3 years.

4. Separate roads and lanes for the girls to ensure their safety.

III. “Justice is blind”- Satyameva Jayathe

In the current political scenario, it wouldn’t be inappropriate if one argues and is satirical about the existence of a fair and proper judiciary system in India.

But yet again, thanks to Mr.Nitish for reinstalling the confidence back in all of us by diverting our attention to the drastically improving law and order structure in Bihar.

Winning facts:

1.54000 people had been sent behind bars (as per the cumulative data) proving the fact that conviction is a continual process.

2. Several upright senior Police Officers who had been completely sidelined during the Lalu Rabri era have been unshackled.    

3. The centrally sponsored Fast Track Court scheme has been embraced by the state wherein more and more cases are transferred to the FTC especially those belonging to high profile criminal politicians (even those from his own JDU Party) 

4. More than 26000 convictions have taken place in the last 2 years alone. Several dreaded political criminals have been awarded capital punishment and lesser sentences.

5. The ‘Janta Durbar’ program has been reinitiated, wherein every Monday morning, he along with his key ministers and top bureaucrats meet complainants who approach him

IV. All men are equal in the eyes of God

The stupendous success of Nitish Kumar has proved that development is not just a code word for only the privileged class or the special caste of people in Bihar; it is infact the development of all the ‘Biharis’. He has also proved that development is far beyond the shackles of casteism, which has been so prevalent in the state until he took over.

Winning Facts:

1.      Several schemes have been launched for the Muslim community (such as ‘Hunar’) and ‘Urdu’ teachers have been recruited in bulk.

2.      Mahadalit Vikas Mission  was founded and a flood of schemes have been launched to directly target succour to this community.

3.      Apart from symbolic gestures of admitting a large number of Muslim Leaders to his party (JDU) and attending Muslim festivities, he drafted a Muslim bureaucrat for the critical Home Secretary position

4.      Convicting the main accused of Bhagalpur riots of 1989 therefore distributing relief to its victims on the lines of Delhi 1984 Sikh riots.

V. “Persistence is the twin sister of excellence. One is a matter of quality; the other, a matter of time.”

It’s relatively easy to launch an initiative with great enthusiasm and fanfare but to ensure it is a continuous process without allowing the initial energy to die down by means of proper check in mechanisms is what differentiates a stupendous success from an average one! Mr.Nitish drove numerous policies but at the same time did a reality check to ensure the same is sustained for years to come which eventually has led to his magical success. By doing so, he has positioned himself as a ‘doer’!

Finally, it’s generally said that the writings on the wall before the elections highlight the socio –economic condition of the state better than all the surveys, campaigns, poll results etc.The writings on the wall this time said –“It’s time to fill in your pen with ink” as against the last time where it was written-“It’s time again to season your lathis in oil”. This reflects the changing mood in Bihar from caste empowerment to aspiration for education & better living conditions.

This magical success will definitely not allow other states from not changing to a better one thereby ensuring a developed India in the next few years to come. And if this dream of every Indian becomes a reality soon, somebody who will remembered and thanked throughout ,will be ‘Simply Nitish ‘-The Pioneer of Magical Change In India!

References

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com

http://www.nobribe.org/changing-bihar-slowly

‘Independent’ Married Woman? What Confusion!

It’s  no doubt, an ecstatic feeling being branded as an independent woman! But is the term ‘independence’ being grossly misunderstood in this contemporary age by the modern day women folks? Does this term get even seriously misinterpreted by today’s married women? Of late the views aired on various television channels through the programs relating to matrimony & marriages, somehow strongly display the mindset of today’s women on independency as just being directly proportional to their financial quotient; earning money more than or equivalent to their husbands and being increasingly conscientious about the progress in their professional carrier. 

But the big question here is, is it fair to define such a significant but gracious word in such a simple way? Perhaps not! As Maya Angelou says -"A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song."Similarly a woman is not branded as independent because she has the power to spend; she is characterized to be independent by her belief in herself and her potential to get things done without depending on everybody for a majority of needs. When majority of people depend on her for their various needs, this I would call as independency. And these ‘dependencies’ are not most of the time, just financial. They can be physical, emotional, mental, material etc.

