Rail Bandhu January 2017

JANUARY 2017

VOL 6

ISSUE 9

THE ON-BOARD M AGAZINE OF INDI AN RAILWAYS

PLUS

TRAIN TO

Fame

Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s reel journey

MALGUDI DAYS

Free-spirited

Trip to RK Narayan’s hometown

SINGERS Heart warming music of the Bauls

BARODA

PALACE Unwinding the glorious past

A JOURNEY ACROSS

kangra valley A wonderful way to explore the rustic charm

The magazine is for on-board reading only. Kindly do not take away. Read it online at www.railbandhu.in or download the Rail Bandhu App on your device. ;g if=dk dsoy Vªus esa i<+us ds fy, gSA d`i;k lkFk u ys tk,aA www.railbandhu.in ij vkWuykbu i<+as ,oa jsy ca/kq ,i MkmuyksM djsAa

MINISTER'S MESSAGE

INDIAN RAILWAYS

Towards a better future Dear travellers, It gives me immense pleasure to address you at the onset of another new year. I wish the coming year brings happiness and prosperity in your life.

It is the able leadership of our Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji which is inspiring us to strive for revamping Indian Railways. In his words, we are in a technology-driven century where innovation plays an important role. Therefore, Railways has to be about both ‘Gati’ and ‘Pragati’. It is this mantra that guides us on this journey of transformation.

The year 2016 has witnessed many milestones being set in Indian Railways and many new initiatives being taken. We believe not only in making promises, but also keeping them. We fulfilled many of the announcements made in the Railway Budget of 2016 and are committed to achieve the remaining ones.

Recent train accidents have anguished and pained me beyond words. There is much to do to make Indian Railways a safer mode of transport and we are on job. Systemic issues, accumulated over years, take time to get resolved. Chronic underinvestment in infrastructure has affected the safety of Rail network. However, we are determined to address the issues and come up with solutions.

We have taken significant measures to enhance safety and working on many more. Speeding up track renewal, enhancing capital expenditure on safety, partnering with global best in class research institutes, are among the few. Safety is paramount and we will leave no stone unturned in making train journeys in India safer.

Improving travel experience for our fellow citizens is at the core of our work and philosophy. Enhancing safety, improving speed, creating new passenger amenities, augmenting infrastructure, introducing new train products, all efforts are directed towards achieving this goal. Our vision could not be turned into reality without the support of our fellow citizens. Thus, we seek your cooperation in taking Indian Railways to the next level and benchmark it with the best in the world.

Once again, I wish you and your family a very Happy New Year.

Scan this QR code from your smart phone to read more about the two-year achievements of the Indian Railways

SURESH PRABHU

Hon'ble Minister of Railways Government of India

Safety is paramount and we will leave no stone unturned in making train journeys in India safer Rail Bandhu - January 2017 | 5

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RAIL BANDHU MAGAZINE IS PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY VIKAS JOHARI ON BEHALF OF MAXPOSURE MEDIA GROUP (INDIA) PVT. LTD. (MMGIPL) FOR THE INDIAN RAILWAYS AND PUBLISHED AT MMGIPL, PLOT NO 246, 3RD FLOOR, OKHLA PHASE-3, NEW DELHI-110020, INDIA. RAIL BANDHU MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THE WRITING, ARTWORK AND/OR PHOTOGRAPHY CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE USED OR REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE EXPRESS WRITTEN PERMISSION OF MMGIPL. MMGIPL / INDIAN RAILWAYS DOES NOT ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR LOSS OR DAMAGE OF UNSOLICITED PRODUCTS, MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, ARTWORK, TRANSPARENCIES OR OTHER MATERIALS. THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THE MAGAZINE ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE PUBLISHER OR THE INDIAN RAILWAYS. ALL EFFORTS HAVE BEEN MADE WHILE COMPILING THE CONTENT OF THIS MAGAZINE, BUT WE ASSUME NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE EFFECTS ARISING THERE FROM. MMGIPL / INDIAN RAILWAYS DOES NOT ASSUME ANY LIABILITY FOR SERVICES OR PRODUCTS ADVERTISED HEREIN. ALL ADVERTORIALS HAVE BEEN MARKED AS 'IN FOCUS' IN THE MAGAZINE. FOR INQUIRIES | MMGIPL TEL: +91.11.43011111, WWW.RAILBANDHU.IN, WWW. MAXPOSURE.IN

6 | Rail Bandhu - January 2017

www.railbandhu.in

CONTENTS

TRAVEL

32

RAIL UPDATE

COVER STORY

A rail journey across the scenic Kangra valley

28

50

ENTRY TICKET

DREAM SCAPE

Plan your trips around these days and events

A trip down memory lane to RK Narayan’s hometown- Malgudi

12

14

Towards a digital/cashless economy

A glimpse of IR progress during 2016

CULTURE

56 CABIN CONVERSATION Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui reminisces about his reel journey

76 HERITAGE HALT Discover BadarkaChandra Shekhar Azad’s birth place 8 | Rail Bandhu - January 2017

www.railbandhu.in

72

TALE SPIN

Read about Bauls who are bards, composers, musicians and dancers

CONTENTS

DISCOVER

LIFESTYLE

42

66

OFF TRACK

Learn about Baroda’s glorious past

WIDE ANGLE

Remembering Guru Gobind Singh on his birth anniversary

84

thou 'kSyh

STAR TRACKER Your tarot predictions for this month

85 SHORT TAKES

92

Books to read and movies to watch this month

Hkkjr ds fLoV~t+jySaM vkWyh ds ckjs esa feysxh jkspd tkudkjh

86 90 96 10 | Rail Bandhu - January 2017

Hkkjrh; jsy ds varxZr lsok,a nsus okys nenkj jsy batuksa ds ckjs esa tkusa fczVsu esa fLFkr fdaXlQ+sjh fczt rduhd dk ,d vuks[kk mnkgj.k gS

JANUARY 2017

VOL 6

plus

TrAin To

Fame

Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s reel journey

MAlguDi DAys

Free-spirited

Trip to RK Narayan’s hometown

SingerS Heart warming music of the Bauls

baroda

u, lky esa Hkh vius iz’kaldksa dk Hkjiwj euksjatu djsaxs xq# ja/kkok www.railbandhu.in

ISSUE 9

Cover Pic by Ram Rahman

ThE ON-bOARd m AgAzINE Of INdI AN RAILwAYS

PAlAce Unwinding the glorious past

A Journey Across

kangra valley A wonderful way to explore the rustic charm

The magazine is for on-board reading only. Kindly do not take away. Read it online at www.railbandhu.in or download the Rail Bandhu App on your device. ;g if=dk dsoy Vªus esa i<+us ds fy, gSA d`i;k lkFk u ys tk,aA www.railbandhu.in ij vkWuykbu i<+as ,oa jsy ca/kq ,i MkmuyksM djsAa

ON THE COVER The scenic route across the Kangra Valley as seen from the narrow gauge Train

RAIL ACHIEVEMENT

INDIAN RAILWAYS

THE ERA OF

CASHLESS TRANSACTIONS

In order to support Indian government’s demonetisation move, Indian Railways has already started performing cashless transactions. Almost 99.9% of the total working expenditure is cashless and more than 95% of freight earning is also cashless. E-ticketing option is available and 75% of reserved ticketing is cashless. Around 2650 automatic ticket vending machines sell unreserved E-tickets. 12% of the unreserved tickets are through these machines. Also, mobile/cellular booking of unreserved tickets, including platform tickets and monthly passes, has been made available on seven suburban railway stations like Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi and Secunderabad.

CASHLESS TRANSACTIONS ‘DIAL-A-TICKET’ ON 139

IRCTC MOBILE APP BOOKING

The service is available from anywhere in India in 12 languages. ial 139, select D preferred language and opt menu option 5 for reserved ticket booking. hare your booking S related details like train, date of travel, passengers, mobile number, etc. with operator. perator will update O passenger with the accommodation availability and total booking amount.

Download the IRCTC Connect App from Google play-store and iOS store in case of Android and Apple operating system.

Download the IRCTC App from windows store in case of windows operating system.

STEP 1 Register and login into the account by providing correct username and password.

STEP 2 Select source and destination station with date of journey.

STEP 3

DID YOU KNOW

?

Fill up the journey particulars and passenger details.

STEP 4 S elect payment options from wallet, credit card, debit card or net-banking.

STEP 5 fter successful A payment, ticket is booked and passenger gets SMS or e-mail for booked ticket.

I n case, passenger is interested in booking, call will be transferred to secured IVRS channel for online payment. ake payment to M 139 through secured IVRS using credit card, debit card or Vodafone m-pesa mobile wallet. fter successful A payment, operator will book the ticket.

The ticket will be sent through SMS.

For cashless transaction on Internet, log on to www.irctc.co.in Unreserved tickets on mobile phone can be booked through Uts-on-Mobile App (UOMA).

The facility is available on smartphones.

Tickets can also be booked through Ticket Vending Machines ATVM/COTVM, available at selected stations.

Rail Bandhu - January 2017 | 13

RAIL ACHIEVEMENT

A Glimpse of 2016 Railways on a fast track Accounting Reforms RIGHT ACCOUNTING

LINKING OF BUDGET

RIGHT COSTING

EXPENDITURE

RIGHT PRICING

OUTPUT

RIGHT OUTCOME

OUTCOMES

INITIATIVES OF ACCOUNTS DIRECTORATE

BENEFITS

• Strengthening and capacity building of human capital for the sustainability of Accounting Reforms

• Advanced Railway Pension Access Network (ARPAN), an online virtual communication for issuance of Pension Payment Order

• Help the management in strategic areas such as value creation, resource utilisation, product/service pricing, strategic planning, and risk management, etc.

• For Centralised processing of financial transactions, an ‘Integrated Payroll and Accounting System’ (IPAS) has been introduced

• A holistic transformation in the way IR perceives not just its accounting milieu but also the way it looks at its operations and business as a whole.

• e-Rail Lekha in which all the Zonal Railways upload data

EXTRA-BUDGETARY RESOURCES (INSTITUTIONAL FINANCE)

• EBR-IF funds are low cost, long term funds which will be deployed to finance throughout enhancement projects of Railways, mainly doubling and electrification projects.

During the FY 2015-16 EBR-IF funds of `9,430 crore were utilised and the target for

2016-17

is

`20,985 14 | Rail Bandhu - January 2017

www.railbandhu.in

crore.

• A Memorandum of Understanding with LIC of India was also signed for availing funding assistance to the tune of `1.5 lakh crore over the next five years for financing Railway projects.

• World Bank has been approached for exploring the feasibility of setting up a Railways of India Development Fund (RIDF) for raising resources for long-term investment in Railways.

Initiatives Taken Electronic registration of Demand (e-RD)

A liberalised policy introduced for two point booking of covered wagons

Proliferation of Roll-on Rolloff (RORO) service on ECR

Withdrawal of Port Congestion Charge

Electronic transmission of Railway Receipts (e-TRR)

Withdrawal of Busy Season Charge for traffic loaded in BCN group and BCNHL wagons Withdrawal of dual freight policy for iron-ore

Notification of Group I and Group II stations as CRT Reduction in classification of Red Mud from Class-

150 120 to Class-

Exemption of Kota Stone from the list of notified commodities

BCN group permitted for two point booking and mini rake

Distance for mini rake increased from 400 km to 600 km

Automatic Freight Rebate scheme for traffic loaded in empty flow direction

Rationalisation of Merry-Go-Round (MGR) system

Re-introduction of short-lead concession and reduction of minimum distance for charge from

125km 100km to

Notification of 369km route as 25t Axle Load and 23 routes as CC+8 Trans-border transportation (traffic to Bangladesh without involving trans-shipment and load adjustment at Dump points) SAMVAD â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A structured dialogue between Railway administration and customers

Rail Bandhu - January 2017 | 15

RAIL ACHIEVEMENT

Data Analytics In the budget speech of 2016-17, Minister for Railways Shri Suresh Prabhu stated that “Data backed decision-making is a hallmark of great institutions. Though IR, as an organisation, collects over 100 Terabytes of data every year, yet it is hardly analysed to gain business insights. A dedicated, cross functional team called Special Unit for Transportation Research and Analytics (SUTRA) would be set up for carrying out detailed analytics leading to optimised investment decisions and operations.

This team would compromise professional analysts and best in class decision support system and optimisation engines.”

To begin with, the project envisages preparation of a Detailed Project Report (DPR) with the objective of

setting up an information system to analyse the data. It shall also involve in-depth study of data volumes and the way the data shall be analysed in the domain areas. The technical work related to digital data analysis will be done

at CRIS. The functional users in each of the domains have been nominated by the Board Members.

RITES has been entrusted with the task of preparing the DPR and the report is expected to be available in next 4 months.

International Collaboration • Indian Railways has signed MoUs with various Foreign Railways/Foreign entities including Co-operation areas in the field of High speed railways, Training, Manufacturing locomotives and rolling stocks; Station development; Rolling stock modernisation, Signalling & telecom modernisation, Rail safety regulations, including level crossings, Railway Electrification, Advanced techniques of maintenance; Use of environment friendly technologies; and several other areas.

• Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail corridor (MAHSR) will be developed with the use of Japanese high speed rail technologies (i.e., the Shinkansen system) and experiences.

16 | Rail Bandhu - January 2017

FUTURE PLANS

• Collaboration with Global Industries for FDI in Railways in sectors delineated in the FDI scheme • Collaboration in high technology area under ‘Make in India’ programme • Providing climate-friendly efficient solutions for Indian Railways’ expanding energy needs • Global partnerships for skill development of IR personnel through training programmes

• International participation in Station development • Collaboration in freight operations especially automotive transport and logistic parks www.railbandhu.in

• Cooperation in Infrastructure building and management including Dedicated Freight Corridors and development of passenger stations • Co-operation in High Speed Rail and Speed raising

Involvement of World Bank with Indian Railways • Funding Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor • Funding MUTP corridors being implemented by MRVC • Conducting feasibility study for setting up a Rail Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) for which the structure, project pipeline, tax and regulatory study, market sounding has already been carried out • Based on experience of financing Eastern DFC, suggestions on financing

the 3 proposed DFCs and also bring in coinvestors • Providing USD 500 million assistance for station redevelopment and also working with BCG regarding organizational structure • Structuring State JV projects and providing assistance • Provided inputs on regulation • Conducted workshops on benchmarking, accounting reforms, station development, etc.

RECRUITMENT REFORMS • Ministry of Railways conducted world’s largest online exam for recruitment, where more than 92 lakh aspirants participated in more than 1100 centers in 351 cities across India. With a view to increase transparency, a new system of handing over the Question Booklets to the

candidates has been introduced. A pilot project of uploading of Answer Keys and Cutoff marks has also been initiated.

• Replacement of Paper Applications, Duplicate OMR Sheets and bulky multilingual Question Booklets with Online Applications and Computer-based online Exams has led to saving 310 crore A4 size sheets, which means a saving of about 4 lakh trees from cutting.

• Four centres of Railways Research set up in premier educational institutions.

Wi-Fi facility at Railway stations

Railway Board has mandated RailTel Corporation of India (RCIL) to provide Wi-Fi facility at A1, A & B category station (709 Stations). RCIL has entered into a collaborative agreement with M/s Google to provide Wi-Fi at 400 stations. In phase-I of this, 100 stations have been covered in the 2016 and further 600 stations are targetted for commissioning by 2020 @200 stations per year.

Rail Bandhu - January 2017 | 17

RAIL ACHIEVEMENT

Complaint management through social media FUTURE PLANS

Social Media is a platform of online communication channels dedicated to community based inputs, interaction, content sharing and collaboration. It allows people or organisations to create, share, or exchange information, career interests, ideas, and pictures/videos in virtual communities and networks.

INTEGRATION OF ALL MODES OF COMPLAINTS

Examples: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, etc.

Ministry of Railways took the initiative to provide assistance and address the complaints of rail passengers received on the twitter handle of the ministry @RailMinIndia, on real time basis.

