My Reflections

Seventy plus old man Ram Sevak (name not real) is sitting and swaying due to sleepiness. He has a bundle wrapped in dirty clothes. The old man's struggle for survival is manifested from disheveled head to toe appearance. He has no sleeper in his feet, has bare minimum rag on his feeble body. To get rid of drowsiness he starts rubbing tobacco on his palm. Once rubbing is done, he puts the tobacco under the lower lip. He is still unable to overcome sleepiness. He loosens his dhoti at waistline and takes out coins. He counts it several times absent-minded. What is there in your bundle I ask approaching him. He opens his eyes, lift his head and replies. It's paan, betel leaves, 20 rupiah saikda( 100 pieces for Rs. 20). Do you grow it yourself, I ask. I brought it from Darbhanga town this morning, he says. Darbhanga town is 15 km away. The old man must have covered good part on his bare feet. How many have you already sold? I am still to find a customer, he responds without counte...

Simri police station, Simri bus stop, Simri field, Simri post office, Simri Middle school, Simri High School, simri weekly haat held on Monday and Friday, Simri annual mela; for locals, Simri infact, is local head quarters. Locals associate their village with Simri for easy identification e.g. SImri-Bastawara, Simri-Bharati etc. Simri market is bustling with activities today thanks to the amity among people.    People say with sense of pride that the market is as developed as one in Darbhanga town. Peace and Communal harmony are definitely enabling factors for the economic development of any place. Today, Simri-Bastawara is in news for wrong reason. Some lunatics have committed wrong during chhatta puja and the divisive forces are up in the arms to tear the fabric of unity of the region. As ugly monster of riot descends at our place aiming to pounce and quench its thirst for  blood , let us raise our hands in prayer that the monster bites the dust and retreat....

“There is enough in this world for everybody’s need not enough for anybody’s greed”. Mahatma Gandhi says. The skewed distribution of resources in the world germinates conflict in society and among nations. The insatiable greed of haves to acquire more is depriving have‐nots of their survivability. A study by World University for development economic research at United Nations University reports that the richest 1% of adult alone owned 40% of global assets in the year 2000. The three richest person possess more financial assets than the lowest 48 nations. This economic inequality creates conflict between haves and have‐nots which come to fore in the garb of religious conflict, sectarian conflict, cast conflict, racial conflict, and civilization conflict. The violent reaction of deprived and suppressed is termed as terrorism, naxalism, militancy etc. In fact, all these originate from the fight for resources. Akbar Alahabadi truly says, KapRe kisi ke lal hain roti ke waste Lambe kisi ke b...