Intricacies of the Madhubani Painting (Mithila Art)

The Maithils are intrinsically Shakti (mother goddess) worshippers, Bhagwati- Gauri is among their Kula Devta; schools of Tantric rituals has been flourishing since the age-old inside Mithila region that is undoubtedly a crucial epithet behind the practices of this indigenous folk art which in modern time received acclaim as Madhubani painting or Mithila art. Moreover, Mithila remains a great place of Sanskrit learning; quintessence of that living tradition had left very conducive impact on alternative disciplines like- art, literature, drama etc through drawing consistent royal patronage from different dynasties of Darbhanga Raj. The Karnat dynasty that ruled Mithila from twelfth to the fourteenth century was perhaps the progenitor of royal patronage to this ethnic art. Although that phase of medieval Mithila was caught in frequent political disruptions because of external Islamic invasions from northern India, nevertheless those adverseness were overcome in later phase and the royal court of Darbhanga very soon retrieve its intellectual glory. Contemporary of King Hari Singh Dev (Karnat dynasty); great poet and scion of Maithili literature, Vidyapati and in later course of time, an another stalwart Jyotireshwar Thakur had brought aesthetic metamorphosis in the region through lyrics of passion and physical love which entirely saturate the countryside and left deep impact on existing art form and its succeeding generation. Apart from that, Vedic and Puranic sources were quite familiar to most of the Maithil households at the end of medieval period and on the threshold of modern age; so, scriptures and texts like the Bhagvad Purana remains very familiar among the culturally inclined Maithil folks, besides Mithila’s ancient associations with the Ramayana as the birth place of Sit further forward them as source material for the paintings of Shiva-Shakti, Rama-Sita, Krishna-Radha, Ravana and Hanuman, Kohber, Aripan and many more auspicious rituals. For centuries Mithila art has retained its isolation from outside world until it was came across a visionary British official, W.G. Archer during the colonial era; his perceptive curiosity first drew attention to the mural paintings (Later developed as Kacchni style of painting) of the Brahmin and Kayastha village communities of Mithila. Madhubani which literally means “forest of honey” partially signifies the closeness of nature with this locality; with separation from old Darbhanga district in 1973, Madhubani became a full fledged district and also privileged to retain the locus of Mithila art inside its world famous “Panchkosi region (Within the fifteen Kilometer radius from Village Saurath, hub of unusual marriage fair)”which was earlier used to be the centre of “Kulinta“(elite ness) and scholastic learning’s. Indeed Mithila art had fortunate to receive the well timed mentorship from a renowned commercial artist, Upendra Mahrathi who like a father nurtured this ethnic art and meticulously tried to end its isolation. His pioneering initiative like collection of traditional Mithila paintings on paper and its exhibition then as part of the Indian independence movement in 1930’s proved very beneficial in the broadening of Mithila paintings commercial horizons. Later he became the chairman of Bihar Handicrafts and began buying paintings and other handicraft arts in that capacity throughout the 1950’s albeit he remained concerned that the tradition must degenerate with commercialization. In 1960’s famine viciously struck the agrarian socio-economic structure of Mithila which started to desperate the psyche of peoples for their livelihoods; amidst those adverseness a senior Congress leader and stalwart of Maithil politics, Shri Lalit Narayan Mishra (Union Cabinet Minister) had put enormous effort to heal the suffering of that region. Probably he was among few politicians from that region who was so enthusiast to raise the fortune of his native area; obviously this ethnic art was his prime concern, so he struggled to fetch government attention and grant and succeeded with an amount of Rs75, 000 to encourage the commercialization of Mithila art and its innovation as an occupation. Consequences of his activism proved more fruitful in future as than Prime Minister Indira Gandhi shown proper concern for Mithila region and their indigenous art by sending her close aide and than Chairman of All India Handicrafts Society, Pupul Jayakar to visit and look after the plights of this region. That proved another landmark as Pupul Jayakar involved very deep with this ethnic art, both at personnel as well as on institutional level and played very proactive role in further development of this art. She had also written numbers of papers on Mithila art and remained keen throughout her life with it; some years later she sent the artist Bhaskar Kulkarni with hand made papers and colors to expedite and incubate the commercialization of Mithila art which was proved epoch making as use of artificial elements in painting out rightly revolutionize the practices of artists involved in that profession. In later course Mithila art attracted numbers of intellectuals; Erika Moser Smith of Germany and Yves Vequad (The art of Mithila-Ceremonial Paintings from an Ancient Kingdom) of France were foremost among them; they empirically studied the pattern and related micro issues of this art. American Naomi Owens, wife of Ray Owens (An anthropologist