Awakening

Authorspeak: I would like to reflect on some of my observations on society in large. This would mean that I would be more infrequent with my posts. However, I would try my best to keep up the pace. The first few posts may be on Bihar – this one definitely is on Bihar. Considering the debut – it is a huge post and though I have written it keeping Bihar in mind I think it is applicable anywhere in India.

As a native of Bihar, I have been observing the state for quite some time. And though I am a Non Resident Bihari, I have been visiting the state regularly. I would have remained a silent observer and would not have attempted to write this had I not realized the need of ‘Awakening’. This primarily happened because of three reasons:

• The recently concluded Employment-cum-Counseling fair at Patna
• A news article in Dainik Hindustan regarding the conceptualization of ‘Loknayak Circle’ for easing out traffic in the heart of Patna, and
• The experiences during my recent visits to Patna during Diwali and Chhath

I would take these one by one and in the process would hope to put forth my point.

I would like to start with the news articles published in Dainik Hindustan on 01/11/2009 and 02/11/2009 regarding the conceptualization of a ‘Traffic Zone’ which promises to ease out traffic near Patna Junction. What caught my eyes was the mention of the fact that an NRI has helped in developing this system. To me it looked decent on paper. Whether it is implemented or not is altogether a different story. However, is it not heartening to see that some Biharis (Residents or Non-Residents) are contributing in their small way for the betterment of Bihar? In this write-up I would like to stress on this simple well known fact – ‘Small, insignificant acts can also usher in great changes’ (especially when they are done collectively). Sticking with the current example – wouldn’t it be a lot easier on roads if we simply follow the traffic rules? I know that it is far easier said than done – and there lies the need of ‘Awakening’ towards self responsibility not only in the common populace but also among the administrators and leaders. As I complete my small analyses of the remaining two events, I hope to garner more support for the need for ‘Awakening’.

From what I have gathered through my acquaintances, relatives and friends in Patna and of course through news items published in various dailies and news portals, the Employment -cum-Counseling fair drew large number of Unemployed/ Employed looking for better options. No doubt the state government’s move to bring in employment to the youths of the state should be appreciated. However, news articles and also some of my acquaintances suggest that all was not hunky-dory in the two day event. There was lack of proper communication and guidance; there were some incidents of vandalism reported; also there were reports of widespread dissatisfaction over arrangements; then there is also issue of quality of jobs being offered and finally and most importantly – the employers were dissatisfied with the quality of candidates they were getting. These issues are reflective of the prevalent socio-cultural-economic scenario in Bihar. One by one I would like to address these issues.

I will start out with the vandalism. Vandalism is almost becoming synonymous with the present day Bihar and unfortunately students are the biggest culprits here. Whether, it is BN College or the incidents of burning trains in Bihar – these incidents play a big role in sabotaging Brand Bihar. These small acts not only bring bad name to Bihar but also damage its growth prospects in long run. In their quest for short term gains, the perpetrators of such acts forget that in the longer run they may be affected adversely. The act of vandalism in the fair was reflective of the ‘Hum nahi to koi nahi’ syndrome prevalent in many parts of Bihar. I think whatever incited that incident could have been sorted out with sensible talk (people involved in it and their sympathizers would argue that I was not present and so would not know of the actual situation: which is true. But over the years, I have realized that violence seldom fetches the desired result – of course if one is not talking of establishing a reign of terror). Also, people may reason out that considering the scale of the event such small incidents are bound to happen. My simple argument: Wouldn’t the event have been better without such incidents?

And it is not that I do not associate with the resentment of some sections of candidates. Not very long ago, I was a part of a similar placement process looking for a dream job. I completely understand the reasons of resentment and yet would never support acts of vandalism. Agreed that the quality of jobs in this Employment fair left a lot to be desired and the State government would do better by bringing in companies offering better profiles next year – But in a state like Bihar, even the jobs that were on offer would be needed by scores of people. So, if one does not like the job profile or is dissatisfied with the salary offered then he/she should either not apply for that particular job or negotiate with the employer for a better deal. Why squander the chances of many others by playing the ‘rowdy’ game and putting the company ‘off’? I was pained to see a comment by a protesting dentist who stated that he earns more than what was being offered by the employer – in this case a private clinic. If he does earn more than what was being offered then clearly the job was not meant for him – ideally he should have sidestepped for another deserving and needy candidate. He didn’t and here comes the fact of acknowledging one’s responsibility towards the betterment of the society at large. I agree that they should have been informed about the profile and pay scale but many times the participating companies choose not to disclose the information beforehand.

This brings me to the complaints of inadequate management (in many cases mismanagement) by the organizers. Clearly either there was a lack of proper planning or they could not foresee this heavy turnout. Having observed the placement process of some of the better institutes of the country I could say that such processes require extensive planning. And with the event of this scale, it becomes a much more difficult task. I think the organizers would have been better off by taking some professional help in this regard. And here comes another instance where a little co-operation from all of us can make things simpler and better. I am sure that many Biharis working in Event Management industry would have been more than willing to help had the organizers approached them for guidance during the run-up to the event. This can be a model of citizen-administration partnership for turning around Bihar. However, if such kinds of initiatives are ever taken up then they would require a platform – obviously a proper channel would be needed to utilize this huge pool of resource/talent (both resident and non-resident Biharis). This may also help to bring in companies for such fairs – after all many Biharis hold influential posts in big companies.