ACTION ON TWEETS The staff work upon the ticketed tweets on the basis of assigned priority such as urgent, high and normal.

IR intends to integrate all modes of receiving complaints into a single platform for better monitoring and prompt resolution of complaints.

THE PHENOMENAL RISE IN FOLLOWERS OF INDIAN RAILWAYS ON TWITTER

2,56,00,000

1,28,00,000 64,00,000 32,00,000 16,00,000

Tags the tweet to concerned officials 18 | Rail Bandhu - January 2017

www.railbandhu.in

December 16

November 16

October 16

September 16

August 16

July 16

June 16

May 16

April 16

March 16

0

February 16

8,00,000

January 16

Obtain required information, if the passenger didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t provide in his first tweet, i.e. PNR, contact no., details of issue etc.

Action begins and ends when passenger gets required assistance

Digital Milestones during 2016 Launched all- India 24x7 helpline number 138

Launched mobile application to redress Railway-related complaints and webbased complaint and suggestion portal

Launched E-Ticketing Portal in Hindi and also for differently-abled passengers

Defence Travel System for elimination of paper warrants has been implemented at more than

3000 locations.

$

Commissioned 450 coin-cumcard operated Automatic Ticket Vending Machines MOBILE APPS

TRANSPARENCY Introduced destination alert service on all Rajdhani and Duronto trains.

Launched paperless unreserved ticketing through mobile at Chennai, Mumbai, Secunderabad and Kolkata Suburban sections and at New Delhi - Palwal Section of Northern Railway also.

Several IT applications to facilitate transparency in working have been implemented on Indian Railways. These include Passenger Reservation System, E-procurement system, Online registration of demand for wagons and coaches, Computerised Parcel Management System, Freight Operations Information System, Track Management System, Online booking of Retiring Rooms etc. These systems help in bringing about transparency in Railway Operations.

ROADMAP FOR THE FUTURE Integrated Railway Mobile Application for ticketing issues and for receipt and redressal of complaints and suggestions.

Launched sale of unreserved tickets through hand-held terminals for the benefit of the suburban and short distance travelers.

Hassle-free tickets have been provided to the pilgrims during Krishna Pushkaram festival at Vijayawada station.

At many stations it has been installed successfully Sale of platform tickets through ticket vending machines which would be made compatible with cash, credit/debit cards

Bar-coded tickets, scanners and access control on pilot basis at major stations

Nivaran portal for employees Minister of Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu launched NIVARAN portal in June 2016, an online system for redressal of service-related grievance of serving and former railway employees.

It facilitates the employees to lodge their grievances and also monitor their progress. The system would also provide facility for lodging appeal to the higher authority in case the decision is not found satisfactory.

Rail Bandhu - January 2017 | 19

RAIL ACHIEVEMENT

IR goals for 2030 Modal share in freight increased to

Eliminate all unmanned level crossings on Broad Gauge by

47%

2020

from the present 33% Punctuality

95% Non-fare revenue to be increased from 3.4% to

20%

State of the art Base Kitchens will be established and e- catering to be encouraged so that passengers can have food of their choice at affordable price.

To redevelop 54 ‘A-1’ & ‘A’ category stations by

2020-21 All level crossings to be replaced with grade separators by year

2030

Speed raising – for freight trains

100kmph

Country’s first high speed rail to be operational by 2023 between Mumbai and Ahmedabad Network size to go up to

72,000 route kms

Freight traffic to reach

3000 656

billion NTKM from

billion

Healthcare benefits for employees Indian Railway Medical Services (IRMS) has taken a major role in making India a ‘Polio Free Country’.

FUTURE PLAN

First in-house 16-Slice CT-Scan facility commissioned at B.R. Singh Hospital of Eastern Railway.

Online system of OPD registration introduced at Eastern Railway in B.R. Singh Hospital & Howrah Orthopedic Hospital.

20 | Rail Bandhu - January 2017

Power to empanel CGHS empanelled hospitals delegated to General Managers of Zonal Railways. www.railbandhu.in

Implementation of cashless smart card scheme for RELHS beneficiaries over various Zonal Railways will be ensured.

As a part of Digital India Programme Hospital Management Information System (HMIS) is being materialised by commissioning the same all over Indian Railways in a phased manner with a pilot project at Northern Railway. As a part of the same programme, a proposal for on-line issuing of food licenses under FSSA Act is also being taken up. Reinforcing Primary and Secondary healthcare, this has the approval of DG (RHS).

Enhancing travel experience Setting up of mechanised laundries for washing linen

To improve upon the quality of washing of linen supplied to the passengers

State-of-the-art machines are used for washing and ironing of linens

Mid-life Rehabilitation Workshop for coaches at Jhansi.

The workshop has capacity to undertake MLR of

250 coaches per annum.

It is a specialised work aimed at mid-life rehabilitation of railway coaches to improve their condition from passenger amenities as well as running point of view at mid-life stage.

Mechanised laundries have already been set up at 18 new locations.

Rail Development Authority For the purpose of orderly development of infrastructure enabling competition and protection of customer interest, Ministry of Railways had prepared a Concept Paper of rail regulator named Rail Development Authority of India (RDA) in December 2015 which was put on Indian Railways website for comments.

OTHER PASSENGER INITIATIVES Provision of foldable ladder started in new manufactured First AC Coaches for passenger convenience

J-Hook type of hanging arrangement for bags in suburban coaches for passengers’ convenience Started a web and SMS-based system in which passengers of OBHS covered trains can call for OBHS staff for any cleaning requirement and such requests can be monitored online for satisfactory fulfillment

WEB

Provision of bio-degradable garbage bags to passengers has been started as a part of Mission Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan

RDA WILL UNDERTAKE 4 KEY FUNCTIONS • Tariff determination functions • Ensuring fair play • Setting efficiency and performance standards • Dissemination of information

Commencement of provision of Braille signage on 3000 coaches to facilitate travel to visually impaired passengers on all the new manufactured coaches Rail Bandhu - January 2017 | 21

RAIL ACHIEVEMENT

High Speed Train Project Government of India has approved implementation of 508 kms long high speed corridor between Mumbai and Ahmedabad through Japanese financial and technical assistance. Further in December, 2015 Memorandum of Cooperation has been signed between Government of India and Government of Japan to undertake implementation of the corridor with Japanese Shinkansen technology. The MoU also provides human resource development plan, make in India component and transfer of technology for construction.

Total length of corridor â&#x20AC;&#x201C;

Maximum design speed of

508kms

350kmph 320kmph

between Mumbai to Ahmedabad

and operating speed of

35 trains per day in MUMBAI

2023 which will go up to 105 trains per day in 2053 The total journey time of a fast train will be

2.07hrs

and of train stopping at each station will be 2.58 hrs

GUJARAT

22 | Rail Bandhu - January 2017

Project implementation time will be approximately seven years from commencement of construction www.railbandhu.in

A New entity named National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) has been incorporated in February, 2016 to implement the high speed corridor project. In Rail Budget 2014-15, setting up of Diamond Quadrilateral network of high speed rail connecting major metros and growth centers of the country was pronounced.

Accordingly, Government envisages having a Diamond Quadrilateral Network of high speed trains connecting (i) Delhi-Mumbai (ii) MumbaiChennai (iii) ChennaiKolkata (iv) Kolkata-Delhi and both the diagonals i.e. (v) Delhi-Chennai and (vi) Mumbai-Kolkata. The total length of network will be approximately 10,000 kms.

0

Total investment

(A COMPARISON)

Avg.

2014-15

2015-16

60,000

1,00,000 West Bengal

Uttar Pradesh

Uttarakhand

Telangana

Tamil Nadu

Rajasthan

Punjab

Odisha

2015-16 2016-17

2015-16 2016-17

2015-16 2016-17

2015-16 2016-17

2015-16 2016-17

2015-16

2015-16

2016-17

2015-16 2016-17

2015-16

2016-17

2016-17

2015-16

2016-17

2016-17 2016-17

2015-16

2016-17

2016-17

Maharashtra

2015-16 2016-17

2015-16

2015-16 2016-17

2015-16

2016-17

5,000

Madhya Pradesh

Kerala

Karnataka

Jharkhand

Jammu & Kashmir

2015-16 2016-17

2016-17

2015-16

2015-16 2016-17

2015-16

Himachal Pradesh

2015-16 2016-17

1,000

Haryana

Gujarat

2015-16 2016-17

2015-16

2,000

Delhi

Chhattisgarh

Bihar

2016-17

6,000

Assam & NE

3,000 2015-16

4,000

Andhra Pradesh

State-wise investment in railway projects in 2015-16 & 2016-17

INVESTMENT IN CRORE

`93,795

80,000

`58,718

`45,979

40,000

2009-14

20,000

0

INVESTMENT IN CRORE

Rail Bandhu - January 2017 | 23

RAIL ACHIEVEMENT

NEW Dedicated Freight Corridors NORTH-SOUTH DFC CONNECTING DELHI TO CHENNAI Approximate length of the corridor is

EAST-WEST CONNECTING KHARAGPUR TO MUMBAI KHARAGPUR

2343kms

EAST-COAST CONNECTING KHARAGPUR TO VIJAYAWADA Approximate length of the corridor is

1114kms Broad â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Gauge -Double line with Electrification

The Corridor originates from New Palwal (near Pirthala) and terminates at new Arakkonam junction

MUMBAI

Broad Gauge - Double line with Electric traction

The Corridor originates from Andal/Kamarkundu near Dankuni and terminates at Palghar near Mumbai

Approximate length of the corridor is

2328kms

Passes through the States of

West Bengal Odisha Andhra Pradesh The Corridor originates from Kharagpur and terminates at Vijayawada KHARAGPUR

The proposed alignment passes through the States of

The Alignment passes through the States of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu 24 | Rail Bandhu - January 2017

West Bengal Jharkhand Odisha Chhattisgarh Maharashtra www.railbandhu.in

VIJAYAWADA

Increasing NFR Earnings Non-Fare Directorate is planning to improve NFR earning to 10-20% of total earning of Indian Railways in next 5 years.

Major Initiatives

1

5

New Digital Advertising Policy at more than 2000 stations is being rolled out to improve ambience of stations and NFR earning through advertisement Soft data monetisation is being taken up

2 6

New initiatives being taken

by RLDA for commercial utilisation of vacant land for improving NFR earning by monetising vacant land Branding of Stations and trains with advertisements

3 4 7

The work of redevelopment of 400 stations is being expedited A Portal is opened by IR for online approvals of Track crossings and way leave permissions On board entertainment, Wi-Fi and advertisements in trains

3-tier security system of IR District Police: Security of tracks, bridges and tunnels and over Indian Railways GRP: Wing of the State Police responsible for prevention and detection of crime and maintenance of peace and order in station premises, circulating area and trains.

RPF: RPF has been constituted under the Railway Protection Force Act, 1957 (as amended from time to time) for better protection and security of railway property, passenger area and passengers and for matters connected therewith.

SECURITY SYSTEM SKILL DEVELOPMENT CENTRES Ministry of Railways signed an MoU with Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) to make available spare capacity of Railway’s infrastructure.

MSDE through National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and their Training Partners would identify areas within railway premises where they would be keen to undertake the Skill Development Programme.

Six (6) locations have been identified for setting up ‘Centres of Excellence for Skill Development’ in the training centers of 4 workshops (Izzatnagar, Gorakhpur, Jhansi & Lucknow) and in 2 Production Units (DLW Varanasi & MCF Raibareilly).

Rail Bandhu - January 2017 | 25

RAIL ACHIEVEMENT

Project Highlights of 2016 BG IN NORTH EAST

3500

450

2828

600

1983

1400 700

360 240 110

1477

2100

LENGTH IN KM

480 1528

120

0

INVESTMENT 93795

125000

24000

30000

2009-14

2015-16

45979

0

75000 50000 25000

24307

` IN CRORE

10000

58718

100000

20000 2600

` IN CRORE

DEDICATED FREIGHT CORRIDOR

2015-16

2009-14

2015-16

2014-15

2004-09

2009-14

0 2014-15

LENGTH IN KM

2800

545

BG LINE COMMISSIONED

www.railbandhu.in

2015-16

0

2015-16

2014-15 1730

1375

800

2009-14

2015-16

2014-15

0

1600

2014-15

500

2400 1184

LENGTH IN KM

1000

26 | Rail Bandhu - January 2017

ELECTRIFICATION

1253

1148

1139

1500

2009-14

LENGTH IN KM

UNMANNED LEVEL CROSSINGS ELIMINATED

2009-14

2004-09

0

Promoting

Artistic skills Railway Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Welfare Central Organisation (RWWCO) annually organises an All India Railway Drawing & Painting Competition for the wards of Railwaymen to encourage artistic talent amongst the children of rail-fraternity.

T

he Winners of the competition are invited to Delhi for receiving the prizes in a function organised by RWWCO. The function was held on December 16, 2016, at National Rail Museum Auditorium, New Delhi. Smt. Rashmi Mital, President, RWWCO, was the Chief Guest

RWWCO President Smt Rashmi Mital inaugurating the event

QUICK FACT RWWCO is the apex body of the chain of womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s welfare organisations spread over all India

at the occasion. She distributed Merit Certificates & Cash Awards to winning wards of Railwaymen (53 in number) who had come to Delhi from various Zonal Rlys/Production Units from across the country.

Along with the award ceremony, there was a rich cultural presentation by children of rail fraternity from Kharagpur Division of South Eastern Railway. The performance was a mix of classical and folk dances that was thoroughly enjoyed by all present.

RWWCO is engaged in the task of welfare of railwaymen and their families through various need-based socio/welfare activities.

The organisation started its activities in 1962 after Indo-China War and it has always risen to the call of the society and the nation - be it environmental awareness, family-welfare drives, disturbances on the borders or the natural calamities.

Rail Bandhu - January 2017 | 27

ENTRY TICKET

block your dates Special days and events that call for a quick trip to be a part of them

TAALBELIA (JANUARY 26-29, 2017) The four-day long festival fuses music, art and a royal palatial stay. Showcasing the majestic and equally magnetic charm of the Shekhawati region and its culture, this round-the-clock affair, will host 4 stages on which, different genres of contemporary, classical and folk music will come alive.

Adventure laden activities, safaris and workshops are among other highlights of the festival.

Venue: Castle Mandawa and Desert Resort, Rajasthan How to reach: Jhunjhunu is the nearest railway station. It is well-connected to Jaipur, Delhi and Bikaner.

SAPTAK MUSIC FESTIVAL (JANUARY 1-13, 2017)

PUNE BIENNALE (JANUARY 5-29, 2017)

Venue: Indira Sagar Dam, Madhya Pradesh

The festival features classical and semi-classical music along with dance performances by some of the most celebrated names in the Indian classical genre. It celebrates diversity of musical styles, instruments, and classical forms such as dance. Some of the innovative features of this festival include instrumental and dance ensembles, Tala Vadya Kacheri, Rajasthani and Punjabi folk music.

The third edition of the Pune Biennale, a vibrant art festival, brings art closer to people. It will showcase substantial artworks from close to 300 artists of national and international repute. The participatory projects are designed for engaging with the local community and showcasing artworks through diverse mediums including displays and installations.

How to reach: The state is wellconnected to other major cities of India through rail network.

Venue: Ahmedabad, Gujarat How to reach: The city is linked to most parts of India via extensive rail network.

How to reach: Pune Junction is connected to all major cities by dense rail network.

JAL MAHOTSAV (DECEMBER 15, 2016 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; JANUARY 15, 2017) Jal Mahotsav is a unique amalgamation of varied cultural flavours of the region.

The festival provides an opportunity to witness the creativity of the artisans and craftsmen, folk music and performances.

The major highlight of the festival is the tented city created at the bank of the Indira Sagar dam.

28 | Rail Bandhu - January 2017

www.railbandhu.in

Venue: Pune

HOTEL

Gat No. 189, Talawade, Pune - 412114, India. +91 7720013185 inquiries@ecoman.in www.ecoman.in

ENTRY TICKET

Celebrating Republic Day India became independent on August 15, 1947. At the time of independence the nation did not have a permanent constitution. Indian Constitution came into effect on January 26, 1950 which is celebrated as Republic Day. The date was chosen as it was the anniversary of Poorna Swaraj Day.