and an avid researcher on Mithila art) had very carefully analyzed the feminists led folk music of Mithila; another art enthusiast from U.S.A, Carolyn Henning Brown accomplished an excellent study of the aesthetics of Mithila art. Among Indian scholars apart from Pupul Jayakar, Mulkraj Anand (a book over Madhubani painting), Devaki Jain (numbers of papers on Mithila art) and Jyotindra Jain (a fine book over on legend artist, Ganga Devi) were amongst the pivotal contributor to this ethnic art; they traveled across the hinterlands of Mithila to comprehend the actualities of artistic genesis among the rural folks of this region. Among Maithils, role of Parmeshwar Jha (U.S.A. based academician and an art activist) and his wife Bibha Jha in internationalization of Mithila art is immensely crucial, especially in further turnaround of its fortune. Establishment of Mithila Art Museum in Nilgate (Japan) by Mr. Tokio Hasgawa and American Anthropologist Ray Owens’s almost three decades of active association with this ethnic art and finally set up of Mithila Art Institute in Madhubani (with collaboration from Ethnic Art Foundation, U.S.A) are some of the pleasant outcomes of such consistent efforts.
It’s quite imperative here to understand the subtleties of Mithila art as Madhubani painting is one dominant artistic expression among its peers of handicrafts made by natural recourses like, Bamboos and other herbal ingredients; arts like Siki-Mauni, Sujni and Sitalpati, Godna, sculptures of mythological Sama- Chakeva and numerous other folk art forms which are very close to daily life style of Maithil rural peoples are equally vibrant and needed same attention. As Mithila art is basically a traditional expression entrusted with unique especialties (like idioms, theme, stylization etc), that has been carried out through a long stretch of time by the Maithil women’s irrespective of caste and class and they largely played the role of channel through this inherited knowledge flows, transformed and made auspiciousness resonant in the energy of the present. Its strength of Madhubani painting that it hasn’t any confinement or taboo in its practices, so persons (especially women’s) of all communities paint. There schools of painting can be distinguished, painting is an earthen palette of ochre’s and umber browns, dust pinks, dull turmeric’s and earth reds. The outlines are in a fine black line; here the emphasis used to be given on the volume and depth. Colors are laid on in broad sweeps of the brush, ornaments on cloth or backgrounds are discarded; there is an absence of alankara as tree, bird or foliage. The Paintings are entrusted with energy forms, stuffed with all details. Austerity are profusely maintain in the paintings, a relentless energy and a sense of magic which perhaps has its source in Tantric ritual and worship (Paintings like “The ten Goddess by Batohi Jha, Tantric, Village Jitwarpur, undated could be a fine example). Like all rural art forms the eyes are the source of Shakti, central point of power. Colors and their complex uses are the chief characteristics of the this indigenous art, as tradition of colors remains upbeat since the time of writing Sarrada Tilaka in the eleventh century A.D; ingredients of colors are- Black (Burnt Jowar or Kajal), Yellow (Turmeric) or from Chunam mixed with banyan tree, Orange from Palas flower, Red from Kusum flower, Green from Bilva leaf. It could be a matter of solace that natural colors are still in use although artificial colors are became more rampant in the wake of commercialization.
Jitwarpur and Ranti are two prominent villages of artists that also represent some distinction in their paintings. Sita Devi, Ookha Devi, Yamuna Devi and Harijan painters from Jitwarpur; Jagdamba Devi, Mahasundri Devi from Ranti and Ganga Devi from Chiri village were the protagonists and true epoch makers of Madhubani paintings in last century. They standardized this indigenous art in their limited means and received huge accolades from across the world for sophistication of Madhubani art; it is indeed very proudful for Mithila art lovers that some of artists among them had fetch top civilian awards for their work which sharpen the recognition of Madhubani painting across the world. Presently Gauri Mishra of SEWA MITHILA is carrying the legacies of those great artists with hundreds of local artists; apart from that independent artists and probably every households of Mithila is very much involve in preserving their indigenous art through their cultural practices like- Kohber (paintings in the sanctum of newly weds), Aripan (portray the agrarian materialism of Maithil folks) etc. Future prospects of this indigenous art is undoubtedly bright as the bright and acclaimed artist like Santosh Das (village Ranti), who left his glamorous voyage in the field of modern art after passing out from M.S.University (Baroda), in 1980’s to catch his indigenous art with mission to raise it to the crest of achievements. Through deep intellectual understanding this man in his mid fourtees has added many distinct qualities to the Madhubani painting with relentless meticulous innovations. His experiment in Madhubani paintings has broadly directed it’s towards a complete new journey of expression which was quite unseen before him. Hope Madhubani painting will keep adapting with new innovations in future time with same auspicious colorful connotation in their themes.
Atul Kumar Thakur
November15th2009, New Delhi