As I conclude this section – I would like to address the issue of employer’s dissatisfaction over the quality of candidates. The answer to this seems very trivial – the preparations by the candidates were not adequate. Even the students of premier institutes burn midnight oil for months to succeed in their placement process. The same is expected from everyone else (unless of course one has a ‘pairavi’). However, the candidates are not to be blamed here – in the absence of proper guidance and grooming programmes they are not expected to excel in the job interviews. And here lies another need of awakening – for the job candidates it should be the realization that they just can’t expect to walk in and crack interviews without proper preparation; for the rest of the state it should be realization that our collective efforts may actually change the lives of many such people. The question is how? The platform I talked about a few moments ago may come to the rescue. There may be HR counselors hailing from Bihar who may agree to train the candidates. However, the important question to be raised here is the funding – even if they agree to take the sessions for free, organizing such sessions would need lot of money. One may ask - Who will spend that amount of money on unemployed youths apart from the government? I choose to differ. If households capable of doling out money decide to contribute in accordance to their ability and if the government make that contribution tax exempted then we can potentially have a lot of money. A simple calculation suggests a sum of Rs. 10 crores if 2 lakh households contribute an average sum of Rs. 500 pa (that turns out to be Rs. 42/ month). I chose ‘average sum’ because this would require voluntary contribution and thus some may contribute less and some more. This money can then be utilized to address many issues apart from one illustration already pointed out. And as such platform would involve people money, it should be transparent and trustworthy – a reason why an individual cannot possibly start this small revolution. Hindustan’s Samagam and Bihar Times Conclave are initiatives to provide platform to visionaries to share their vision of Bihar – I do not see any harm if another platform is provided to common people to make their state a better place to live. I think it is time when main newspapers houses like HT Media, Dainik Jagran, Prabhat Khabar, Aaj, Times group etc. and portals like Patnadaily, Bihartimes, Jaibihar etc. come together to provide such a platform to common people who dream a lot to contribute but could not do so in the lack of proper avenues. Imagine, a bunch of town planners giving inputs to make our cities better (like the NRI in the case of Loknayak Circle) while some intellectuals/ historians actually putting efforts to preserve and restore our historical monuments. It is time to stop blaming government for all our miseries and start making difference to our own lives. Obviously this would require a lot of efforts from our side.

This brings me to the third topic in hand – my visit to Patna during Diwali and Chhath. Visit to the native place especially during festivities would glad anyone. However, I also observed that despite the city’s substantial growth in last few years the mindset of its people is yet to change. I saw people throwing garbage on roads deliberately – is it so hard to walk a few hundred meters and dump the garbage in the can? Or is it because one is too ashamed to carry the garbage to the dumpster? If that is the case the best solution would be to just pay the NGOs collecting garbage a few bucks and spare oneself from such shame. However, if it is due to the lack of dumpsters (which it is in many cases) then why there is no outcry from people? Is it because of the fact that we have tuned ourselves to live along with filth? If we continue with our tendency to throw garbage at our will, how can we expect the Municipal Corporation to make the city clean? Not to say that PMC is doing any commendable job. If its own backyard remains littered with filth then how can one expect it to clean the entire city? I am talking about the lane which connects the under construction Buddha International Park with Buddha Marg and also houses the Auto stand for autos to Danapur. That stretch is mess – it is an apt example of ‘Chirag Tale Andhera’. People literally walk over garbage to catch autos – the stench is unbearable and the auto drivers would make you suffer more by parking their vehicles right in front of the pile of garbage. I asked one auto driver why the auto association does not take any step to clean the place for the convenience of passengers. His reply – ‘In few days the stand will be shifted. Further it is not our responsibility…. This gets cleaned at times but again comes back to the same state’ - A terrific tale of our civic sense and understanding of our responsibilities. That place is the gateway to Patna and we have allowed it to be such a mess. Is this the image of Patna we want the visitors to carry away with them? Hindustan’s office is round the corner. I wonder when they will catch hold of the concerned authority; bring him to that place and take a commitment to make it the best place in the city – and just not take the commitment but ask for a specified date when the task will be achieved – make him accountable.

If this is not enough then again there are regular offenders of peeing in public. The boundary wall to the Buddha International Park has become a virtual toilet – just imagine we are planning to keep the remains of Lord Buddha in that park. What a shame!! People argue that there are very few public toilets in a city this big and thus people have to pee in public. The fact is true but then, there are many who are habitual offenders. While traveling on auto I found one perfectly dressed guy urinating against the flyover’s wall just opposite to the Hindustan’s office. As far as I remember there is a Sulabh Shuchalay in the vicinity. But who would go for a Sulabh Shauchalay for such a ‘small thing’? Before we make demands to make public toilets we must ensure that we would utilize them properly once they are built. And I think, I read somewhere that around 70 public toilets are being built across Patna – Can someone from the media fraternity take the responsibility of asking the concerned authority for a specific date on which the project will be completed and make him/her accountable. It is time that the media also start making visible changes apart from reporting news and one of the first thing would be to make authorities, common people and their leaders accountable and responsible.

And before I sign off, I would like to narrate a small incident which took place on the night of 26/10/09 – a day after ‘Bhor Ka Arghya’. It was not even 10 pm and the auto drivers at the junction started asking for Rs. 10 – Rs. 20 for any destination from Patna Junction to Danapur. People were harassed by them and no one could do anything. When the auto drivers go on strike or protest against atrocities/removal of their stands they fail to understand that they will not be able to earn people’s support for genuine causes until they stop exploiting people. They need to understand their duty but will that ever happen is a big question. This brings out another important issue – what the administration is doing to ensure that people are not harassed by the auto/ bus drivers. Also why there is a huge silence on the state of public transport in Patna? If I can correctly recall I read in a news article that the buses under JNNURM would start plying in November. I hope at least that promise is kept.

It is time that we realize the importance of carrying out our responsibilities towards society. Blaming the government/ administration will not always help. A change can be brought not by protesting violently but by acknowledging our constructive role in the society and making those little contributions which will finally define our society.