INTERESTING FACTS

1 longest written 2December 9, Indian Constitution is the

The Constituent Assembly, which first met on

Constitution of any sovereign country in the world.

WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA,

having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a

SOVEREIGN, SOCIALIST, SECULAR, DEMOCRATIC, REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens:

JUSTICE

social, economic and political;

LIBERTY

of thought , expression, belief, faith and worship;

EQUALITY

of status and of opportunity; and to promote among them all

FRATERNITY

assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation;

The Constitution gives citizens of India the power to choose their own government. It defines the fundamental political principles, and establishing the structure, procedures, powers and duties, of a government.

Passed on November 26, 1949, by the Constituent Assembly, it became fully applicable since January 26, 1950. Indian Constitution contains several good points of constitutions of many other countries of the world.

3 January 24,

1946

took precisely 2 years, 11 months and 18 days to come up with the final draft.

The handwritten Constitution was signed on

1950

4 British parliamentary It follows a

5 Supreme Court The Constitution has borrowed the concept of a

from the United States and embodies some Fundamental Rights which are similar to Bill of Rights declared by the

pattern of lower and upper house.

US constitution

6 7

The Constitution declares India as a federal system similar to that in

Canada

The Constitution provides detailed lists dividing up powers between central and state governments as in

Australia

8

It follows the Directive Principles of State Policy as does the

Irish constitution

COVERY STORY

PATHANKOT

This is a major city of the kingdom of Audumbaras, an important tribe of northeastern Punjab region. The train leaves the station, crossing the Chakki River and moves towards Nurpur. After the flatness of the plains, one encounters Nurpur fort, perched on its hill.

A journey across Kangra Valley Board the narrow guage Kangra Valley Train and embark on a scenic route across the valley. Selected excerpts from the book...

T

he Kangra Valley lies between the Shiwalik Hills that rise from the Punjab plains and the Outer Himalayas, dominated by the Dhauladhar ranges. Known as Dev Bhumi or the Land of the Gods, one can see vistas of verdant lands, green with rice fields and tea gardens.

HISTORY This railway line was first proposed in 1902, and in 1912 the Railway Board sanctioned a 26-km route from Pathankot to Nurpur and two years later, the extension

32 | Rail Bandhu - January 2017

to Baijnath was passed. However, World War I broke out and the whole plan was shelved until 1925. The line opened to general traffic in 1929. The Kangra Valley Railways (KVR) is an excellent example of how railway engineers worked in harmony with nature; their work, which was sensitively conceived and carried out, is a tribute to the beauty of this sub-Himalayan region.

The route runs from Pathankot in the Punjab plains to Joginder Nagar in the Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh and covers a distance of 164 km.

www.railbandhu.in

ABOUT THE BOOK

JWALAMUKHI ROAD

This halt is 62 km from Pathankot and an ideal stop to visit the Masrur temple.

There is a remarkable group of rock-cut temples perched on a hill at an elevation of 2,500 ft.

Michael Meister, the renowned art historian believed that the Masrur temples were the inspiration for the temples of Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

Nearby are the Pong Wetlands, one of the largest wetlands in North India. The reservoir stretches for 41 km and is 19 km wide. The area is a submerged valley of the Shivalik Hills and part of the Beas river. It supports almost 220 species of birds and 27 species of fish. In 1983, Pong became a wildlife sanctuary.

GULER

Past a few more stations is Guler. The village lies a little away from the station and is a charming, prosperous area with fertile lands supporting fruits and vegetables. This was once a thriving place known for its musicians, dancers and painters.

The book, The Kangra Valley Train is a journey of exploration. Premola Ghose, the author, along with the images clicked by the renowned photographer Ram Rahman, brought alive the scenic beauty of Kangra Valley. By using the train as the focus of the narrative, the author has woven in the history of Kangra Valley, the customs, food, art and beliefs.

Moving east from Guler is the Banganga Gorge. Here, one crosses over on one of the highlights of the railway- the famous Banganga Bridge, a great achievement in railway engineering. From here, the train climbs upwards to Jwalamukhi.

A sacred triangle exists in this part, bounded by three goddess shrines â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Jawalamukhi, Mata Cintapurni (in Una district) and Vajeshwari Devi in Kangra.

At the heart of this triangle is Garli-Pragpur, 30 km from the Guler railhead. In 1997, these two villages were declared a heritage zone by the state government.

Pragpur is a medieval world of narrow winding lanes and closely built houses.

Pic by: Ram Rahman

NAGROTA SURIEN

Rail Bandhu - January 2017 | 33

COVERY STORY KANGRA

CHAMUNDA

The town of Chamunda is known for its temple that was built in the 16th century. Set against the panoramic view of the Dhauladhar, this reconstructed temple on the banks of the Baner River, attracts thousands of devotees.

34 | Rail Bandhu - January 2017

The journey from Jwalamukhi to Kangra has its dramatic moments as the train traverses two tunnels – the 25-ft Dhundni and the 1,075-ft Daulatpur – that cut through the heart of the mountain. The Kangra Fort is visible from the train, built by the Katoch clan, the rulers of Kangra. En route to Dharamsala is Reond Nullah, over which is the spectacular Steel Arch Bridge, built over a chasm whose sides rise 200 ft above the river.

From Kangra to Nagrota, the track runs below the Dhauladhar. From here or from Kangra one can visit Dharamsala, Sidhbari and Gopalpur.

The British annexed Kangra Valley in 1849 and soon a cantonment town sprang up along the slopes of the Dhauladhar.

www.railbandhu.in

PALAMPUR ‘Pulum’ or the abundance of water, gives Palampur its name, Well-known for its landscapes and tea gardens set against the snow-capped backdrop of the Dhauladhar, Palampur was part of the Sikh kingdom until its takeover by the British. Tea led to the development of a colonial town with the army hospital, churches, schools and hotels.

BAIJNATHPAPROLA

AHJU

The train travels across the Bhir gorge to Ahju (4,025 ft), the highest point in the journey.

Dominated by a medieval fort belonging to the Banghalia Pals, it is one of the most charming stations on the KVR. From here one can travel from Road to Bir and Billing.

Bir, set among tea gardens, is lush and beautiful and the road lined with rhododendron forests, takes one up to Billing, the take-off point for the popular sport of paragliding.

The Bir-Billing area is rich in butterflies and a recent survey recorded 50 species. Bir has a large Tibetan colony and there is a growing cottage industry for carpet-weaving.

CHAUNTRA

A town that has beautiful weather, Chauntra is home to Dzongsar Khyentse Chokyi Lodro Institute.

There are over-500 students drawn from different areas and monasteries of the various schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The temple is placed at an impressive height overlooking the shedra (a centre for teaching). Decorated with magnificent paintings and metalwork, this imposing edifice can seat up to 4,000 persons. A 28-ft gold statue of Sakyamuni Buddha dominates the interior.

JOGINDER NAGAR

The last lap of the journey to Joginder Nagar is perhaps the most beautiful, as the train glides through verdant landscapes with terraced rice fields and slate-roofed, half-timbered, and double-storeyed villages. Joginder Nagar came into prominence in the 1930s, when the first hydroelectric power station was built.

Joginder Nagar is famous for its rhododendron forests.

Pic by: Ram Rahman

The train moves away from the main highway and dips through the valley, and the journey is an intimate one through villages and fields. The steepest section is from Baijnath-Paprola to Ahju and, since 1976, the powerful ZDM3 locomotive built by Chittaranjan Locomotives has been used. These locomotives are specially used for hilly regions and the train bogeys have been reduced to only four carriages.

Rail Bandhu - January 2017 | 35

COVERY STORY

HOW SIKHS ACQUIRED KANGRA

SUMMER RETREAT OF THE BRITISH

In the mid-18th century, the Sikhs became a rising power and with their help Sansar Chand, who ruled Kangra, captured Kangra fort from the Mughals in 1783. However, the Sikhs refused to give it to him. Sansar Chand came into conflict with Ranjit Singh, the Sikh king, and the Gurkhas, who besieged the Kangra fort for four years. Finally, he signed a treaty and 66 villages were given to the Sikhs.

The British annexed the Kangra Valley in 1849 after their victory over the Sikhs and soon a cantonment town sprang up along the slopes of Dhauladhar. This new settlement came to be called Dharamsala after the religious resthouse that existed there. The main cantonment was called Kangra. Dharamsala soon became a summer retreat of the Britishers.

in & around kangra Disembark at Kangra’s various stations to discover a region rich in history, faith and nature

INDIA’S FIRST STEEL BRIDGE

Enroute Kangra to Dharamsala is Reond Nullah. The spectacular Steel Arch Bridge sits on it. It was built over a chasm whose sides rise 200 ft above the river. This 260-ft metal arched bridge, built by Braithwaite and Co., weighs 230 tonnes and was India’s first steel bridge. It took six weeks to build it and its steelwork was initially laid out in Bombay, taking into account the temperatures in Kangra for accuracy.

QUICK FACTS OF KANGRA 36 | Rail Bandhu - January 2017

Kangra is also called as Dev Bhumi or the Land of Gods.

ROLE OF MUSTARD OIL

Mustard oil is the favourite cooking medium of locals. A smoked, pungent flavour is added to the dishes through the process of dhuni, wherein a few drops of mustard oil are sprinkled on hot coal and placed inside a utensil containing a dish at the time of cooking.

Some unusual dishes are Bhruni, made from fig leaves, tremble ki sabji, made from the fruits of the ficus benjamina tree, and lasiade ki sabji.

It was incorporated into the State of Himachal Pradesh in 1966. www.railbandhu.in

TERRITORIAL ARCHITECTURE STANDS TALL

The architecture of Kangra is dictated by climate and the availability of local building materials. Although building styles vary, traditional houses have deep fronted verandahs and extended roof projections, and are generally double storeyed with slate roofs. Kangra villages are usually terraced. The KVR stations are a hybrid of kathkundi and English decorative style.

Dharamsala is the highest point lying between 4,400 to 6,400 ft.

Kangra produces best quality rice, maize, wheat and barley.

INTERACTIVE

postcards

,

Readers write back and share their memories with us 1 2

A rainy day at Lucknow Railway Station Pic shared by:

AALOK NARAYAN

FEEDBACK The magazine is very colourful and I liked the info about different historical places like Howrah Station, Varanasi, etc.

LALIT BOKAN via e-mail

The magazine provides information about the progress of Indian railways and instills a spirit of pride.

It makes travelling more exciting and enjoyable.

SARTHAK KAROL via e-mail

The magazine provides in-depth information about all the latest projects in pipeline and the future plans of Indian Railways.

COL. DD SHARMA via e-mail

Journeys are best remembered through postcards. Next time you travel by a train, do remember to take a picture of your journey or anything that catches your eye.

We will publish the best entries here.

The river Brahmaputra in Assam Pic shared by: LALIT BOKAN

38 | Rail Bandhu - January 2017

3

In which Indian city would you find the mosque with ‘Shaking Minarets’?

4

Who wrote Natya-Shastra?

5

Where is the Railway Staff College located?

We will publish the names of the first five who give all correct answers. So, hurry, and mail us at railbandhu@maxposure.in or post your replies on our Facebook page.

ANSWERS TO DECEMBER 2016 ISSUE QUIZ: 1. Pallava dynasty in the reign of Narasimhavarman I constructed rath temples at the port town of Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram). These are now known as seven raths or Pagodas.

3. The Government of India has set up a ‘Tagore Centre for the Study of Culture and Civilization’ (TCSCC) at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS), Shimla.

4. The annual ‘Flamingo Festival’ began at Sullurpeta near the Pulicat lake bird sanctuary in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh.

5. World’s first Bollywood theme park was inaugurated in Dubai on November 17, 2016. The name of the park is Bollywood Parks, and it is a part of Dubai Parks and Resorts (DPR) which is the ‘largest integrated theme park resort’ of Dubai.

HOW DID YOU LIKE THE MAGAZINE? SHARE YOUR FEEDBACK railbandhu@maxposure.in

Which foreign influence is seen in the rock cut architecture of India?

2. The leaning tower is located in Huma village in Odisha and it is dedicated to the lord Shiva.

LET US KNOW WHERE YOU HAVE BEEN TRAVELLING

WRITE TO US AT

Where are the cave temples of three faiths located in India?

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First five readers who got all the answers right are Meenakshi

Sharma, Aanchal Mathur, Suresh Kadam, Gaurav Nautiyal and Geetika Nair. Congratulations!

IN FOCUS

LIFE INSURANCE CORPORATION OF INDIA

SUPPORTING THE GROWTH OF NATION Hemant Bhargava, Zonal Manager (North Zone), shares views on the role of LIC in promoting Digital India campaign, positive impact of demonetisation and safe investment options.

Hemant Bhargava, Zonal Manager, North Zone

1. You took charge as the Zonal Manager, Northern Zone in April this year. How has your professional journey been in the last six months?

I took charge of the Northern Zone on April 30, 2016. It comprises the states of Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Haryana, and the Union Territory of Chandigarh. Prior to this, I was heading the Eastern Zone.

The last six months have been very enriching and interesting. I could juxtapose the experience of Eastern zone as the behavioural patterns and customer preferences are very distinct. In Northern Zone, customers are more inclined towards pension products vis-à-vis other offerings.

Then there is this new multi-benefit plan ‘Bima Diamond’ introduced to mark the Diamond Jubilee year celebrations. The new product has become very popular among the customers in Northern Region. While we were promoting the use of e-transactions as a part of Digital India for last few months, the recent demonetisation has come as a boon for further encouraging our policyholders to avail multi-fold e-services available on our website www.licindia.in. Our valued customers can download android-based ‘LICMOBILE’ application and can avail many online services ranging from payment of premium online to generating mini statements of their policies. All payments to the policyholders can be done through NEFT, which is LIC’s way of promoting 40 | Rail Bandhu - January 2017

cashless transactions, which is simpler, faster, fair and transparent.

There are times when unfortunate incidents happen and people are distraught and troubled, like the recent Uri episode. At such times, LIC team swings into action and lives by its dictum of ‘Zindagi ke saath bhi, aur Zindagi ke baad bhi’. LIC staff rose to the occasion and went the extra mile to serve the policyholders. Prompt and timely initiatives were taken by them to settle the claims of the aggrieved families of the soldiers.

2. How do you plan to take LIC North Zone to the Numero Uno position?

Each of our zone is numero uno, in one parameter or another. But yes, there must be healthy competition for more challenges and

POPULAR LIC PLANS 1

New Jeevan Anand - It is a combination of both Endowment and whole life. Benefits are payable on death and on survival.

2

New Bima Bachat - It is one time premium plan with assured returns.

Ideal investment plan for children and higher age segment.

3

New Children money back Plan - A unique plan exclusively for children to the meet the educational expenses, to head start a career after education and to meet other needs of growing child

4

Single Premium Endowment plan - It is an attractive investment plan which can be positioned for child career and future provision.

www.railbandhu.in

better productivity and that is happening.

Our Marketing teams, Employees, Development Officers, Agents are constantly excelling in their performance to make LIC’s Northern Zone the best zone. Competency Enhancement Trainings have been imparted to improve and sharpen skills of employees at all levels and field force to meet the new challenges of the insurance industry.

We are performing very well on the count of number of Policies and have completed nearly 1.44 Million policies collecting 2168.76 crore First Premium Income by November 15, 2016. Our policyholders are our main source of inspiration for this dynamic performance. We are continuously striving to provide new improved services and products to our valued customers.

3. What is the impact of demonetisation on the insurance sector? Steps taken by LIC to handle this situation?

Demonetisation has not affected Life insurance sector directly to the extent it has affected cash-intensive sectors. There might be a temporary slowdown in new policies due to less availability of sparable cash with the potential policyholders. The premiums collected by agents have around 1/3rd cash component. Collection of this might get delayed a bit. But the positive side of this is that this would promote usage of e-services for payments on agent and customer portals.

