NREGA GETS e-Shakti

NREGA; THE CHANGING LIFE OF POOR

Nitish Kumar, the CM of Bihar today started an e-shakti scheme in NREGS for all the districts of Bihar. It is a unique scheme in which the eligible job seekers ( registered labors having job cards) who have already been supplied with job cards under National Rural Employment Guarantee Schemes can ask for job under the scheme on telephone. Toll free Numbers are being installed in the headquarters for this scheme.

The CM was very critical of the department of rural development because the overall performance of the NREGS is not satisfactory and the state could come only on the second last ladder of the performance on national basis.

The poor administrative infrastructure, ill trained personnel, rampant corruption at panchayat level and apathy amongst the departmental officials are the root causes of dismal performance of this flagship scheme, which had been started by the UPA government with much fanfare.  In order to improve upon this scheme  both in terms of financial and physical target achievement, the government took a decision only a couple of days ago that NREGS would be implemented though departments other than the rural development also. Departments like Water Resources, Welfare, Road construction, Building construction, REO and Minor Irrigation etc have also been asked to prepare plan to provided jobs to he labors registered under NREGS.

The rules with respect to the NREGA is such that any state which fails to utilize allocated funds under this scheme would get the next year’s allocation reduced by that proportion. Thus every year Bihar gets lesser amount in this flagship programme which is the most ambitious rural employment programme.

The e-shakti scheme is yet to start at full pace as in the inaugural event itself phone lines did not work properly and the questions asked on the phone could not be responded properly by the concerned authority. The CM has reprimanded the officials and asked them to complete the target before this fiscal and set the house in order. It is noteworthy that he has transferred as many as 32 Deputy Development Commissioners (DDC) out of 37 total districts. This huge transfer is being seen in this backdrop also. Comparatively young officers have been posted so that performance is enhanced because the government is left with less than a year only for the completion of its term.     

CHHAT FESTIVAL GETS GLOBAL

WORSHIPING SETTING SUN ALSO

Chhath festival, a festival to worship God Sun has been globalised now. Initially, this festival was parochial and localized and it was celebrated in eastern parts of India especially in Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh only, but thanks to media, especially electronic media, this festival got wide coverage and now has transformed into an all India affair. News of the celebration of Chhath also comes from abroad like UK and USA and host of African, South Asian and European countries.

As far as story of its origin is concerned, according to Hindu Mythology, this festival was started during Mahabharata by Draupadi, the wife of Pandavas during the period in exile.  It is said that when Kauravas hatched conspiracy to kill Pandavas in the house of lac, Pandavas somehow survived. They had to escape into jungles to save their lives. They had to undergo unprecedented hardships in jungles. During the period, Arjun, the great archer, won Draupadi in a swayamvar. Draupadi wanted to mitigate woes of her family therefore she performed worship to god sun. it is said that this is how this festival marked the beginning.   

There is another popular belief that Chhath worship was started by the great warrior Karna, the son of Lord Surya, the sun and Kunti.

                   Initially this festival was localized and in anthropological terms it is known as parochial form or PAROCHIALIZATION. Gradually especially with the advent of private electronic news channels, this festival proliferated horizontally across the country. Now metro cities like Mumbai and Delhi also celebrate this festival with unprecedented fervors and gaiety. The occasion is also marked by political blending also and political persons and parties organize and provide facilities in order to attract people in their political fold.  The reports coming out in the press suggest that now this festival is being celebrated throughout the length and breadth of the country baring some exceptions. In anthropology, this expansion is called UNIVERSALIZATION.  Some people celebrate this festival in England and in other parts of Europe also. In south Asian and south-eastern countries, the celebration of this festival is very common.    

Chhath literally means 6(six). It is perhaps therefore it is celebrated six days after the Diwali, the festival of lights. Some people related to religious denominations say that this is the only festival in India in which setting sun is worshiped. Cleanliness is very important in this festival and in fact the whole city witness unfrequented cleanliness drive organized by community. The environment gets surcharged with religious fervor in such a way that even police admits that crime graph during chhath festival goes surprisingly down.  The devotees who are generally female, observe fasting of 36 hours and during this period she along with other members of families perform ARYA, offering, to GOD SUN both when it is rising and setting. Milk, water of holy river Ganges and fruits etc are offered during the rituals.

It is a community festival and therefore many other people unknown and unconnected to family are also allowed to participate and offer to the sun god in this ritual.

With passage of time, the festival has also got blended with market forces. The readymade items for this festival are flooded in the market and huge hoardings and other advertisement materials are conspicuously displayed. The country made earthen hearth and pots, hand made SUPS, a bamboo made flattened item used for keeping fruits etc during offering to the sun etc have been replaced by factory made items. But even then, what is not replaced is the zeal and religious fervor in this festival.