Fanishwar Nath Renu in Retrospect

Aurahi Hingana, an small village of North Bihar (Mithila region) is situated just two Kilometer south west away from historic Simraha railway station (Purnia district); it’s here imperative to illuminate that these subtle geographical locality once used to be the locus of great literaturer Fanishwar Nath Renu’s panoramic communion with nature- simply far from an opulent surroundings. Indeed his intermittent communion in such sedate environment was quite conducive for him as that richness of nature has been enabling him to conceal from skirmish city life of Patna, besides emanating great literary stuffs of Hindi, Maithili and Bangla from those sojourn. Undoubtedly this towering giant of Hindi literature mostly derived his laconic art of expression from same milieu as his classic characters and meticulous subjects carried a top sensible belongingness with the rural plights. Apparently his stupendous sensitization of sprawling landscape and folk culture with his own lucid cosmic view presents a very ruminate view of Koshi’s catchments areas and actual persisting hurdles which necessarily seems very close to socio-economic inquiry and somehow different from passive literary interaction. Renu has credit to award the literary world with numbers of novels, stories and poems, memoir, satire, reports, travelogue etc; amazingly they were all quintessentially possess the worth of being sacrosanct before the sensible literary enthusiasts. Like his diverse and rich work, Renu’s life was full with adventure; after his initial schooling at parental house, he flew to neighboring Nepal where fortunately he found acquaintances with famous Koirala family of Biratnagar. Afterwards he kept performing the duty of aide to Koirala’s and remained very close to them, meanwhile he also succeeded in his academics and finally accomplished his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from prestigious Banaras Hindu University; indeed Koirala’s were the factor behind his staying in the city of Kashi as they have proper establishment in the city of light (Kashi). The timeframe of late 1940’s was entirely transitory in nature for Nepalese politics as the tussle between De facto rulers Rana’s and Dejure contender Shah dynasty grew sharper; essentially being the scion of Nepalese politics, Koirala’s had to play some crucial roles in political transformation and further bonding of new ties with India, being a close aide of Koirala’s Renu actively participated in those movements and later produced a very comprehensible report on that era named as “Nepali Kranti Ki Katha (Tells of Nepalese Revolution)” which is a crucial document of that landmark era in Nepal. In later phase Renu primarily concentrated on his own milieu and tried to decipher the ruination of Kosi belt; his magnum opus work in Hindi “Maila Aanchal” which is also regarded as top notch literary creation in any Indian language, the novel very raptly elucidate the contemporary reality of Indian village scene at the threshold of independence; undoubtedly “Maila Aanchal” is a rare piece of literature entrusted with superb delineations of rural wisdom along with the fine fusion of dynamic universal changes that was ready to shift the prevailing idleness of the dogmas in compatibility with the new future of democratic India. From Indian perspective, this book has immense worth to reckon the late colonial framework of eastern region which was stuffed with segregative policies over the native Indians like, Indigo farming, exploitative revenue, terror policing etc. Renu was too much concerned with the endemic diseases like Malaria which was caused by the water logging of Kosi river; being benign Renu had approached with superb humane concern to judge those plights with completely repudiating any discrimination to even the colonial officials, Mary (Later Mary Gunj was commemorate in her memory), wife of an English official who died from Malaria in absence of proper medicine drew same grief as those for thousands of unprivileged local victims. Renu had eloquently elucidated the challenges of post independent India through his another epic novel in Hindi “Parti Parikatha”; in which he painstakingly tried to show the Nehruvian vision of development in early planning years with adequately acknowledging the pertinent issues like, land reform, abolition of Zamindari, villages self rule (Gram Swarajya), socialization of institutions. Moreover he visualized a new emerging democratic India with socio-economic change as priority in the growth agenda; indeed Renu in that period had shown slight difference from his earlier radical ideological stand albeit he remained firm as a believer in socialistic form of development. Strikingly, Renu was equally gifted in storey telling and poetry where he equally became successful to entangled in close bond with his concerned are of subjects; his superb storytelling reached to zenith in work like, “Rinjal Dhan Jal”, “Aadim Ratri Ki Mahak”, “Panch Light”, “Wighthan ke Chhanh”, “Mare Gaye Gulfam or Teesri Kasam” etc are vigorously revolved around the happenings of Terain region of Mithila. For a short while he also gone to Bombay to try his destiny in Cinema making, he penned some script and more remarkably transformed his own lively story “Mare Gaye Gulfam” into a script for Hindi Cinema “Teesri Kasam (Cast- Raj Kapoor, Wahida Rahman, Iftikar etc)” in mid sixties. That Cinema directed by Raj Kapoor and produced by Shailendra could not fetch the commercial success initially although in second release “Teesri Kasam” proved as great success. Alas! Shailendra couldn’t see the success of his dream project as he failed to sustain the initial shock of failure; probably very few Cinemas in modern time have been woven in such lucid intricacies of rural folk life and at best with the greater revelations of humanism over the blind materialism. By records it’s true that except two short stories and some memoirs he explicitly never contributed any more literary stuff in his mother tongue-Maithili; although through a close inquiry of his work, it seems that they basically originated from the inspiration of his Maithili speaking milieu of Purnia district. Renu was a lively humane being like his literary productions, simply far from being a mechanized character. Weeks ago I came to scan an old issue (Late eighties) of “Hans (leading literary magazine in Hindi)” from my own collection which was consisted with some rare photographs of Renu with Baidya Nath Mishra”Yatri” (Nagarjun for Hindi speaking world) during a rainy season in his lush green paddy field in Aurahi Hingana, that refers to frequent visits of celebrated figure to his village during his staying in village. Photographs were undated although vigorously depicts his close communion with natural landscape of his village; Renu often used to said that, my staying in village energies me for creative work and enabled me to produce my work in the city of Patna. Indeed he had led most eloquent voices for villages after the great Hindi literaturer Premchand in the literature of any Indian languages; of course, he was a man of deeds who devoted his entire life raising awareness about the problems of rural hinterland. His sudden and premature demise was extremely elegiac for entire literary world as his many promising work remained uncompleted. It’s really very daunting for me to cover the life and work of Renu in a single article; hope I would be able to produce something more on his work and life in future.
Atul Kumar Thakur
November13th2009, New Delhi