So the slight negative impact may be there for a short duration but the long-term

shift to online payment will be a blessing in disguise. Moreover, the impact on LIC is nothing compared to the long-term advantages that this move would have on the overall economy of our country.

In fact, LIC has been a forerunner as far as discouraging cash transactions is concerned.

There are rules to prevent money laundering.

The policyholders who pay premiums in cash in excess of `50,000 have to furnish their permanent account number (PAN).

There are other checks and balances relating to cash transactions. Our bancassurance channels collect premium through cheques or online mode.

LIC has extended the grace period for policyholders to make payment of renewal premium in the wake of demonetisation move, to ensure that our policyholders do not experience difficulty in paying renewal premiums. We have extended grace period by an additional 30 days for all policies whose premium fell/falls due on or after November 8, 2016 till December 31, 2016.

The policyholders are also being encouraged to opt for direct debit from their bank accounts for premium payment under newly introduced National automated clearing house (NACH) facility.

4. Kindly advise how one should avoid panicking and re-balance one’s portfolio post demonetisation?

Life insurance investment is a longterm investment by its very nature. Such investments are safe and managed by experts. Our mandate is to be ‘trustee of policyholders’ money and we assure financial protection to our policyholders.

Post-demonetisation, there is a fear that maybe some other high-demonetisation notes are demonetised. Government of India has clearly stated that there is no such plan. So people must not panic.

Till December 31, 2016, they can deposit their money in banks. They can then explore different options for reinvesting this money from bank deposits to other investments. That is where LIC comes in. We offer the twin advantages of good returns and life risk coverage. So we would urge people to invest in prudent long-term

assets like a life insurance policy. It also takes care of their liquidity problems by way of loans and surrender options in case of emergencies. We might think of more flexible, no-questions asked loan disbursement in 24 hours, against the policy deposits.

LIC had extended the grace period for policyholders to make payment of renewal premium in the wake of demonetisation move, to ensure that our policyholders do not experience difficulty in paying renewal premiums.

-Hemant Bhargava Zonal Manager, North Zone Investing in Jeevan Akshay, our immediate Annuity Plan can be a good option for re-balancing their investment portfolio.

Jeevan Akshay is an Immediate Annuity plan, which can be purchased by paying a lump sum amount (if paying by cash, only legal currency notes including those of new 500 and 2000 denomination are acceptable).

The plan provides for annuity payments of a stated amount throughout the life time of the annuitant. Various options are available for the type and mode of payment of annuities. One can gift this pension policy

to their parents and grand parents. One can gift Jeevan Akshay VI to his/her children as annuity may start at the age of 30. This is the most efficient way to create an income stream in the name of your dependents. In this plan, Premium (Purchase Price) is to be paid in a lump sum. Minimum purchase price is `1,00,000/- for all distribution channels except online. No medical examination is required under the plan.

There is no maximum limit for purchase price, annuity, etc. Minimum allowed age at entry is 30 years (completed) and Maximum allowed age at entry is 85 years (completed).

Annuity may be paid either at monthly, quarterly, half yearly or yearly intervals.

5. You like Philately and Numismatics.

What motivated you to pursue such vivid hobbies?

History interests me. It acts as motivation behind these hobbies- Philately and Numismatics. Stamps represent historical events, people and places. Philately is an easy stepping stone to learning as much or as little about world or local history as you want. It is like visiting exotic places from your own living room as also knowing various eminent personalities and their contribution to mankind.

Reminiscences of the Old times contained in the form of collection of coins or paper money are like the preservation of economics and history of that era.

Rail Bandhu - January 2017 | 41

OFF TRACK

The Royal History of

Baroda

Named after the great Maharaja Sir Sayajirao Gaekwad III, the quiet little town of Baroda reflects the glorious past of its own.

Text & Photos: Ravikiran Rangaswamy

42 | Rail Bandhu - January 2017

www.railbandhu.in

TRIVIA Lukshmi Villas Palace is the largest private residence till date built originally on 900 acres of land.

It has 170 rooms. It is four times the size of Buckingham Palace.

I

ndia has a lot to boast about its rich history of the Maharajas and their reign in different regions for years. The stories that we hear about their valour, the battles that they fought or even about their riches and their extravagant lifestyles donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t cease to enthral us.

The history is replete with stories of Maharajas winning wars and battles, getting hold of a region and through their visionary approach

and revolutionary reforms developing an entire region. They spread their legacy for the coming decades and left a mark in many towns, states and cities. Significant landmarks in towns and cities are named after these once upon a time royal rulers.

The Baroda province was ruled by many dynasties like Gupta Empires, Chalukyas,

Rail Bandhu - January 2017 | 43

OFF TRACK

The golden period of Baroda started when the visionary Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III came in to rule and many aspiring boys came on their own or accompanied by their parents and some were also brought to Baroda by the officials of Baroda state.

A farmer by the name of Kashirao also came with his three sons, Apparao, Sampatrao and Gopalrao. When they were asked, ‘Why have you come here’, Gopalrao replied “To rule”.

Later at the dinner table, Gopalrao insisted to take his dinner using fork and knife. He said, “Tomorrow I am going to become a king, so I will eat like a king.”

Gopalrao, was adopted by Maharani Jamanabai and she renamed him Sayajirao.

Great teachers, artists and officials were appointed to train Sayajirao.

ADMIRER OF ART Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad was very well read and had widely travelled. It was during his reign, between 1875 and 1939, when he changed the face of the city of Baroda turning it into a commercial centre and also gave a lot of importance to education, art and architecture. Sayajirao had a special liking for art. He was the patron of art and artists.

The Peacock Urn in the gardens of Baroda Palace

Rajputs, and Mughals until the Maratha Gaekwads made an entry. Damajirao Gaekwad defeated the Mughal armies and conquered Baroda in 1734. Slowly and surely, the Gaekwads became the most powerful rulers in the region.

The golden period of Gaekwads and Baroda started when the visionary Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III came in to rule.

ADOPTING THE KING The story goes like this. When the king of Baroda, Maharaja Khanderao, passed away without leaving a male heiress, his widow Maharani Jamanabai was allowed by the British government to adopt a male heiress, a king for Baroda. Jamanabai announced her desire for adoption of a boy 44 | Rail Bandhu - January 2017

QUICK FACTS The Gaekwads are known not only for their royal past, but also for their courage and bravery shown on the battlefields and the armoury inside the palace stands for that.

www.railbandhu.in

One of the most acclaimed artists during that period was Raja Ravi Verma. His paintings had won prizes in Vienna, Chicago and in India. In 1881, Ravi Verma was invited to Baroda state to paint the portraits of Maharaja Sayajirao III and his family.

Later, he was commissioned to paint 14 mythological paintings for the newly built Lukshmi Villas Palace. Sayajirao specially built a studio in the palace ground for him to work in the serene surroundings. That was probably the first art studio of India.

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OFF TRACK

Bhanumathi, a Devdasi from Kumbhakonam.

Two nattuvanars (musicians) Vadivelu and Sabhapathi, father and son, accompanied the dancers. Gaura stayed on, but Bhanumathi returned to Kumbhakonam and another dancer, Kanthimathi replaced her. Gaura and Kanthimathi danced as a team. Initially they danced Bharatanatyam repertoire, but soon they realised that not many in the court either enjoyed or understood their dance, so they came up with original experimental pieces like Radha-Krishna, Kite and Snake-charmer which became all the rage.

The Darbar Hall

THE PALACE MUSEUM To relive this historical journey of the Maharajas and to know about the Gaekwad dynasty, one must visit the Maharaja Fatehsinhrao Gaekwad Palace museum in Baroda. The Palace museum was originally a school for the children of the Gaekwad family and there was a mini train that brought the children from the Palace to the school. That train is now put up for display outside the museum building.

The major attraction at the museum are the twenty six paintings of Raja Ravi Verma and fourteen other paintings made by him are at the Lukshmi Villas Palace. The Gaekwads of Baroda own the largest collection of Raja Ravi Verma’s original paintings.

The Palace museum also houses some beautiful sculptures. There is a statue of a ‘Tanjore Nauch Girl’ sculpted by an Italian sculptor named Felici. There is an interesting story behind this statue. In 1883, Maharaja Sayajirao got married to beautiful Chimnabai, the niece of Thanjavur king. As part of her dowry, the bride brought a troupe of dancers and musicians. In this troupe were two dancers – Gaura, who was the daughter of Tanjaour’s palace dancer and 46 | Rail Bandhu - January 2017

QUICK FACTS Gaura was a fine dancer and composer. She came to Baroda when still young and lived in a three-storeyed mansion with other palace entertainers.

She was a very generous person and sponsored meals for 50-60 persons daily.

She earned `112 as a monthly salary in those days.

Gaura and Kanthimathi also trained two other palace dancers Saraswati and Ratnamala.

These dancers performed mostly at the Nazarbaug Palace and at the Motibaug Palace, but Indumati Palace was the place where they practised everyday. A room was reserved for them to rehearse and take rest. Kanthimathi remained in the service of Baroda court for 35 years. She passed away in 1953. Gaura remained in the service of Baroda court for 32 years; she died in 1940 or 1941. It was her dearest wish that the people of Baroda should remember their Tanjore connection. Hence, the Maharaja put up her statue in the Palace Museum.

LUKSHMI VILLAS PALACE After the death of Sayajirao’s first wife Maharani Luxmi Bai, he found the palace very dark and gloomy so he decided to build a new palace. He commissioned a very well known British architect Major Charles Mant to design the palace. Luxmi Vilas Palace which is now Lukshmi Villas Palace was named after his first wife. The construction of the Palace started in 1878 and it was completed in 1890 by another British architect Robert Fellowes Chisolm.

The style of architecture is Indo-Sarcenic, the same style that you would see in the heritage sites like the Siddi Saiyyad Ni jaali and the Sarkhej Roza in Ahmedabad. This Royal residence is not only an architectural marvel, but is a true example of sheer magnificence combined with traditional detailing in design. The carving of Sun on the palace walls represents the Gaekwad’s lineage.

IN FOCUS

AN EYE FOR DEVELOPMENT

JHARKHAND

The Chief Minister of Jharkhand has big plans for development of the state. Jharkhand is ushering in an era of industrial growth and is geared up to showcase its enormous potential to attract suitable investments.

Text: K.Kaushalendra

D

espite growing up in a factory worker’s family Jharkhand’s Chief Minister Shri Raghubar Das has always had an eye on the future. From the days when he used to walk to primary school, his emphasis has been on education and improvement for the state’s inhabitants. He has nearly 40 years’ experience in active politics and he has completed successful 2 years as the CM of Jharkhand. Throughout this time, he has emphasised the need to push for the development of Jharkhand. Due to his dynamic workaholic personality, Shri Raghubar Das has gained a reputation of sustainable development-centric CM. The Chief Minister believes that Jharkhand has the potential to become one of the developed states of India. He is passionate about the growth potential of Jharkhand, and takes confidence from development growth within the state. “We are doing very well with development,” he says. Political stability and responsive policymaking have been the vanguard of Jharkhand’s rejigged business environment, he added.

Shri Das continued, “Jharkhand, in a sense, is the backbone of the ‘Make in India’ mission, since it holds 40 per cent of India’s natural mineral wealth and is on track to become the country’s power hub by 2019. It is the most investment-ready state with crystal-clear vision and a robust roadmap. We rank among the best, in terms of business reforms, and have instituted best practices to fast-forward investments, 48 | Rail Bandhu - January 2017

Good governance, speedy implementation, brisk decision-making, abundant and undisputed resources—these are the intrinsic ingredients that empower the trajectory of Jharkhand’s present economic agenda. ‘We aim to ace the systemscompliance agenda and will also strive to bring the most promising investment proposals to Jharkhand,’ reveals the Chief Minister.

Hon'ble Chief Minister of Jharkhand Shri Raghubar Das

Jharkhand is the backbone of the Make in India mission, since it holds 40 per cent of India’s natural mineral wealth and is on track to become the country’s power hub by 2019.

It is the most investment-ready state with crystal-clear vision and a robust roadmap. We rank among the best, in terms of business reforms, and have instituted best practices to fast-forward investments based on DIPP (Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion) guidelines. It is my privilege to work in tandem with our Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji on the Central Government’s vision of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikaas’.” www.railbandhu.in

Jharkhand has implemented a SingleWindow Clearance System (SWS) for faster and one-point clearance of industrial projects, single-point dissemination of industrial project-related information and streamlining of inspection of industries by different agencies/authorities.

Current investment opportunities in Jharkhand appear promising. What has been the backbone of Jharkhand’s regeneration have been its enormous mineral wealth, plentiful land, minerals, water and forests—and in last 2 years a more stable leadership and favourable policies to encourage industrial development and economic growth. A CII report reveals that ‘In the current financial year, Jharkhand has signed the ‘first stage memorandum of understanding (MoU)’ worth Rs 70,460 crores with 10 entities. This includes Rs 50,000 crore investments in power and fertiliser by Adani Group. The GSDP at current prices for 2015-16 stood at Rs 241955 crores with a growth rate of 11.44 per cent over previous year.’ The services sector which would form the urban ecology has kept up pace. Its share of

Jharkhand state is ranked third in terms of mineral production in India

contribution to the GSDP has grown from 33 per cent in 2004-05 to about 49% in 2015-16.’ Jharkhand state is on a fast track to become India’s top power hub by 2019. Over the next four years, the state is looking at significant investment in transmission networks to the tune of INR 9,000 crore and in development of distribution infrastructure to the tune of INR 9,600 crore to facilitate power evacuation and seamless power availability 24x7. A total of 12.3 GW of additional capacity is intended to be installed by 2018, with the state government being responsible for over 11 GW. On the renewable front, the Jharkhand State Energy Policy - 2015 intends energy capacity addition of over 2.6 GW by 2019.

domestic investors at the ‘Momentum Jharkhand Global Investors Summit’ slated to be held on February 15–16, 2017 in the state capital Ranchi.

The Chief Minister firmly believes that a bright future awaits for Jharkhand. He has toured USA and Singapore recently to bring the foreign investments. The CM informed, “We have created excellent industrial policies, even sector-wise. We are giving excellent incentives for all, different sectors including electronics, automobiles, agro-processing, tourism, etc. Chief Minister Raghubar Das aims to establish Jharkhand as a premier investment destination for both foreign as well as

The CM pointed out that, “Jharkhand has a population of 33 million, with over 40 per cent under the age of 14 years, and over 70 per cent under 35 years. With promising demographic potential and a network of highly reputed education and research institutions, the industrial and socio-economic future of Jharkhand is bright. We intend to strengthen our reputation through investments in institutional development and capacity building, for which there is a great demand.”

Momentum Jharkhand Global Investors Summit 2017 will showcase the huge business opportunities available in the state’s primary sectors of growth— automobiles and ancillary units, energy infrastructure; Electronic Systems Design and Manufacturing (ESDM); agriculture, food and food processing; forests and environment; healthcare and medical education; industrial infrastructure; mines and minerals; education and skill development; smart cities; textiles and tourism.

Jharkhand state is ranked third in terms of mineral production in India, backed by the fact that it is the in situ repository of 40 per cent of the country’s mineral wealth. The mining sector continues to hold its status of high potential for lucrative investments.

Investment projects include a Gems and Jewellery Park at Ranchi, an Aluminium Park at Muri and Latehar, a Ceramic Park at Dhanbad, Sahebganj and Deoghar and a Steel Park at Kharsawan and Jamshedpur.

The automobile ancillaries, precision, electronically and computer operated machine tools and farm equipment industries in Jharkhand have enormous potential for employment generation.

Earmarked for further investment and infrastructural upgrades, the tourism industry is being positioned as an excellent avenue for employment opportunities (directly or indirectly), upping foreign exchange earnings and economic development.

The Chief Minister concluded with this…

Nikle The Jab Ghar Se To Manzil Pe Nazar Thee, Humne Kabhi Meel Ka Patthar Nahin Dekha

Rail Bandhu - January 2017 | 49

TRIVIA

Maharaja’s College is where Narayan and his brother had studied. There is even a story that the brothers had etched their names on a bench, which had been carelessly discarded, but nobody could add credence to it.

