Resurgence

I think my native city, Patna, needs a surgery. You may question my wisdom and have every right to do so – after all Patna of today is much different from Patna of a decade back. There are several projects which, once completed, have the potential to change the face of Patna. And yet I cry for an operative procedure to rescue the city I love (actually it needs many significant treatment sessions but I would raise one important issue in this post). Consider these news items: According to a WHO study, Patna is the 2 nd most polluted city in the world next only to Delhi This summer, for a considerable period, Patna (in fact the entire Bihar) recorded some of the highest temperatures in the country The quality of air in Patna has deteriorated at an alarming rate. Patna, as far I remember, was always a city with dusty roadsides but the rapid spree in construction (massive projects like Roads, Flyovers, bridges, Museum, Convention Center, Malls etc.) has taken its toll on ...

Dear Nitish Sir, Before I write a word, I must state that you are one of the very few politicians whom I admire. The way you have brought ‘hope’ to the state of Bihar is remarkable. There is a visible shift in the perception towards a Bihari elsewhere and that in itself is a big ‘achievement’. ‘Law and order’ has seen positive changes and there has been some impetus in creating infrastructure in the state known to be ‘laggard’. However, these are known facts – and in ‘euphoria’ of the ‘turnaround’, we tend to overlook our shortcomings. I would like to draw your attention to some of the shortcomings which I observed in my recent visit to Patna. It is my belief that if Bihar has to attract investments then Patna needs to gear up for the task first. A capital city is the gateway to the state and for many the mirror to judge the state as well. Thus for Bihar to grow, Patna has to grow first. It is not that it is not growing – but is the growth taking place in the right directio...

Recently I read a news article which informed about Bihar’s Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s desire of promoting sports culture in the state. The article even suggested that he has directed the concerned department for setting up a national level sports training institute in the state. Being a native of Bihar, I am delighted that the state government is finally acknowledging the importance of sports in the development of any society. However, before I go gung-ho about the information, it would be prudent to analyze the ground situation and possible way forward for such a ‘sporting revolution’ (if I may use the terminology). Let us start with analyzing the present situation of sports in the state of Bihar. Though I am no expert on sports and related fields, I can safely claim that Bihar has not been making waves in the arena for quite some time now (especially after its bifurcation). Take for instance the performance in the recently concluded Nationa...

‘Relevance’ for Media Jama Masjid - Patna (Image from: biharplus.in) Mahavir Mandir - Patna (Image from: biharplus.in) Buddha Smriti Park - Patna (Image from: hindustandainik) I was at my home this weekend and had the luxury to do things at my will – I thought watching TV was not a bad option. Not oblivious of the ‘World Cup’ fever, I watched a couple of decent contests. And then I followed news. News channels had their hands full – ‘Bhopal Gas Tragedy’s verdict’ and the subsequent events were keeping the ‘(breaking) news mongers’ busy plus they had the added responsibility of covering the ‘biggest sporting carnival’. One thing that struck me was how media somehow misses small yet important news bites. To illustrate it with an example, I will guide you through a couple of news related to my native place Patna. Patna was in news last weekend. For those who care - BJP was holding its national executive meeting in the city after a decade and half. It was a treat for the national media...