Perils of Indian Maoism

Stiff arms resistance of left extremist groups within the boundary of a strategically sound country like India manifests some noble pattern to deal with it in its own terms and conditions. It would be worthwhile to recall here that Maoists are currently operate in 231 of 626 districts in the country with at least 20,000 ideologically determined armed activists whose assertions against state and civil society straightly reflects through violent method which indeed shaping their plights and demands far from proper materialization. Infact, senseless use of violence by Maoists deterred the state authorities and entire civil society for a better deal with their plights; nonetheless, it’s required to see this grave problem in new light. Confrontation with the Maoists has raged since 1967 just out of first Maoist rebellion, although it strongly consolidated in early years of present decade following the formation of the CPI (Maoist) in 2004 through the merger of two strong naxalite groups, the Peoples War Group (PWG) and the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC). After consolidation Maoists have been remain equivocal in their real intention as they largely failed to conceive the exact political nature of India; they still believing India as semi colonial country which radically altered them from mainstream and being a leading force of working class movement and mass mobilization. Their relentless violent act basically emerged from their confused reckoning of modern and consolidated Indian state with the feeble Nepal or1950’s parochial China where their parent ideology had gain the momentum albeit the ground realities in India is entirely different as its democratic pillar and mainstream left movement is in very fine tune with the state and mass citizens; so, India as a Nation state very much exists in the mind of its citizens and all the institutions of democracy. This is the major cause of failure for such radical movement in the country way back from Ekbari (Bihar) to Naxalbari (West Bengal) in 1960’s and ongoing battle from West Bengal to Karnataka; they all poised to fail because their central leadership started from Charu Majumdar, Kanu Sanyal to Kobad Gandhi and his wife,Amitav Bagchi (Dada) etc couldn’t win the trust of common mass although they partially succeeded to win the sympathy of a chunk of radical intelligencia and like minded university students but that alone may never be suffice to run successfully a mass movement.
What is imperative from the entire mass movement and not specifically of Maoism is to come across the entire length and width of larger reality and form a new insight to handle the prevailing discrimination and other inequitable practices which creates harbinger and belligerence among own peoples for basic rights. Second practices that’s utmost imperative is to change the mindsets of brutality since it’s explicitly evident from the history that alone violence can never be triumphant and only dialogues have capacity to parley and resolve any specific issue; so, beheading policemen’s and methods of “Individual killing” of political opponents is nothing short than Talibani practices as they use same tactics to shunt their rivals. Leaders of these movements have to keep in their mind that great growth stories of communism in U.S.S.R, China or Cuba haven’t woven by such hide and seek game instead they resolute and adopted the core ideology in the local conditions without following any sub nationality as tragically as Indian communists have been availing it’s on many critical junctures. It’s equally important to relooking on the relevance of Maoism as an ideology in India since still two third of its population solely rely on fateful agricultural and allied occupation with very little saving in their hand; so drawing a line after core theme of Marxist-Leninist ideology and its conditional adaptation in Indian socio-economic reality would be more rational as these integrated ideology of communism have entrusted with the universal applicability unlike the Maoism that’s completely a local phenomenon reliably shaped for China. So, time is ripe now to hold some exhaustive debate on ideology and core of problems which creates impatience among the bottom of pyramids and high minded sympathetics; for the state point of view any promotion of arms fraternity in civil society, like “Salwa Judum” or brutal retaliation against our own aggrieved citizens (Maoist Cadres) must be timely checked since they are creating big hurdles in peace process. Being the largest democracy of the world, Indian state must have to ensure the equitable distribution of resources and opportunities because these left arms movement indeed reflects the lack of entitlement that emerged from the chronic scarcity of basic means of livelihood and rampant feudal, corporate and state atrocities in the name of development against the downtrodden who have been living in chaotic order even after the sixty two years of independence. I think these are the reason of violence in state’s growth agenda; so it must be acknowledge that without streamlining the system as a whole, Indian growth story wouldn’t be complete, so state has to reward basic and dignified life for all.