DREAM SCAPE

Malgudi Days in

Mysore The famous writer R K Narayan will always be remembered for the invention of Malgudi, a semi-urban fictional town in southern India. Let’s take a trip down memory lane to his hometown that has inspired his tales.

Text: Anita Rao Kashi

W

ide roads flanked by large trees shedding generous shadows formed an ad hoc grid pattern in Mysore’s Yadavagiri, a locality filled with a blend of traditional and modern houses, interspersed with an occasional apartment block. Almost 50 | Rail Bandhu - January 2017

at the end of one such typical road, stood a stark white two-storeyed house surrounded by flower bushes and lawns while a large frangipani tree stood in front. The house would have only evoked mild interest except for the fact that a small, shiny metallic plate next to the gate said R K Narayan’s House.

www.railbandhu.in

In Narayan’s house there is an overarching theme of simplicity and austerity that characterised his life FROM HOUSE TO MUSEUM The house had lain dilapidated and unkempt for years after Narayan sold it and moved to Chennai. Occasional voices crying for its restoration gained momentum when the owner decided to demolish it. The municipal corporation stepped in and bought it some time ago, and then scrounged around for funds to renovate the structure. Finally, it was opened as a museum after a long and arduous process.

The two floors of the house are connected by a slightly curving staircase and the rooms are airy and bright. Some of the rooms contain artefacts, an eclectic collection. There are trophies and awards, shelves and cupboards filled with books from his collection which included his own titles as well as others.

Elsewhere in the house, there are display cases with his shirts, shawls, dhoti, his spectacles and frayed coats. Black and white photographs on some walls, in no particular order, and a series of huge boards with Narayan’s biography and quotes, make the house more interesting.

A large room on the first floor is the biggest in the house. Its far end also has a series of large vertical windows set very close to one another. Together they make the room airy and provide lovely views, of a bread fruit tree and a large frangipani tree that grew adjacent to the compound.

OTHER PLACES TO SEE

Mysore Palace is one of the most visited destination in the state.

52 | Rail Bandhu - January 2017

Pic by: Anita Rao Kashi

DREAM SCAPE

R K Narayan’s house in Yadavgiri

How to reach Mysore (Mysuru) railway station is on MysoreBengaluru railway line serving the city of Mysore, Karnataka, India. It is connected to Bengaluru and other cities of India by double line broad gauge.

RK Narayan’s House is now a museum at D14, Vivekananda Road, Yadavagiri.

Timings: 10 am to 5 pm, closed on Tuesday.

Chamundi Hills is known for the temple on its hill top, built in 11th century. www.railbandhu.in

This was Narayan’s sanctuary, where he wrote and managed to “complete two novels and a number of short stories.” He had chosen this because it has spectacular views all around, including a view of the Chamundi Hills from one of them, and even “listened to the deep call of the woodcock in the still afternoons, and the cries of a variety of birds perching on the frangipani tree,” as he says in his biography, My Days.

BEYOND THE HOUSE The house provides only a partial glimpse of the author. There is an overarching theme of simplicity and austerity that characterised Narayan’s life and writing. To discover that, its required to go on a bespoke tour (Malgudi Days Tour) that attempts to place the writer in the context of Mysore.

The tour takes you to Narayan’s former house in Lakshmipuram where he lived with

Mysore Zoo is one of the best tourist places and can engage you for a day.

Railway museum here exhibits ancient locomotives and carriages.

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DREAM SCAPE

(Above) The college where R K Narayan studied; (Right) A cafe that reflects Malgudi charm; (Below) One of the rooms in his house

his family. Its a modest place, surrounded by old world charm and generous grounds with two large iron gates on either side of the compound. A rented house, this was where the family lived after Narayan’s father retired and where Narayan did a substantial part of his writing before building the house in Yadavagiri.

QUICK FACTS Narayan was notoriously fussy about his cup of filter coffee and would have his sister-inlaw re-make it from scratch if it didn’t meet his stringent standards.

A large part of Narayan’s daily routine was a long walk after breakfast, sometimes stretching to 10-12 km. He is known to have visited shops and establishments owned by friends including a printing press. Enduring friendships and chance encounters on these walks were what provided fodder for Narayan’s works.

Pics by: Anita Rao Kashi

THE FAMOUS RAILWAY STATION OF MALGUDI A few minutes away from this place is the Chamarajapuram railway station. Tucked away from the main road, the station seems like it is stuck in a different era. Gabled tiled

54 | Rail Bandhu - January 2017

Kukanahalli tank is one of Narayan’s favourite places.

Located just adjacent to Yadavagiri, the lake is a large one circled by a bund with walking paths, trees, bushes and stone benches. This was the writer’s regular haunt and he visited it almost everyday, sometimes even twice, to walk, read and just contemplate.

www.railbandhu.in

Chamarajapuram railway station reminds of his most famous work Swami and Friends roof supported by pillars, thick stone walls and an old world charm hang thick in the air. The platform has chipped concrete and stone benches. It immediately reminds you of Narayan’s most famous work, Swami and Friends where the fictional town of Malgudi is first mentioned.

In My Days, Narayan himself says he first conceived of Malgudi with an image of the railway station. Coincidentally, his brother RK Laxman, the famous cartoonist, had illustrated Swami and Friends and his caricature of the railway station seemed almost exactly like this one. Considering it was just a few minutes from where they had lived, it seemed all too plausible.

From there you can go to some narrow lanes with old houses frozen in time and shady avenues where life seems to proceed at an unhurried pace. There is no traffic and no trappings of the contemporary world.

Everything seems like you have stepped into the pages of one of Narayan’s books.

CABIN CONVERSATION

T

rains and actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui go a long way, quite literally. “Trains are an inseparable part of my being, both in reel and real life. I have always preferred trains over other modes of transport in real life till five years back and in reel life, they have an inevitable presence in almost all my films,” he says.

His five-minute role in Munnabhai M.B.B.S. as a lanky young man, who tries to pickpocket Hari Prasad Sharma (Sunil Dutt) as soon as he alights from the train, may have gone unnoticed by many. But it reflected the sincerity with which Siddiqui, a pass-out of the National School of Drama (NSD) acted in a dozen-odd blink-and-miss roles till he rose on the cinematic horizon with Anurag Kashyap’s two-part epic gang war saga, Gangs of Wasseypur (GoW). He immortalised the role of a weed-smoking, gun-toting, lovelorn gangster Faizal Khan in GoW 2 who swears to avenge the murders of his family members. His power-packed performance in the ensemble cast made him the toast of the town, without blinking an eye.

Train to

Fame

Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui reminisces his eventful reel journey and how trains have either done a cameo or enjoyed a full-length role in his films.

Text: Shillpi A Singh

56 | Rail Bandhu - January 2017

www.railbandhu.in

THE JOURNEY During late nineties, it was at the Andheri station in Mumbai that Siddiqui first met writer Kashyap, who had come to persuade a disheartened Rajpal Yadav not to give up on his dreams, stay back in the city and keep trying his luck in Hindi films. It was this acquaintance that worked in Siddiqui’s favour when he landed a small role as a waiter in Kashyap-penned Shool and then in his directorial venture Black Friday as Asgar Mukaddam before bagging a full-length role as Faizal Khan GoW. This film was also the first time that Siddiqui got to romance onscreen and the famous dialogue with his lady love Mohsina (Huma Quraishi) Pehle Permission Leni Chahiye Na was borrowed from a real life incident in Siddiqui’s days in Delhi. An important sequence and song (I am a hunter) were also shot on a train.

In Kashyap’s Dev.D, Siddiqui’s Elvis Presley act had made cinegoers groove to the tune of Emosanal Atyachar. “The length of the characters never mattered to me. The roles

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CABIN CONVERSATION that I have enacted have been unique in one way or the other. They are milestones in my journey and have contributed immensely to my learning and growth,” he informs.

RUSTIC CHARM For the uninitiated, Siddiqui who hails from a family of zamindars in a small town, Budhana, in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, was born as Numberdar Nawazuddin Siddiqui. He is the eldest of nine siblings, seven brothers and two sisters. “We grew up in an age when TV wasn’t a common household item. The only source of entertainment used to be the village fairs and folk performances. I was in awe of the performers. The fascination for stage and performances stayed on with me,” recalls Siddiqui. He moved out of the village to pursue his undergrad degree in science from Gurukul Kangri University, Haridwar, and from there to MS University, Baroda, for his Masters in Microbiology. He left his course mid-way, worked for a while as a chief chemist and as he was restless and discontent, he took the first train to Delhi for good.

LOST AND FOUND Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, he arrived in Delhi. “I wanted to explore myself. I saw a play, and that was a big pull. I joined an amateur theatre group and went on to specialise in acting from NSD. I used to perform in street plays as it meant quick money but that wasn’t enough.” To fend for self in a big city, he was constantly on the lookout for a better paying job that could take away his financial worries and let him focus on acting. As luck would have it, it was in a public toilet at a railway station in Delhi that he saw a recruitment advertisement for security guards in a toy factory in Noida. He got the job but had to mortgage his mother’s jewellery to furnish the security money, which he eventually lost as he was fired from the job after a year and a half.

MUMBAI CALLING His early days in the tinsel town were fraught with troubles as he wasn’t gifted with the traditional looks, a prerequisite to bag roles in the first place. “I was rejected because of my 58 | Rail Bandhu - January 2017

With actor Huma Qureshi in a song from Gangs of Wasseypur 2

I gave the film GoW all that I had, my frustration, aspiration, perspiration, dedication, determination, everything.

DID YOU KNOW Nawazuddin bagged the Special Jury Award at the 60th National Film Awards for his stellar performances in Talaash, Kahaani, GoW and Dekh Indian Circus. www.railbandhu.in

physical appearance. But I had become used to it. I was a trained actor, alumni of NSD, but my talent was largely underestimated, and that was more frustrating.” He struggled for more than a decade to stay afloat in Hindi cinema before making a splash with GoW in 2012.

Amid critical acclaim and box-office success, Siddiqui had finally arrived in Mumbai with this role. “It was a make or break situation for me.

I gave this role all that I had, my frustration, aspiration, perspiration, dedication, determination, everything.”

SHOT OF FAME In the same year, his major outings that included Paan Singh Tomar, Kahaani, Miss Lovely, Chittagong, Talaash, Lateef and The Owner created the right noise in the cinema circle. By then, Siddiqui’s acting prowess had caught the fancy of filmmakers, and he had started landing plum roles and also brand endorsements. “The role of lame Tehmur in Talaash was a memorable one as I was sharing screen space with Aamir Khan for the second time; the first was the unforgettable one in Sarfarosh.” The chase sequence that starts at Churchgate and Charni Gate railway station in Mumbai and even inside a local train showed a limping Tehmur travelling on the rooftop, climbing railings, rolling on the wheel board, swapping bag with his beloved on the platform before getting caught by the goons while running out of the station.

CABIN CONVERSATION

Trains and platforms have an important role to play in my film career. They go hand in hand RIGHT PLATFORM Among other releases that followed included Kick with Salman Khan in 2014 and Bajrangi Bhaijaan in 2015. In the latter, Siddiqui as Chand Nawab makes his onscreen entry with a hilarious piece to camera at a railway station. The next film that released same year was Badlapur with Varun Dhawan. In the movie, the scene where his character Liak meets Raghav (Varun) at a railway platform shows the seething anger and desperation for revenge in Raghav and the discomfort and unease of Liak, played against the backdrop of chaos commuter rush and moving trains at the station. In Manjhi: The Mountain Man, his character Dashrath Manjhi keeps on toiling hard till he succeeds in breaking the mountain and carving a road out of it. And not surprisingly, in this film too there is a train sequence where Manjhi is first mocked at by the TTE when he says that he is going to meet the Prime Minister and then thrown out of a moving train for being a ticketless traveller.

“Trains and platforms have an important role to play in my film career. They go hand in hand,” he says in a lighter vein, adding that his another release, Babumoshai

Bandookbaaz, slated to hit the theatres in 2017, has a full-length train sequence that was filmed on location in a train that runs between Lucknow and Moradabad.

SIBLING REVELRY His debut production Miyan Kal Aana directed by his brother, Shamas Siddiqui, was screened at the Cannes Film Festival last year. The 17.5 minutes long film is a humorous take on the controversial Halala law and how it affects women. According to the law, if a Muslim man wants to remarry the woman he divorced, she has to marry another man first, who must then divorce her.

Hollywood Top Picks Festival Favourite Nawazuddin Siddiqui is the only actor from India to showcase the maximum number of films at the International film circuits.

New Releases

Siddiqui has an impressive line-up of films ready to hit the theatres in 2017. He is all set to open his account with Shahrukh Khan in Raees, Munna Michael with Tiger Shroff, and Babumoshai Bandookbaaz.

Upcoming projects Sultana Daku and Chandamama Door Ke

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CANNES CONNECTION His films often end up doing the rounds of international film circuits, leaving the audience across the globe mesmerised with his command over the craft of acting, and winning awards too. In 2016, Kashyap’s Raman Raghav 2.0 was Siddiqui’s eighth film to be screened at the Cannes Film Festival in four years. Based in Mumbai, the crime thriller narrated the story of a serial killer, who went on a murder spree in Mumbai in the 1960s. The role of psychotic killer also won him the best actor award at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2016 and a special mention in the best performance award by an actor at the 10th Asia Pacific Screen Awards. “Asia Pacific Screen Awards is Asia’s Oscar, and it feels great to be acknowledged at such a platform,” he says.

Ministry Ministry of Healthofand Family Health andW Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

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IN FOCUS

JHARKHAND:

A HEAVEN FOR TOURISTS Hon'ble Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Shri Raghubar Das

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Jharkhand is blessed with immense biodiversity, moderate climate, rich cultural and historical heritage, religious places of worship and many ethnic layers. Development of tourism is one of the major thrust areas for the new State government that aims to provide best of experience to the tourists. www.railbandhu.in

The Government is focusing to develop good tourism infrastructure at all the locations with comprehensive development and activity-based tourism, along with adventure tourism, based on the profile of locations. A new addition to the list would be the Temple tourism at Maluti, which has a treasure of ancient temples intricately decorated with terracotta.

J

harkhand is endowed with rich cultural heritage and is bestowed liberally with the bounties of nature. The state is a kaleidoscope of past splendour and present glory. It has a fascinating landscape with luxuriant forests, captivating wildlife, enthralling waterfalls, exquisite handicrafts, sprawling water bodies, enchanting classical and folk dances, music and above all, hospitable and peaceloving people.

Jharkhand is blessed with immense biodiversity, moderate climate, rich cultural practices and religious places of worship.

Deoghar and Parasnath are holy pilgrimage destinations for Hindu and Jain followers, respectively.

Besides this, sanctuaries at Dalma, Betla, nature tourism at Netarhat and Massanjore, Hundru fall, Jonha fall, Dasham fall, Hirni fall, Dimna lake, Chandil dam, Patratu dam, Hatia dam and Kanke dam are already known places of tourist interest.

Now, the focus of the government is to develop good tourism infrastructure at all the locations with comprehensive development of activity-based tourism along with adventure tourism, based on the profile of each location. A new addition to the list would be temple tourism at Maluti, which has a treasure trove of ancient temples intricately decorated with terracotta.

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IN FOCUS

Mining tourism is also being developed following the best practices from various parts of the world.

PROMTING TOURISM The state of Jharkhand was formed in 2000, but owing to multiple factors â&#x20AC;&#x201D; among the major ones being frequent changes in government, Tourism sector gathered the desired momentum in the present government only. For instance, there was no state tourism policy effective in the last 14 years. Development of tourism is one of the major thrust areas for the new state government. The first step was to lay out a comprehensive tourism policy to attract tourists and investors. The idea is also to develop tourism in a sustainable manner and to work in favour of nature and ecology.