There are numerous attributes that compliment an independent woman, apart from the financial ability, which of course is vital. To name few-

1. It is important to define who and what you are for yourself. 
2. Care about other people. People who don't care about other people are not whole, and you can't be independent and strong if you're not whole. As Ms Sushmita Sen rightly said during the last round of the Miss Universe Pageant – “A woman is a gift of God. She teaches the world what caring, sharing and loving is all about!” That’s the essence of being a women 
3. Do not ever try to imitate men. Connect with yourself. Understand that you are a woman and you don't necessarily need to be like a man to be independent, many men are not independent, they could be financially independent, but not emotionally independent.
4. Accept responsibility for your life. Move from a "victim mentality" to a "creator mentality". 

There is also a very common thinking that those qualified & highly educated women who prefer to be a good home maker and progress in their personal life are not independent. Our belief that a highly educated woman should utilize all her knowledge for their professional life and not ruin the same by sitting at home looking after the daily chores, is not justified in my opinion. A successful personal life is equally important and education really helps in achieving the same as it facilitates proper decision making, which is integral for the happiness of the family. It’s relatively easy to choose one from Right Vs Wrong but it becomes increasingly difficult when you need to choose the best option from two wrong choices or two right choices! This is where the ‘education factor ‘comes into play.

To cut the long story short, Independence is about being flexible and adapting to changing situations. Independence is about being your own support system, independence is about accepting that you are responsible for anything and everything in your life and that YOU can change that whenever you wish. Independence is about trusting yourself, believing in yourself. 

 

The Landmark Ayodhya Hearing

"नो" No verdict can ever condone the Hindu activist’s action of destruction of the mosque despite the commitment given to the Supreme Court by the political rally that the mosque will not be harmed and in the absence of any strong evidence supporting their faith at that point in time.

Concomitantly, the Hindu activists’ cannot be hanged to death for their action as Ayodhya, with reference to the Hindu Mythology, happens to be one of the seven most holy places for Hindus in India. As Mr. K Advani said  “If Muslims are entitled to an Islamic atmosphere in Mecca, and if Christians are entitled to a Christian atmosphere in the Vatican, why is it wrong for the Hindus to expect a Hindu atmosphere in Ayodhya “.

It is most unfortunate that a Masjid should have been built on a land specially held sacred by the Hindus, but as that event occurred 356 years ago, it is too late now to agree with the grievances.

The existence of a massive temple structure was confirmed only in the year 2003 by the archaeological department. The findings clearly establish the authenticity, that the site where the mosque was constructed is the birthplace of Lord Rama, the legendary King of Kosala, who is also worshiped by millions as an avatar of Vishnu.

Following are few of the findings -

• The Skandh Puraan, an over 2000 year old work of reference for ancient pilgrimage sites in India, narrates in detail the different temples in Ayodhya, including the one commemorating the birthplace of Rama.
• In 1767, Jesuit priest Joseph Tieffenthaler recorded Hindus worshiping and celebrating Ramanavami at the site of the mosque.

• In 1858, the Muazzin of the Babri Mosque said in a petition to the British government that the courtyard had been used by Hindus for hundreds of years.

• The ASI report summary indicated that ‘stone and decorated bricks as well as mutilated sculpture of a divine couple and carved architectural features, including foliage patterns, amalaka, kapotapali, doorjamb with semi-circular shrine pilaster, broke octagonal shaft of black schist pillar, lotus motif, circular shrine having pranjala (watershute) in the north and 50 pillar bases in association with a huge structure’.

• References such as the 1986 edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica reported that "Rama’s birthplace is marked by a mosque, erected by the Mughal emperor Babur in 1528 on the site of an earlier temple.

According to the verdict released by the Allahabad High Court on September 30th ,2010 in response to the land title case lodged in the year 1992 after  the Babri mosque was destroyed by the Hindu activists’ during a political rally, it has been pronounced that the the 2.77 acres of Ayodhya land be divided into 3 parts with -

           I.1/3rd going to construction of the Ram temple,

          II.1/3rd going to the Islamic Sunni Waqf Board

          III.the remaining 1/3 going to the Hindu religious denomination Nirmohi Akhara*.