Atul Kumar Thakur
November11th2009, New Delhi

Dooming Provisions before Indian Mutual Fund /Insurance Industry

Financial reform generally intends for a turnaround story with some fresh provisions although these provisions left different implications for diversely segmented components of industry. A closer view on modus operandai of Mutual fund/ Insurance industry reveals the segmented interest of its components vis-à-vis the recently introduced regulatory provisions which try to demystify the role of intermediaries by simply cutting their edge of incentives from core of business. Some fortnight back Security Exchange Board of India (SEBI) came out with a move to end the entry load regime in the pretext of investors welfare albeit that initiative was from reality since the prevailing nature of Mutual fund industry primarily influenced and shaped through bulk investment instead of petty investment; so, investors are hardly going to benefited as they still have to bear the alternative charges that substituted in further course like, trail fees and entry load etc. In such scenario, the huge distribution network including of Independent Financial Advisors (IFAs) have caught in demure backdrop as their hitherto role are not going to proceed in future time, but this fallout is unlikely to be an universal quotient as the Asset Management Company (AMC) being the third pillar of Mutual fund businesses will surely avail the huge margin in current regulatory framework. However, for the time being it’s seems daunting for AMC to cope with the emerging consequences from unconventional shifting of distribution pattern; so some temporary arrangement have been made although that is not suffice for raising the morale of persons involved in Mutual fond distribution. Whatever would be the future shift on these matters; at least it’s an arch reality that again the interests of labour forces especially of unorganized sector have been compromised in the name of reforms.
By following same bandwagon for Insurance sector, meanwhile government have appointed a panel on investor protection and awareness under the Chairmanship of PFRDA Chairman D Swarup whose recommendations till now struggling for a consensus for investment advisors and agents selling financial products to usher them in changed regulatory framework. The apparent mandate of D Swarup committee is to synchronize the level playing field for investment advisors who hitherto have been championing for the great growth stories of Insurance businesses in India; proposal to remove commission on products such as ULIPS and allow investors to negotiate fees is acutely dampening for lakhs of advisors and their conventional bond (of employer-employees) with Insurance companies. Other plan to set up Financial Well Being Board of India (Finweb), an agency to write rules on the common minimum standards for sellers of financial products, and supervise a Self Regulatory Organization (SRO) of agents and financial advisors.
The mandate for Finweb seems exhaustive as every financial advisors needs to be registered with it; apart from that, establishment of an SRO on the line of ICAI is another move that creates complexities since advisors already have SROs to look after their businesses. Regulatory changes are indeed essential but it needs to structured in proper sense and complete canopisation of all components plights; financial sector reform is inevitable but it’s implementation would required due diligence to cover all the core quarters. It’s again a coincidence that marginal forces (Intermediaries) are being victimized from this new regulatory ruling that’s not at par with peoples expectations. Government must ensure the regulatory changes with following the proper care of mass welfare otherwise it would start to visualize as artificial attire with feeble original appeal. Indeed economic activities without employment generation are nothing but futility especially when the claim of transparency stands lofty high.
Atul Kumar Thakur
November10th2009, New Delhi