One of the most important steps taken by the present government is the

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Development of tourism, in a sustainable manner, is one of the major thrust areas for the new State government. The idea is to go with the nature and not against it. dissemination of information, initatives and spreading awareness about the treasures of Jharkhand among all. It is also important to build confidence among tourists by way of developing state-of-the-art tourism infrastructure in the state, which will be developed through private sector participation.

The Department of Tourism is now actively working on what it terms the 7S strategy. It is centred around: Swagat

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(welcome), Sahyog (cooperation), Soochana (information), Sanrachana (infrastructure), Suvidha (facilitation), Safai (cleanliness) and Suraksha (security).

The Department of Tourism is working tirelessly on all seven parameters. Activities aimed at giving a facelift to tourist spots were completed within a month from the date of release of work order to the contractors. The state government is doing everything to ensure that Jharkhand features on the world tourism map soon.

NATURE TOURISM Jharkhand can serve to widen the spectrum of tourists too. Besides Deoghar, Parasnath and Maluti, there is a lot to see and experience. On the eco-tourism front, there are sanctuaries at Dalma and Betla; for nature tourism, there is Netarhat and Massanjore.

All media channels are being partnered for disseminating the marketing information. It is not always quantity, but also quality and positioning that are crucial.

Given Jharkhandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mineral and mining wealth, the state is also prominent in mining tourism sector, following the likes of countries such as South Africa and Australia.

The state is well known for its heritage of art and crafts. The oldest cave paintings in India - scroll paintings - have been attributed to a Jharkhand tribe by art historians.

The Department of Tourism is now actively working on what we call the 7S strategy. It is centred around â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Swagat (welcome), Sahyog (cooperation), Soochana (information), Sanrachana (infrastructure), Suvidha (facilitation), Safai (cleanliness) and Suraksha (security).

Jharkhand will be appropriately positioned to attract tourists separately for all categories of tourism - nature and wildlife enthusiasts, leisure travellers, pilgrims and so on. The private sector will also be engaged in developing tourism assets and infrastructure in the state. These tireless efforts are resulting into a remarkable increase in terms of tourist footfall.

Nowadays all opinion-makers, tourism fraternity (including tour operators, Hoteliers, Bloggers) have created a positive vibe. Now Jharkhand has evolved as a preferred destination on the tourist map of India.

Department of Tourism Govt. of Jharkhand For more info visit: www.jharkhandtourism.in Rail Bandhu - January 2017 | 65

WIDE ANGLE

GURU GOBIND SINGH AN APOSTLE OF HUMANITY

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Guru Gobind Singh ji, the Tenth Guru of Sikhs, has a shining place in the galaxy of the great heroes of humanity. He maintains a very respectable position in the history of India, for he set up a new religious philosophy.

he expression ‘apostle’ originally comes from the Greek word apostolos used for ‘a person sent on a specific assignment or mission’.

This qualification of an apostle applies to Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji without any doubt, because according to his own testimony in Bachitar Natak (Autobiography of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji), the divine Ultimate Reality (Akal Purakh), has sent or given a call to Guruji to spread dharma (righteousness) in the world:

At a very young age, he developed the qualities of self-reliance, responsibility and leadership. When his father, Guru TegBahadur, from the prison, sent him a verse to test his mind, The strength is gone, shackles have been put on.

And the things are beyond all remedy.

Gobind, at once, sent back a verse in reply, Strength has come and shackles have shattered, every remedy is possible.

Sayeth Nanak, Oh God, everything is in Thy hands and Thou to help.

I have established you as my son and have created you to spread dharma.

Go from this place to that one, Move the cycle of dharma and stop people from committing evil deeds.

It inspired Sri Guru Gobind Ji to work relentlessly for his mission and his vision of the ‘Universal Humanhood’. Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s life was full of struggle and strife, yet noble and inspiring. An outstanding social reformer, a profound scholar, a prodigious linguist, a great organiser and above all a nation builder, he believed and advocated the golden principle of ‘MANAS KI JAT SABE EKE PAHICHAANBO’.

A MAN OF VIRTUES In the battlefield, as a general he displayed such unsurpassed military and strategic ability that he not only surprised his adversaries but also won their applause. As an organiser, he awakened amongst his followers a spirit of self-sacrifice. To defend the truth, he founded the order of the Khalsa. As such he brought to a beautiful culmination of the mission that Guru Nanak embarked upon, and that his successors furthered in their own way but they never forgot that Sab mein jot, jot naisoea- Guru Nanak’s Jyoti.

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QUICK FACTS Guru Gobindh Singh was only nine when he became the Tenth Sikh Guru. He ascended after his father Guru Teg Bahadur accepted martyrdom in the hands of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb to protect the Kashmiri Hindus.

As a child, he learned many languages including Sanskrit, Urdu, Hindi, Braj, Gurmukhi and Persian.

He also learned martial arts to become adept in combat.

In September 1688, at the age of 19, Guru Gobind Singh fought the Battle of Bhangani against an allied force of Bhim Chand, Garwal king Fateh Khan and other local kings of the Sivalik Hills.

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Further when Bhai Jiwan Singh brought to him the head of his father, after he had been beheaded, and narrated to him what difficulties he had to encounter, the boy Gobind remarked; “Well, I shall now see that my followers are not able to hide themselves and they will do their work openly and undauntedly they will do or die.”

THE MISSION Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s aim was to lift up the humanity. He organized his followers into Khalsa, made them real Brethren and ordered them to stand as four squares against social injustices and rules of tyranny, with the motto of ‘do or die’. His Khalsa established its name for bravery, chivalry and hardiness.

This saint-soldier was the tenth and the last Guru of the Sikhs and sat on Guru di Gadi at the age of nine and for the next 33 years consolidated the military power of the Sikh. In fact, most of the visible aspects of the Sikh community today owe their origin to Guru Gobind Singh.

Contributed by Dr. (Maj) Balbir Singh Bhasin, Former Vice Chancellor, Maghad University (Bodh Gaya).

Patna Sahib, Bihar

SHRI GURU GOBIND SINGH JI

IN FOCUS

HOW HEALTH MINISTRY IS

TRANSFORMING INDIA To empower the states and the entire health infrastructure of the country, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched several initiatives concerning India as well as global health issues. from handy health tips, disease-based information, Government health policies and programs, health facilities around you, career options for students and other health related information. Currently, the portal is available in six languages: English, Hindi, Tamil, Bangla, Gujarati and Punjabi. This portal is being managed by Centre for Health Informatics.

Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Shri J P Nadda, launched the National Health Portal

T

he credit for the development in health sector goes to the Union Health Minister Shri J P Nadda, the man who has tried to carve his own space in the development of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

“Health is being ‘embedded’ in the growth story of India as the country charts an impressive growth curve which is now being recognised at various global platforms,” says Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda.

Shri J P Nadda joined as Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare on November 9, 2014. In this short stint, the Health Minister has showed an exemplary performance with launch of different initiatives concerning India as well as global health issues.

He has brought in a lot of dynamism in 68 | Rail Bandhu - January 2017

transforming the health system by ensuring that the health deliverables reach the last person at an affordable cost.

One of the first initiatives undertaken by him was the launch of ‘National Health Portal’. It was formally launched on November 14, 2014 with an aim to be the first point of access for authenticated health information. This portal addresses one of the major problems of mankind that is availability of reliable and high quality health information for the promotion of health amongst the masses. The NHP aims to promote health literacy amongst a wide spectrum of users including general public, students, healthcare professionals and researchers. This portal has abundant information on various topics ranging www.railbandhu.in

One of the initiatives of NHP is ‘Voice Web’ (1800-180-1104) which was launched during Digital India Week. This voice portal has been developed for providing health related information and to address queries related to various issues such as health, diseases, lifestyle, first-aid, directory services, health programs, policies, laws and guidelines. This 24X7 toll-free helpline helps users get authentic health information on a phone call, further overcoming the barrier of illiteracy. Users need to dial this toll-free helpline number 1800-1801104 and speak about the information they are seeking. Presently, the information is available in Hindi, English, Bangla, Tamil and Gujarati.

Several Mobile Applications (Health Directory Services; India fights Dengue; Swastha Bharat Mobile Application; Mission Indradhanush; PMSMA; No More Tension) have also been launched to benefit the masses at large.

Healthcare services have seen a huge leap under the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s government.

The achievements of Shri J P Nadda are varied as he has tried to cater to all the sections of the society.

The Health Ministry launched a massive immunisation campaign to target nearly 90 lakh children who are either not vaccinated or have been partially vaccinated.

It was under his leadership that Mission Indradhanush was launched in December 2015. There was an increase of almost 5% in one year compared to the earlier rate of about just 1% in full immunization coverage. Shri J P Nadda said that 1.62 crore children have been partially immunised and 45 lakh totally immunised.

He cited Mission Indradhanush as world’s largest public health programme.

The Minister also launched a website and a mobile application for Mission Indradhanush.

NHP is the first point of access for authenticated health information.

The Government has made a lot of efforts to empower the states and the entire health infrastructure of the country has changed over the last one year. There have been several notable accomplishments of the Health Ministry such as: • I ntroduction of new vaccines: Rota Virus Vaccine, Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine (IPV), switchover from trivalent to bivalent, measles, Rubella and Japanese Encephalitis.

• C apacity building of states through health systems strengthening approach which has benefited many programmes at the grass root level.

• K ayakalp programme which lays emphasis on practices and protocols for enhancing sanitation and cleanliness in all government health facilities.

• N ew initiatives in the TB Progamme such as induction of 600 CBNAAT machines and launching of Bedaquiline, a new anti-TB drug for Drug Resistant TB at six referral sites.

• R ecent announcements have been made under the budget such as the Health Protection Scheme and free Dialysis centres in all districts.

• T here is also a plan of establishing AIIMS in all the states across the country.

centric health services by leveraging India’s expanding mobile penetration.

Four mobile health services - Mobile Academy, Kilkari, m-Cessation Tobacco Programme and Tuberculosis (TB) Missed Call initiative were recently launched as a part of Government’s Digital India Programme. The Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan has been launched on November 4, 2016 with an aim to provide assured, comprehensive and quality antenatal care, free of cost, universally to all pregnant women on the 9th of every month. This programme will see participation of private doctors at government health facilities.

Various digital initiatives have been introduced under the leadership of Shri J P Nadda to strengthen the citizen-

A National Consultation was conducted in April to set up National e-Health Authority (NeHA) as a statutory body

The NHP aims to promote health literacy amongst a wide spectrum of users including general public, students, health care professionals and researchers. Currently, the portal is available in six languages: English, Hindi, Tamil, Bangla, Gujarati and Punjabi.

for promotion, regulations and standards for e-Health. Government has also planned to set up an e-Health institution ‘National Centre for Health Informatics (NCHI)’ under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. The proposed institution will be registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. The setting up of Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP) in India is one of the objectives of NCHI. Shri J P Nadda has mentioned that his main aim is Universal health coverage by 2020 and his focus is “Health Assurance rather than Health Insurance”.

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OFF TRACK

Bharatpur birderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s paradise It is that time of the year again to visit Bharatpur to watch the winged wonders. They fly thousands of miles to escape the harsh winters in Outer Mangolia, Siberia and other such frozen places.

Text: Ninad D Sheth

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ird watching is an addiction. The variety on offer is mind-boggling and the patience and skill required for spotting some of them is special â&#x20AC;&#x201C; plus you need an encyclopedic memory to identify the birds and to differentiate one species from another.

The park has about 250 species of birds all year round and from October onwards about 150 more species wing their way in till March. India is a major bird watching destination with the country accounting for 12 per cent of all bird species in the world.

BIRDING IS THE NEW YOGA Birding gives a unique calmness. This joy is difficult to describe and quite out of the ordinary. Try it once - it will get you hooked.

Your every day worries, that nine to five routine with two more hours of commuting is tranquilised - as you watch a bar headed goose (bar headed geese can fly over 26,000 ft) relax in the white lily filled marsh. The fragility

QUICK FACTS Enjoy watching the colonies of water birds raising their chicks.

Amazingly chicks are delivered only if there is plenty of water. Watching the spoonbill feed its chicks delicately makes you wonder at their dedication as parents. Or take the cacophony of sounds as hungry chicks call out for the fish on the menu. As their beaks grow they lose 99 per cent of their vocal cords so only as chicks do they speak, the rest of their lives are almost soundless.

of a tiny warbler, the power of a steppe eagle or the beauty of a green-footed pigeon â&#x20AC;&#x201C; these birds will leave you with a sense of awe as to how far beyond these creatures have adopted from the ultimate evolutionary leap of flight!

SHRINKING HABITATS The wetland wonder of Bharatpur with its marshes, bogs, quicksand, pythons and cobras is sadly one of the last few left in northern India. There was a time when Delhi itself had 670 water bodies. A recent study showed that about 275 have dried up and 200 are dependent only on rains.

The best way to explore Bharatpur is by walking the ten odd kilometers. At every turn you see birds nesting, feeding and killing. We saw a chilling sight that reminded us that this is a wild place. A shikra swooped down picked up a large frog and even the poor creature shirked as it was eaten alive.

A lot of cycling enthusiasts come here from all over India. The ten kilometers round trip to the central water body is also excellent for cycling and if you do not feel up to it you can hire a cycle rickshaw.

This year do make the trip and experience a separate peace among the beautiful birds of Bharatpur.

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TALE SPIN

Bauliana: Worshipping the God Within Read about the Bauls who are bards, composers, musicians and dancers with a single mission to entertain. Their music with their heart warming lyrics are mostly influenced by beautiful cultural intermixes.

Text & Photos: Anupam Chanda

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eople love to watch them sing and dance expressing their narration of folk tales, and contemporary issues through highly melodic songs at an extraordinarily high-pitched rendition.

Although their lyrics speak the language of the village folks, their songs are simple and direct, profusely emotional and universally appealing .

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MELTING POT OF CULTURES Baulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s religious and philosophical standpoints exist largely as an outcome of the mix of the of Hindu and Islam communities, containing some signs of Buddhist influence as well.

The philosophy promotes a liberal view, renouncing caste and other social constructs, in an effort to strip oneself of outside influence.

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playing, the musician holds the khamak by his armpit and plucks the string with a striker.

The khamak, like an ektara, has a single string attached to a one-headed drum. The only difference is that no bamboo is used to stretch the string. It’s held by one hand, while plucked by another.

Lyrics and songs that are simple, down to earth, easy and clear, create an instant connect with listeners Its prime objective is to reveal the actual person of the heart, or ‘moner manush’ as they say in Bengali. This signifies their heavy physical influence as the object of devotion.

Their practice focuses heavily on the four moons or the chaar-chand, representing the four fluids of the body and the nine doors or the naba-dwar representing the nine openings of the body. Another main philosophical theme lies in viewing the body as a miniature of the universe encapsulating all its characteristics within. But overall the ‘person of the heart’ is given prime importance. Their roots are not just deep but ancient and their thoughts a mixture of many religions which culminates into Baul music eventually. Lyrics and songs that are simple, down to earth, easy and clear, create an instant connect with its listeners.

TOOLS OF MUSIC Bauls use a typical set of instruments mainly ektara and dotara. The dotara served as the prime accompanying instrument for percussion and melody. It’s a 4-5 string wooden instrument resembling a small mandolin, played by different genres of folk musicians of east India.

With its origin around the 16th century, its usage started by Bauls and Fakirs from the plains of Bengal. Today, it is the single most important folk instrument used in genres like jhumur, bhhawaiya, kirtan and baul.

Development of the Music Tracing the roots of Bengal’s folk music we gather that the earliest music in Bengal was influenced by chants in Sanskrit.

As the music evolved from religious poetry, it witnessed influences from the rulers and landlords of the time. But much of it remained as rustic devotional poetry.

THE WANDERERS The true beauty of the Baul lies in their freespirited nature. They do not care for old rules of orthodox religions and remain staunch to the fact that they are liberation seekers. Their music and dance routines prove this strongly.

They are generally clad in bright coloured robes with cloth patchwork on them. They don’t cut their hair and usually coil it neatly on their head in a bun and also do not believe in worshiping idols in temples or mosques. For them, the human body is the temple and their music is the path to the Almighty. Over time and under cultural influences, Bauls have adapted to new forms of arrangements taking the sound to larger audiences across the urban world. Lalan Fakir is considered the greatest Baul of all times.