 *Nirmohi Akhara is a Hindu religious denomination comprising of ardent devotees of Lord Hanuman belonging to the Vaishnava caste.This denomination is a group of Sadhus and the term implies- ‘group without attachment';.They had filed a case in the year 1949 to seek the consent to build a Ram temple adjacent to the Babri mosque in an area called ‘Ram Chabutara’. Hence as per the verdict the remaining 1/3rd land been given to Nirmohi Akhara consists of ‘Ram Chabutara’ and ‘Sita Rasoi’

Not surprisingly, the Sunni Waqf Board completely dissatisfied with the verdict has decided to challenge the same in the Supreme Court .Their discontentment is based on the following beliefs-

• The history of the site in dispute mentions that the mosque was constructed, only over the remains of a Hindu temple by one of the generals of the Mughal invader Babur -Mir Baki Khan in 1528 and no temple was ever demolished to construct the mosque, which is also one of the findings of the Allahabad High Court.
• The ASI report points out the presence of animal bones throughout as well as of the use of ‘surkhi' and lime mortar that rule out the possibility of a Hindu temple having been there beneath the mosque
• The ASI failed to mention any evidence of a temple in its interim reports and only revealed it in the final report which was submitted during a time of national tension, making the report a high suspect.
• The feeling unfairness towards them from the years of 1853 when the first incident of violence over the issue between Hindus and Muslims was recorded, continuing its trend in the year 1949 when the idol of Lord Rama and Sita was forcefully kept inside the mosque. No subsequent action has been ever taken in favor of the Muslims as far as this issue is concerned.

In my opinion, the verdict is just a ‘balancing approach’ taken -

    A) To destrengthen the Bharathiya Janata Party’s strong conviction of being winners

    B) To discourage the Muslim sections’ growing negativity.

   C) To lessen the animosity between the two sections and create an atmosphere of peace & aid  
        prosperity of India without wasting effort in solving indifferences arising out of religious issues.

For once there has been some benefit in the verdict coming after 16 good years from the time the case was filed! In the last few years, there has been a radical transformation in the thought process of the people. The contemporary age has started to analyze and evaluate each issue at hand more practically rather than blindly jumping into the fire of unnecessary hatred and anger.

Not quite sure if the following lines by  Nobel Laureate V.S. Naipaul “the destruction of Babri mosque was an act of historical balancing and the repatriation of the Ramjanmabhoomi was a welcome sign that Hindu pride was re-asserting itself” might open up yet another discussion but then the hearing was for sure one such case where faith has been upheld by law.

 I am glad it’s all over for the time being and hope this entire issue remains merely as pages of our history books, never to be ever talked about again!

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayodhya_debate

http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/ayodhya-verdict-sunni-waqf-board-to-appeal-in-supreme-court-56080

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babri_Mosque

Enthiran - The Robot

"Enthiran" for sure is a must watch movie for all the Indians.First half of the movie is a real entertainer loaded with some good comedy will make all of us jump of our seats and laugh.Second half of the movie is where the difference lies .For all of us who have appreciated 'Matrix' & 'I ,Robot', this part of the movie requires a standing ovation to the entire team for their immense creativity, beautiful cinematography & powerful background score.


Rajnikanth's hardwork really shows in the movie. No doubt, he is a universal superstar but then never knew he has so much fan following in places like Melbourne, Singapore etc.If there is one Rajni movie all of us must watch ,then this is it , this it ! 


I have a feeling that the initial favorites of Shankar for the role -Kamalhassan and Shahrukh have just missed out on an awesome opportunity to create history in Indian cinema.Though original favorites would have been an ideal fit for the script but hats off to Rajni who made it look really easy in the end.


Things I felt could have been better in the movie 'Enthiran'-

• Few songs could have been cut short in the second half(first few minutes) though from a director's perspective he might have wanted to make it as commercial as possible .
• Aishwarya could have concentrated more on acting rather than being too artificial and self obsessed with her own looks.
• The final scene needed that 'Indian tadka' -the emotional equation was completely missing.Indian movie fails to create an impact until you have a  drop of tear in your eyes while you are leaving the cinema theatre.

Tamil version definitely is very impressive .. 


Not sure if it might create the same magic in other languages as I feel comedy dialogues in Tamil cannot be translated as it is, in other languages which implies that the essence of the good humor is lost.


Original is always the best! (DOT)