Nepal-Caught in Personifying Assertions

The present coalition of Nepal shows a paradoxical scenario about its acceptance at large; within country government led by Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal uprightly facing the crisis of legitimacy besides consistent hostile opposition from Maoists but in external affairs it receiving warm accolades from friend nations like India, where this government has seen as best alternative representation through democratic practices. Here Indian concerns are vital since historically India have been sharing the plights of Nepal with strong sense of responsibility; in recent past India played very positive role in post monarchial political adjustment in Nepal especially in peace process with Maoists and forming a consensus on twelve point agreement. But through recent developments in Nepalese politics, Maoists role could be just extrapolated as bemoaning force who blurring the entire peace process and move for constitution drafting. At this point Maoists must strive for at least an expedient move for consensus with ruling parties to hold its prominence intact in national politics and stop embittering Nepal’s most trusted ally, India. Indian concerns to Nepal has always been genuine and will remain same, the only things has to be see in proper light by the Maoists or other dogmatists who suspiciously rated the Indian involvement in their country; they must have sense that an instable Nepal with its ramifications would equally pose threats for a vast home land which India sharing along with the border of Nepal, so good or bad stack for both countries will depend upon the stability and harmony across the border without disturbing the elegant threads which these two nation have been relentlessly maintaining so far. At present juncture Maoists are playing the game of personification inside the Nepal in exactly confused state to locate themselves at the helm of affairs within country and outside; ideology is major deterrent before their potential impartial role in Nepalese politics. Indeed Maoists are caught in ambiguous web of ideology which they are not becoming to shape in their indigenous circumstances that making their attitude haughty with sharp divergence between their saying and intention. Pragmatism is the need of hour for all democratic forces of Nepal; and being a strong component, Maoists also have to act with more responsibility to end the apprehensions of India about theirs undue proximity with China and anti Indian sentiments in Nepal’s some quarter which forming negative biases towards the traditional ties of India and Nepal. From Indian side, intellectuals and officials of Ministry of External Affairs have frequently stressing on the crucial role of Maoists in new political order which also well acknowledged by the Maoists chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal”Prachanda” in an interview with Prerna Marasani of The Hindu (Friday,October6th2009). Now Maoists must hails such word of supprt and legitimacy by striving to sort out all complexities of its further involvement with India; indeed Maoists proactive and peaceful participation in crucial matters, like civil supremacy, constitution drafting etc would broaden their acceptance in country and abroad. Assertions of radical ideology in a multi party democracy like Nepal is a very tough task, since its lacking the required authoritarian mechanism, so experiments of Maoism in Nepal are an unusual phenomenon that was hardly occurred anywhere else in similar manner. Rudimentary principles of Maoism in Nepal stand on the notional basis of a strong and energetic state that Nepal completely lacking today; so foremost task that Maoists must have to deal immediately to strengthen the pillars of Nepalese state and rationalize their ideological practices as per their local conditions without completely emulating any other nation’s experiments. In his recently published article in The Hindu (Monday, September14th2009), Kathmandu based journalist Prashant Jha has revealed that India could enjoy two strategic options, generative and degenerative to deal with Nepal; I have slightly different standpoint about his perceptions, with reiterating again the fact that India could never play a spoiling role in Nepal because of close inherent nature of their relationships and that must be taken as true matter of perception in this regard, so former options seems completely subversive as per the track record of Indian involvement in Nepal, somehow, it’s a completely unrealistic proposition from both countries perspectives. What India could find a niche for itself in a stable and peaceful Nepal forming out through the people’s aspirations and consensus of its political parties?