Among the contemporary baul singers, Purna Das Baul is undisputedly the reigning king of the Baul clan today. His father, the late Nabani Das was the most famous Baul of his generation.

Tagore conferred upon him the title ‘Khyapa’, meaning ‘wild’. Purna Das was induced into the folds of the baul music from his early childhood.

The ektara is a finger played single string instrument primarily used for percussion. It consists of the string and the hollow bowl or the drum. A piece of bamboo with a natural knob at one end forms the rest of its body. It is split into half with the split ends tied firmly against the bowl.

Variations of the ektara has brought in other accompanying instruments like the khamak.

It is smaller in size than the ektara. While Rail Bandhu - January 2017 | 73

TALE SPIN

Baul singers have also tried fusing baul music with other genres creating a power-packed one-of-itskind music

Referred to as the ‘Baul Samrat’, Purna Das Baul, introduced baul songs to the West during an eight-month tour of the US in 1965 with stars like Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Paul Robeson, Mick Jagger, Tina Turner and many others. Dubbed ‘India’s Dylan’ by the New York Times in 1984, Purna Das Baul has played with Bob Marley, Gordon Lightfoot and Mahalia Jackson and the likes. He played live for the Rolling Stone’s concerts in the 70s.

THE FUSION In more recent times, another locally famous Baul - Basudev Baul found it interesting when a young man from Calcutta visited his native place in Birbhum district one morning and wanted to try out something new. Kunal Ghosh, a self-taught drummer and a percussionist by choice, connected instantly with Basudev Baul’s songs and dotara playing the first time he heard him at the latter’s mud house. The first thing that struck Kunal was the taal or the rhythm of the song Basudev sang playing his dotara. Almost like an unwritten rule, around 60 percent of baul numbers are composed on the dadra taal. Kunal, to his amazement, found this quite similar to the six by eight structures of 74 | Rail Bandhu - January 2017

QUICK FACTS The seventh day of the Poush month (near the end of December) marks the beginning of the three day annual Poush Mela in Shantiniketan.

The event celebrate the harvest season, it is distinctly characterised for its live performances of Bengal’s folk music Baul Sangeet.

Rabindranath Tagore was highly influenced and inspired by Bauls as evident in some of his creations.

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the Blues rhythm. The duo roped in Aaron and Ranjan to play the guitar and bass to try a blues-baul fusion. The idea was to keep the originality of the baul-ness intact on a bluish flavour with Basudev singing along with his dotara. The fusion was established after days of rehearsal and a baul blues band was formed, the first-of-its-kind. The sound they created together was more power packed and adrenaline charged ideal for live acts embodying the blues rock baul genre. Bolpur Blues went ahead winning many hearts through TV shows and live gigs and eventually got selected by EMI to do an album called The Soul Connection in later years with the dotara in the lead.

The baul way of life certainly attracts scepticism and criticism too widely believing that these wanderers in their swaying bright robes and instruments eventually sing and dance to oblivion. But the fact remains that this art form in whatever way it has evolved over the ages amalgamates the concepts of world religion into such a unique facet that one can only sit back and imagine the possibilities. Their unique music is their way and the God they believe is formless and within them.

HERITAGE HALT

Remembering Azad

The great son of India Badarka is a non-descript village near Unnao that holds so many secrets and stories in its fold. It was once the hometown and birth place of our freedom fighter Shri Chandra Shekhar Azad.

Text & Photos: Abhinav Singh

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ttar Pradesh played a very important role in the fight for freedom against the British. Not only did the land produce many courageous freedom fighters but was also witness to some of the most important events which led to the hard-earned freedom of India.

To learn more about the much revered freedom fighter, fondly called Azad (Free), it is necessary to visit his native place. As you go through the 12 km long dusty lanes of Badarka, from Unnao, there is a memorial en route built in his memory. A statue of Azad is built at one end of the large ground. The statue had the typical pose of Azad showing him rolling one end of his moustache with pride and machismo.

REMEMBERING THE MARTYR Every year the villagers and thousands of patriots from across India, head to this ground to celebrate Azad’s birth anniversary over 3 days on January 6, 7 and 8. This tradition was started by Azad’s mother in the year 1932, an year after he was martyred. The first event was a grand one and was graced by other freedom fighters, friends of Azad and politicians. In subsequent years, politicians like Smt. Indira Gandhi, foreign delegates like Professor Nakamura (from Tokyo University in 1973) and many former Chief Ministers and Governors have visited the place and paid their respect.

Professor Nakamura from Japan along with a dozen more delegates made a visit to Badarka.

When he visited this place, he was so moved by the story of Azad that he vowed to build a statue in his memory in Tokyo University which he did.

The first Azad Memorial ever was built in 1958 in Badarka. According to the folklore, such was the pull of Azad, the memorial attracted huge crowd from across India in those days and even today on special occasions.

HOUSE OF THE HERO The first sight of the house of Azad humbles you. What is now a memorial was originally a hut made up of mud and wood. The memorial was built in 1985 with the effort of then Chief

Above: A memorial en route to his village

QUICK FACT As a revolutionary, Azad adopted the last name Azad, which means ‘free’ in Urdu.

Legend has it that he vowed the police would never capture him alive. On February 23, 1931, when police surrounded and outnumbered Azad, he shot himself to keep his pledge.

Minister Shri Narayana Dutt Tiwari. To think such a great freedom fighter had such modest beginnings makes you reflect at your own life.

Certainly, greatness should never be defined by privilege but ‘karma’. A metal gate, which is never locked, guards this commemorative memorial. Amidst this, stands tall the statue of Jagrani Devi, mother of Azad! On the walls, slogans evoking the freedom struggle are painted.

STORIES FROM THE PAST There is a plaque in the memorial which mentioned Azad as ‘Son of Lion’ (Singh Shaavak). The story goes like one day when Azad was studying under a makeshift open air school, covered only with a ‘chappar’, he saw some British officers harassing the locals, mainly from a particular community. They bundled up all the belongings of a person and when he protested, the ‘daroga’ (Inspector) beat him up, turning his body red with blood.

Little Chandu, as Azad was fondly called, could not bear the sight and the rebellion in him made him hit the cops and run away. When the furious cop team reached his home, his petrified father asked what had happened.

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HERITAGE HALT

Azad described that he did not like what he saw and hit back. That was one of the first instances when Azad displayed valour and fearlessness.

A WALK ON THE PATH OF FREEDOM When Azad was 13 years old, his family moved to Alirajpur, where someone hired his father as a gardener. Azad was disinterested in living in a remote tribal area and said yes to a merchant who asked him to accompany him to Mumbai.

Azad took up the odd job of painting a ship and later washing dishes at a tea shop. Once,

DID YOU KNOW Azad’s mother Jagrani Devi was a self respecting woman and never seeked help even when her entire family was no more.

She often used to shed tears in the memory of Azad. She passed away in 1951 and today there are roads and memorials built in her memory in Badarka.

At 15, Azad along with other students, participated in a march chanting ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ and ‘Inquilab Zindabad’ a Sanskrit teacher Shri Nand Kishore Gupta, saw him washing dishes. He convinced him to come to Varanasi and offered him shelter, food, education, clothes and a monthly allowance at Benaras Sanskrit Vidyapeeth. He did move to Benaras and at the tender age of 15, he along with the students of his college, participated in a march chanting ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ (Long Live Mother India) and Inquilab Zindabad (Long Live the Revolution). Azad was leading the march with a flag in his hand. The situation went out of control when the British tried to stop the march and asked him to throw away the flag and retreat. He was arrested and taken to the magistrate. What happened next is history. Here is what Azad answered to the questions by the Magistrate.

Name : ‘Azad’(free) Father’s name : ‘Swadheen’ (free) Address : ‘Jail’ The magistrate, furious with his replies, ordered 15 lashes! Leather belt, dipped in hot oil was whipped on his exposed body.

Not one to flinch, he cried, ‘Bharat Mata ki jai’ and ‘Vande Mataram’ at each lash. His blood soaked body was dumped on the road. His pictures and story were carried in newspapers of that time. This event made him a household name.

Shri Sampoornanad, a close family friend, took care of his medication. Later, when Azad recuperated, he addressed crowd at a public meeting. It is said that the crowd was so huge that they had to put a chair above a table on a cot so that everyone could see him. From the stage, he declared, “We are free (Azad) from today onwards!! The British will never be able to kill us.” Years later, he stuck to his words when he shot himself as British officers attacked him.

Other important places related to Azad A man who revolutionised the Indian freedom movement against the British rule, Chandra Shekhar Azad is a name that echoes long into eternity. Several parks, roads and institutions are named after him in India.

WHITE PALACE OF BADARKA

The British gave this name to the 500-year-old fort, built by the Mughal emperor Jehangir. It is visible from Azad’s house in Badarka. According to historian Shri Lakhpat Rai Sharma, Jehangir buried valuable treasure in the cellar of this mysterious fort. The British tried to recover that treasure by attempting to demolish the palace. Built over an area of 4 hectares, the fort has 7 stories, 4 above the ground and 3 below it. It is said that the fort has a 25 km long tunnel. As per the folklore, Azad used to sit and plan the next missions here along with his friends.

They used to escape from the tunnel when British Officers attacked the fort.

KAKORI STATION

‘Kakori Kaand’ is still etched in the conscience of people of India, even after 91 years have passed. Members of HRA (Hindustan Republican Association) overpowered the train heading towards Lucknow and looted the money which belonged to the British. The campaign was led by revolutionary Ram Prasad Bismil. Other legendary freedom fighters like Ashfaqulla Khan, Chandra Shekhar Azad, Sachindra Bakhshi were a part of it amongst others. The event took place on August 9, 1925 near Kakori station, few minutes away from Lucknow. Except Azad, all other involved were arrested.

CHANDRA SHEKHAR AZAD PARK

Formerly called Alfred Park, it was built by the British in Allahabad. However, it is now known as the park where Azad breathed his last. He chose to end his life under a tree rather than surrendering to British when attacked by them. Built in 1870 to mark Prince Alfred’s visit to the city, with an area of 133 acres, Chandra Shekhar Azad Park is the biggest park in Allahabad. It is surrounded by Tagoretown, Civil Lines and the University of Allahabad. The museum nearby houses the .32 bore colt pistol which Azad owned. A public library attached to the park contains books and valuable manuscripts.

Rail Bandhu - January 2017 | 79

IN FOCUS

UNLEASHING TALENT POOL IN COMMERCE THROUGH ‘ICAI COMMERCE WIZARD 2016’

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o man the economic development of the country and to meet the growing needs of the society, there is a greater demand for sound development of commerce education in Indian context.

Commerce is considered as one of the most popular career options in India. Commerce education is the backbone of the business and serial development of the nation.

This education stresses on developing the people and making effective use of available resources.

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has taken an initiative to search talent in commerce stream & popularize the Commerce education across the country amongst Secondary, Senior/Higher Secondary, Graduate/Post Graduate students as well as other stakeholders with special focus on CA course.

has understood the concept. Cash awards of more than 1 million rupees are slated for the meritorious candidates. The aforesaid test will act as a tool for empowerment of the students.

Students of Class IX/X/XI/XII are eligible for the test which will be conducted at two levels.

• L evel 1 to be held on January 8, 2017: The candidate can appear for online test from any convenient place through their laptop/desktop/mobile/ipad, etc.

Commerce Wizard - 2016 is a talent search test being organised by Career Counseling Committee of ICAI. This would be a diagnostic test that measures the concept understanding ability of a student. Unlike other tests which only try to find out how much a child knows, this test would measure how well a student

HOT STYLES FOR WINTER While you are eagerly waiting for next summer and some sun, Madame brings you the fashion in the best quirky way.

Here’s what is in store: Top wear is an assortment of knitted, printed, crop and suede tops and k-tops, in a variety of colours like navy, rust, lavender and grey. Killim, checks and box patterns and psychedelic and geometric prints are some of the designs.

• L evel 2 to be held on January 15, 2017: The test will be held at designated Centre(s) for shortlisted candidates of level 1 through printed question papers and OMR answer sheets.

For details, visit icaicommercewizard.com

VINTAGE SHOE WARDROBE Rosso Brunello offers wide assortment of loafers, lace-ups, brogues with distinctive textures. The assortment is perfect for office and traditional look.

Price: On request Available at: Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Punjab and more.

Bottom wear: Leather jeggings and skirts, pencil knitted skirts, rugged denims and suede jeggings are making this winter more stylish.

Blazers and Jackets: Hues of grey are thronging the fashion market in formal and casual blazers. Bomber, biker and leather jackets look hot.

Long coats: This season, the longer the coat the better. Though cool midi styles look equally chic when teamed with cropped tailored trousers, turtleneck and statement boots or trainers.

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GO GREEN Indicating the lushness of the spectacular outdoors and flourishing life, Woodland launches ‘Go Green’ collection of apparels and accessories. The collection features sturdy shoes, comfy jackets and cool t-shirts.

Price: `2,000 onwards Available at: All Woodland stores

SHORT TAKES

Entertainment Calling We bring you a selection of movies for the month

Director: Shaad Ali Cast: Aditya Roy Kapur, Shraddha Kapoor Release date: January 13

OK JAANU

XXX:THE RETURN OF XANDER CAGE

Director: D.J. Caruso Cast: Deepika Padukone, Vin Diesel Release date: January 20

RAEES Director: Rahul Dholakia Cast: Shahrukh Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Mahira Khan Release date: January 26

The romantic drama is a remake of Mani Ratnam’s Tamil film OK Kanmani. The film portrays the life of a young couple in a live-in relationship in Mumbai.

Xander Cage is left for dead after an incident, though he secretly returns to action for a new, tough assignment with his handler Augustus Gibbons.

Set in Gujarat, the film is a story of the bootlegger Raees Khan whose business is highly challenged and eventually thwarted by a police officer.

LOOK COOL WITH COOLPIX The Nikon COOLPIX 2016 Series has seven fascinating cameras

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he Nikon COOLPIX 2016 Series is the perfect partner for every voyage.

Each of the new seven cameras in the series are marvelously designed. Nikon’s W100 is a waterproof *1 and shockproof *2 compact digital camera to capture marine life. There are options for cartoon effect, colorful stamps and frame decorations.

The B700, equipped with the most compact ultra-high-power 60x optical zoom and 120x dynamic fine zoom *3, is for nature clicks.

The A900 is perfectly sized to slip in the user’s pocket on the go with 35x optical zoom and 70x dynamic fine zoom *3.

The B700 and A900 also have Superlapse movie function. Still images saved from a movie are automatically stitched into a 30 or 20fps fast-motion movie, allowing the user

lens capable of 8x optical zoom. Videos can be created in high definition 720/30p format, at 20.1 effective megapixels with a dedicated movie-record button. For versatility there’s the A10. This camera ensures great image quality and easy shooting with a 16.1 effective megapixels *4 CCD sensor. to experiment with changing landscapes.

Bustling cityscapes can be put together for an impressive time-lapse creation with the quick selection of a shooting scene.

Conveniently sized, the versatile B500 boasts of, 40x optical zoom and 80x dynamic fine zoom *5. Vast vistas and precise close-ups become a breeze to capture. The A300 excites those who want to focus on their subject and record videos. The camera is equipped with Target Finding autofocus and NIKKOR

* Waterproof: A depth of 10 m / 33 ft [JIS/ IEC protection class 8 equivalent. * Shockproof: Resists a drop of 1.8 m / 5.9 ft. * Dynamic Fine Zoom magnification is calculated from the full-wide end of optical zoom. Dynamic Fine Zoom refers to the areas in which the camera can zoom while maintaining resolution from the maximum optical telephoto zoom position. * Image processing may reduce the number of effective pixels.

Rail Bandhu - January 2017 | 81

CITY BEAT

Outstanding

Odisha This eastern state is a mind-boggling potpourri of landscapes, temples, monuments, wildlife sanctuaries and a distinct tribal influence.

