45th Week@XIMB - 15th April to 21st April, 2012
15th April - I am enjoying a day break in the circuit house.There is a old saying - Everybody enjoys proximity of the power. While nearly the whole city was in darkness, I am enjoying facilities of circuit house. The district has its share of news through local dacoits and army men. Many countless movies on dacoits lifted there plot from this region. It can be recent hit like
Paan Singh Tomar or Sunil Dutt starring
Mujhe Jeene Do. The district lies in the valleys of Chambal and the Sind, between the Kunwari and the Pahuj rivers. The ravine lands extend along both sides of the rivers and their tributaries. These ravines were the ideal shelters and bypass routes of dacoits.
The problem of Dacoits has its root in culture and economic structure of the society. Natives of the district are filled with strong emotions of revenge passing through generations. The value system is filled with the moral that
"A life is a abuse for the one whose enemy is living". People of Bhind depends more on agriculture. The moral minor disputes and rivalry on the land holdings prepares the ground of revenge. As the education level is also low, people are not afraid of committing heinous crimes like murders become dacoits.
As per the records of 2006, there are 23,000 licensed fire weapons in the district. Nearby districts Shivpuri has 11,000 and Morena 15000 licensed guns. Due to much demand of guns for settling out disputes, the transference of illegal arms is too much. This also ease dacoits to avail those arms. Land disputes, conflicts on irrigation means and caste rivalry are major causes of murder and crime in this region. To escape from the law, outlaws find their way to the ravines. Near the banks of these rivers forest and ravines are situated. There are invisible difficult paths which provide favorable circumstances for and other criminals. Those who can not dare to go there and take their revenge, help the law flaunting fugitives and in return fetch their aid to solve their rivalries. People even earn living through assisting dacoits.
The socio - political scenario of the region is case-study to deeply look and ponder upon in India of the 21st century. Without looking into this violence and risk prone, we deny our self a full portrait of India.
16th April - I sat nearly 3 hours in the district meeting at DM. Nodal officer was finally appointed. I will start work from the tomorrow. The government machinery is slow in responses and yet lethargic in performing any non monetary work. I attended two marriages with a nodal officer for the cultural adjustment. I was also told about murder of the IPS in the neighboring district (Morena) last year. The native narrator was no way related to the incident, yet there was no sign of remorse or shame in the statements. One officer was killed on duty and the reaction of a common man here was surprising for me. The officer was becoming strict to maintain law and order in the district. Hence, he deserved such punishment. Such a cycle of perpetual violence can only led to further degradation of the society. A society fails when its citizen operate under dysfunctional government laws, which don't provide them even social or economic security necessary for survival. Swiss developmental psychologist and philosopher Jean Piaget declared in 1934 that
"only education is capable of saving our societies from possible collapse, whether violent, or gradual". The backwardness of Bhind can be much attributed to this lack of education and failure of rule of law.
17th April- I didn't go to the office due to ill-health. I spent the whole day in the room only. I am becoming habituated as slow and lazy with each passing day. Life is also difficult without internet. The connectivity factor is also barred by the lack of local mobile SIM. I had to vacate government guest house and stay in the private hotel. All other government facilities were either booked or far from city. There was more question of security than transport for nodal officers assisting me.
18April - I am late in office and the clock is showing 11 hours. Yet, no worries ! The nodal officer is on the field visit, hence chances of gathering any data has became dim. This was my first opportunity to gain experience in a government machinery under the guidance of an private consultants. Yet, the office gave me chance to use internet. A luxury in the that part of India.
19th April - I visited office on time. Another officer with whom further project was linked was on the field visit. The hidden frustration with the pace of work was creeping my mind. The execution of target was going against weekly plan. The clueless and dysfunctional government machinery about disaster management
20April -A little bit of progress has been achieved today in the matter of work. While inquiring on past cases of either drought or flood due to rainfall , a lady in the revenue department joked that everything is under control in their records. I feel like character '
Mussadilal' of TV serial
Office Office.3rd Saturday is holiday declared by the MP government. I took a bold initiative of covering 300 km in hectic travel schedule of 10 hours.
21st April- I am at home 00:30 hours. There is not much to write about Lucknow. I feel like returning to the civilization of
Tahzeeb and
Tameez.