Atul Kumar Thakur
October10th2009, New Delhi

Euphoria of Migration

According to latest Human Development Report2009 (HDR, U.N) - migrations are hugely beneficial for the poors; further it reveals that poorest and the low skilled could benefit the most by moving, yet they face the largest barriers to movement: legal, financial, and social. Report that came through a well groomed survey team with statistical precision might be true in their observation since upward mobility to a productive posture indeed makes the migrant prosperous and if we could prolong it to international migration then its impacts seems more visible, but it’s regret to say that these perceptions are mechanized which normally taken into account by visiting the results on the basis of economies of scale that hardly able to judge the problems in its true light. The gains are higher for international migrants, so international migration has received much public attention in recent years especially short term migration for work. Such migration shows lucid distinction and separate avenues for male and female labors; male migrants tends to move in the productions and constructions sector and very few in low end service activities. Contrast to that most of female migrants are found to be working in less productive service activities; presently they accounts for around half of the world’s migrant population, so their plights are very worthwhile to judge the actuality of benefits that migration conferred …its quite striking to found that at least in lower strata, migration makes women’s more vulnerable in absence of education and proper exposure to outer world although its varies on patriarchal patterns and official policies of that specific areas as well. Gender perspectives on migration is very crucial since the report estimates that nearly one billion peoples across the glob are migrants, among these 740 millions are internal migrants-almost four times as many as those who have moved internationally; so, it’s now an issue of survival to the one seventh of the world population. As per the report, India stands at 134th position with HDF value of 0.612 which marks hardly a rosy picture for Indian growth story; what this report shatters most is the complete obliviousness of the rural migration from India and other developing countries and their same valuation with high profile migration that normally tends for positional change and career advancement rather than a quest for survival. Mass migration from north Bihar, Terain region of Nepal, Chakmas of Bangladesh can’t be compared with the inter state migration in U.S or even it couldn’t comparable with the exodus from Kerala to Gulf countries. The basic thing which this report is severely missing the distinction between low end migration and high profile migration; for understanding better the plights of forced migrants, it would be essential to look from cultural and ecological perspectives apart from economic ones. Subordination of villages and degradations of city life are more or less the outcomes of same development agenda that pushes common men for wrenching migration for attaining even minimum rudimentary facilities that hardly appeared before them at their native places. For saving the villages and stopping the forced migration, it should be first task for development agencies to end the disguised unemployment in rural areas by creating proper productive atmosphere and strive make these areas the true place of productions. For ensuring the dream of equal and just societies as well the attainment of financial inclusion plan, it should be foremost task of every policy makers to strive for seiging these areas as place of consumption by spurting a new entrepreneurial revolution from villages. Hope in future time we would see some positive change in our rural landscape through inclusive planning.
Atul Kumar Thakur
October8th2009, New Delhi

Paradoxes of Banking Consolidation

Heading through the cutting edge of modern finances, sometimes policy makers tends for noble experiments with its existing businesses to break the inertia or status quo. In recent quarters, banking industry and even the overall financial sector has witnessed upright positional shifts with unpleasant repercussions; reasons are many and it’s an open secret now but such eventuality couldn’t be easily surpassed through only following the cunning tactics instead to enlighten the knowledge of history and maximum avoidance of willy-nilly practices would be somehow more healing. Banking consolidation in Indian context very much seems paradoxical, because Indian banking is too diverse to accommodate in single policy frame. These banks are possessing numbers of inheritances in their own set of condition; for Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) consolidation has enhanced its efficiency but same can’t be true for other banks because of their distinct compositions, so the foremost task should be to assess the overall nature of their structural and operational pattern and then strive for next innovations. India’s public sector banks (PSBs) including of RRBs were emerged through a very cautious deliberation to imparting banking facilities for larger masses under the vigilant regulation of Reserve Bank of India. To a certain extant Indian banks have done commendable job in last four decades to penetrate through the requirements of institutional credit and remaining banking facilities in both urban and rural areas; despite this India is still a shabbily under banked country. Banks are still lending less than half of as proportion to Gross Domestic Product, what a strong economy without exposing to hyper inflation should have; Indian banking here need to follow the basics, the same way in which it succeeded during recent downturns. On the operational side bank must choose to focus on rural segments where the maladies of private lending are still persisting; by appropriating a hassle free day to day banking practices and more rationalization of service charges from less empowered and under banked population. Private sector lenders must also endeavor in similar way since the rural areas are still unexplored and they may be heaven of business in coming years; of course their expertise in local conditions rather than their size going to determine the pace of their success. Today ensuring swift financial inclusion should be the top task before the government to keep the wolf from the door (Avoiding hunger); indeed that would need more meticulous exploitation of our own expertise rather than borrowing the abandoned outdated western ideas of banking consolidation. United States President Mr.Barack Obama has recently reiterating his fear for unnecessarily big size of banks which creates hurdles in operational efficiency; in same manner top western economists including Joseph Stiglitz, who is known for his fair speaking, preaching the cautions to escape the loopholes of banks giant size. Stiglitz has firm view that” banks too large to fall may also be too difficult to handle…crux of his opinion is to move in the direction of rationalization of policies as per the local conditions and requirements instead to lost in the unrealistic myopia of universal model to consolidate the banking business to its last extant. Indeed, up gradation of services instead of size that going to help the banking industry at large…we have account of sixty nine bank failures in ongoing financial meltdown and countless bankruptcies of both institutions and common men’s through unrealistic experiments. Failure of giant Lehmen Brothers that was many fold bigger in its size to India’s largest bank State Bank of India(SBI) shows us that true competency does not necessarily lies in its size…Indian banks are not crooks, so our brooks certainly
not spoil them.
Atul Kumar Thakur
Octobers8th2009, New Delhi