O

nce a land of kings and kingdoms, Odisha’s (formerly Orissa) people, temple architecture, classical dance, religions, fairs and festivals, unique handlooms and handicrafts, green woodlands, rock caves and charming blue hills have always attracted historians and travellers from all over the world.

GLORIOUS PAST The name Odisha is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Odra Vishaya’ or ‘Odra Desa’.

82 | Rail Bandhu - January 2017

While the modern state was established in 1936, Odisha came into being when Ashok, the Mauryan King of Magadh, invaded the ancient kingdom of Kalinga in 261 BC. This event went down in history as the great Kalinga War. The ancient state rose to prominence as a Kingdom under Kharavela, a great conquerer and patron of Jainism, in the second half of the 1st century BC. At one time the vast kingdom spanned from Ganga to Godavari!

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GEMS OF ODISHA A number of heroes were born in Kalinga before and during the British rule like freedom fighter and commander Buxi Jagabandhu, King Samudra Gupta and King Harsha Siladitya.

Scholars like Prajna and Hiuen-Tsang visited Puspagiri, Ratnagiri, Lalitgiri and Udayagiri for learning. Prophets Adi Sankaracharya, Ramanujacharya and Sri Chaitanya made Puri the religious centre. Jayadeva composed his world famous epic poem Gita Govinda here.

THE TRIBAL TOUCH Odisha has the largest number of tribal communities (62 tribes) living in different parts of the state. The tribes of Odisha are at various stages of socio-economic development. They express their cultural identity and distinctiveness in their dressing, language, rituals, festivals and their art and craft. They make and sell excellent handicrafts throughout the state.

ODISHA’S FESTIVALS Odisha celebrates a wide variety of festivals including the Dhauli Mahatsova, Kalinga Mahotsav, Khandagiri Festival, Konark Dance & Music Festival, Puri Beach Festival and Raja Rani Music Festival.

SOME MUST-VISIT LANDMARKS OF ODISHA BHUBANESWAR The capital of Odisha, also known as the Temple City of India, is an important Hindu pilgrimage centre. Hundreds of temples dot the landscape of Bhubaneswar. The new Bhubaneswar with its modern buildings and extensive infrastructure perfectly complements its historic surroundings.

SUN TEMPLE OF KONARK The Sun Temple was built by Raja Narasimhadeva to mark a military victory.

The whole structure is in the form of a giant horse-drawn chariot of the Sun. Together, the 24 wheels of the chariot and the 7 horses drawing it symbolise the passage of time.

MUKTESWARA MANDIR This is the best temple of Orissa. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the entire temple is imprinted

QUICK FACTS The Jagannath temple kitchen is reputed to be the largest kitchen in the world, with 400 cooks working around 200 hearths to feed over 10,000 people each day.

with figures of ascetics in different poses of meditation. Inside the complex, there are several small shrines that comprise numerous lingams of Lord Shiva. Around the latticed windows of the Jagamohana one can see images of monkeys engrossed in several jovial and humorous scenes that are imbibed from the Panchatantra tales.

UDAYAGIRI AND KHANDAGIRI CAVES The caves, which are two hills rising abruptly from the coastal plain separated by a highway, command a unique position in India’s history of rock-cut architecture, art and religion. Called lena, in the inscriptions, the caves of Udayagiri and Khandagiri are essentially dwelling retreats of the Jain ascetics. The height of the caves is so low that it does not allow a human to stand erect.

BHITARKANIKA WILDLIFE SANCTUARY Three rivers flow out to sea at Bhitarkanika forming a tidal maze of muddy creeks and mangroves. This is India’s second largest mangrove region after the Sunderbans and a significant biodiversity hotspot. Hundreds of crocodiles have made these rivers their home. This area also has the highest concentration of king cobras found anywhere in India.

CHILIKA LAKE Asia’s largest inland Brackish water lake, Chilika, stretches across the length of the three districts of Puri, Khurdha and Ganjam and joins the Bay of Bengal.

Spread over an area of 1,100 sq km, it was declared a sanctuary in 1987. Dotted with many emerald green islands, Chilika is home to a rich variety of aquatic fauna.

It is also a sanctuary and winter resort for migratory birds.

THE STATE MUSEUM, BHUBANESWAR It has Odisha’s best collection of rare palm-leaf manuscripts, scroll paintings, folk musical instruments, Bronze Age tools, an armoury and a collection of Buddhist, Jain and Brahmanical sculptures.

Rail Bandhu - January 2017 | 83

STAR TRACKER

the Month ahead Be it love, career or health, here’s what January and your stars have in store for you Aries (Mar 20 - Apr 18)

Taurus (Apr 19 - May 19)

Gemini (May 20 - Jun 20)

You’ll take a break from work and do something pleasurable. Something that moves you from behind the scenes to center stage. You will succeed in overcoming difficult situations. An impetuous suitor will try to win your heart. You will finally take good rest.

You will handle affairs skillfully and complete all project.

Love will be more important than work. You will be successful in all your transactions. You will think about love and try to accomplish a lot at once. In the end you will triumph.

You’ll have some financial profit. Financial problems will arise over someone who try to take more than their share, but you will manage. You will hold an idea because you wont be ready to commit. You will be waiting to see what a lover will do.

Lucky colour Lemon yellow Lucky No. 6

Lucky colour Red

Lucky colour Turqouise

Cancer (Jun 21 - Jul 21)

Leo (Jul 22 - Aug 21)

Virgo (Aug 22 - Sep 21)

You will prosper in all financial transactions. You will succeed in launching great plans and making executive decisions. Expect increase in your finances. You’ll be thinking about the one you love. Health will be a concern.

Someone will displease you or make you feel your job is in jeopardy. You will feel a definite crunch in your pocket but your finances are about to improve. You realise that you want quality not quantity. Your teeth will need attention.

You will suddenly become motivated and your income will increase. A new partnership could be in the making. A great love affair is imminent. You will experience stress and will find it difficult to ascertain the problem.

Lucky colour Purple

Lucky colour Green Lucky No. 4

Lucky colour Brown

Libra (Sep 22 - Oct 22)

Scorpio (Oct 23 - Nov 20)

Sagittarius (Nov 21 - Dec 20)

Discussions concerning travel, unions and philanthropic endeavors will happen. Money will alternate from good to bad. There will be no love life at this time because all your activities will be geared around daily living.

Professionally, you will make important contacts, but will have to wait for results. Personally you will be weighed down with responsibilities. Success will come through new contacts.

You will be concentrating on making money. You will soon experience a pleasant surprise.

A partnership will look as if its over. Beware of drinking habit, which will give you the courage to act impulsively. One who’s been ill is on the road to recovery.

Lucky colour Teal

Lucky colour White

Lucky colour Grey Lucky No. 7

Lucky No. 2

Lucky No. 6

Lucky No. 9

Lucky No. 5

Lucky No. 4

Lucky No. 1

Capricorn (Dec 21 - Jan 19)

Aquarius (Jan 20 - Feb 18)

Pisces (Feb 19 - Mar 19)

You will be concerned about the lack of business and money. But your financial position will improve and success will come through new opportunities. An unexpected event will cause some tension. You’ll need to rest before commencing new ventures.

You will run into conflicts which require a great deal of emotional control. You will feel shortchanged or cheated.

Change will bring a new perspective.

You could have physical premonitions of that which is to come.

Your work will start off bright, and then turn dark, and then bright again. After a slight reversal you’ll see material gain. Don’t make premature evaluations. Money will be delayed, but should arrive shortly. You will have insomnia.

Lucky colour Orange

Lucky colour Royal blue

Lucky colour Burgundy Lucky No. 3

Lucky No. 7

Lucky No. 8

Poonam Sethi is an internationally-acclaimed Tarot card reader, Reiki healer, colour therapist, Feng Shui practitioner, crystal healer, a specialist in removal and balancing the negative evil eye energies and a rudraksha consultant. She can be contacted at poonamsethi27@hotmail.com 84 | Rail Bandhu - January 2017

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Reading Corner Grab a copy and transport yourself to the world of books

CHANAKYA IN DAILY LIFE

BY RADHAKRISHNAN PILLAI RUPA PUBLICATIONS PRICE: `295

The book decodes and simplifies the teachings of visionary kingmaker Chanakya from Arthashastra and Chanakya Niti to provide solutions for all problems that crop up in various aspects of life. The author takes the readers through rough seas of life covering all aspects from personal to professional.

It is an answer to various questions ranging from how to begin and end your day to how to achieve the perfect work-life balance. Thus, the book is a perfect guru who expects only one thing from the shishya - a willingness to learn.

SONGS OF HOOKED, STONE LINED & SINGLE

BY SUJATA S SABNIS

AMARYLLIS PUBLICATIONS

BY RASHMI KUMAR SRISHTI PUBLISHERS PRICE: `350 & DISTRIBUTORS

The book is a thrilling saga of passionate love, intrigue and deception set in 17th century Mughal India. It is the story of Nilofer who is kidnapped and sent to Jahangirâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s harem. The protagonist is trapped between the sexual games of the harem and the ruthless enmity of the chief. Songs of Stone is the love story of Nilofer and Jagat, a tale that, over the last three hundred and fifty years, has been lost in the folds of time. The visually intricate book will transport you back to the grandeur of the courts of the Mughal emperor Jahangir and Shahjahan.

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bl ij t+jk /;ku nsa fudV Hkfo"; esa Hkkjrh; jsy dk lcls ’kfDr’kkyh fctyh batu ,yLVke izkbek&f}rh; gksus okyk gSA ,sls 800 batuksa dk vkWMZj vesfjdk vkSj Ý+kal ds la;qDr miØe ,yLVkWe dks fn;k x;k gSA bldh {kerk 8]500 v’o’kfDr gksxhA 220 fdyksehVj izfr?kaVs dh xfr ls nkSM+us okyk ;g batu 200 fdeh@ izfr?kaVs ls pysxkA

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batu 13]440 v’o’kfDr dk gksrk gSA fdarq lkekU; rkSj ij fctyh ls pyus okys batu 6]000 v’o’kfDr ds gksrs gSAa fo’o esa Hkki ls pyus okyk lcls ’kfDr’kkyh batu fcx ckW; batu gSA ;g 132 QqV yack] 1-2 fefy;u ikmaM ot+u rFkk iwjk dks;yk] bZ/a ku Hkjk gksus ds Hkkj ds lkFk Hkh ;g 80 ehy izfr?kaVk dh xfr ls nkSMr+ k gSA bldk ’kq#vkrh uacj 4014 FkkA ;g 6]300 v’o’kfDr dk gksrk gSA ;g Hkkjh ekyxkM+h dks ysdj igkM+kas ij rhoz xfr ls py ldrk gSA ;g batu ;wfu;u iSlfs Qd jsyos ds v/khu dk;Zjr gSA o"kZ 1941 ls 1944 ds chp bl izdkj ds dqy 25 batu cus FksA fo’o dk lcls Åapk Mht+y jsy batu dksyksjkMks ,aM ;ksfeax jsyos dh thih7&103 batu gSA Mwvy eksM jsy batu bls lkekU; Hkk"kk esa nksgjh lad"kZ.k iz.kkyh okyk batu dgrs gSAa tgka dqN Hkkx fo|qrhdj.k vkSj dqN xSjfo|qrhdj.k jsyekxZ gksrk gS ogka budk mi;ksx gksrk gSA ;g batu nksuksa izdkj ds jsyekxksaZ ij pyus ds fy, vR;ar mi;ksxh gSAa bUgsa bysDVªk& s Mht+y batu ;k nksgjk lad"kZ.k jsy batu dgrs gSAa pwfa d blesa fctyh vkSj Mht+y nksuksa izdkj dh iz.kkyh gksrh gS blfy, bUgsa eYVhiy ;wfuV jsy batu Hkh dgrs gSAa ;s rhu izdkj ds gksrs gSAa igys izdkj esa fctyh batu eq[; batu gksrk gS tcfd Mht+y batu NksVk o lgk;d gksrk gSA nwljs izdkj ds batu esa Mht+y batu eq[; batu gksrk gS tcfd fctyh batu NksVk o lgk;d gksrk gSA rhljs izdkj dk batu Qqy Mwvy eksM batu gksrk gSA blesa Mht+y rFkk fctyh batu nksuksa eq[; o iw.kZ batu gksrs gSAa bl izdkj ds batu fcuk fdlh #dkoV ds lh/ks&lh/ks fctyh ls pyrs gq, Mht+y eksM esa vk tkrs gSAa ;k fQ+j Mht+y ls pyrs gq, fctyh eksM esa vk tkrs gSAa bl izdkj ds batu fo’o ds nl ns’kksa esa pyrs gSa tgka fctyh vkiwfrZ vyx&vyx gksrh gSA ;k fQ+j ,d ls nwljs ns’k esa vkus&tkus ij fctyh vkiwfrZ iz.kkyh vFkok lad"kZ.k iz.kkyh cny tkrh gSA tfVy igkM+kas vkSj yach o de ÅapkbZ okyh lqjx a ksa esa Hkh bl izdkj ds batu pyk, tkrs gSAa bl izdkj dk fo’o dk lcls ’kfDr’kkyh batu 5]000 v’o’kfDr rd dk gSA Hkkjr esa Hkh bl izdkj ds batu cukus dk dk;Z py jgk gSA

LokLF; vkSj ifjokj dY;k.k ea=ky;

jk"Vªh; LokLF; ços'k}kj

Jh txr izdk’k uM~Mk ekuuh; dsUnzh; ea=h LokLF; ,oa ifjokj dY;k.k ea=ky;

LokLF; dh çkekf.kd tkudkjh ds fy, ços'k}kj www.nhp.gov.in

LoLFk thou ‘kSyh fd”kksj LokLF; efgyk LokLF; xHkkZoLFkk ;k=k LokLF;

jksx@n’kk lwpuk jksx@n”kk% , ls tsM rd vkS’kf/k çFke mipkj baVjSfDVo f”k{k.k yksd LokLF; vyVZ

fofo/k vkink izca/ku LokLF; dk;ZØe lkekU; eap lkekU; lekpkj

funsZf’kdk lsok ,oa fofue; lfefr ,oa vk;ksx funsZf”kdk lsok LokLF; uhfr;k¡ ekud vkSj çksVksd‚y “kklu@dkuwu@ fcy@vf/kfu;e chek ;kstuk,a

O;kolkf;d o`f)

vk;q”k vk;qosZn ;ksx ;wukuh fl/n gksE;ksiSFkh

is'kk bZ&vf/kxe is'ksoj lekpkj Hkkjrh; gsYiMsLd fy, bysDVª‚fud LokLF; fjdkMZ ekud

,u,pih Vksy Ýh uacj ¼okbl osc½ & 1800-180-1104

fo’ks"k miyfC/k

rduhd dk

vn~Hkqr mnkgj.k ,d ,slk iqy tks lM+d o jsy ;krk;kr ds lkFk&lkFk tyiksrksa dk Hkh ekxZ iz’kLr djrk gSA is'k gS bldh jkspd tkudkjh ys[k% foeys’k panz

fo

’o esa ,sls vusd iqy gSa ftuesa jsy ;krk;kr o lM+d ifjogu dk vkokxeu lkFk&lkFk gksrk gSA bu iqyksa esa dkQ+h yac]s Åap]s fo’ks"k lajpukvksa okys vkd"kZd iqy ’kkfey gSAa fdarq leLr fo’o esa vius izdkj dk ,dek= ,slk iqy Hkh gS tks jsy xkfM+;ksa ds vkus&tkus] lM+d ifjogu rFkk tyiksrksa dh vkoktkgh ds fy, mi;ksxh fl) gksrk gSA vFkkZr ,d ,slk lsrq tks rhuksa izdkj ds ;krk;kr ds fy, cuk;k x;k gSA ;g iqy fdaXlQ+js h fczt dgykrk gS vkSj baXySM a ds ,d dkmaVh dsVa esa fLFkr gSA Losy unh ij cuk ;g viuh rjg dk ,d uk;kc lsrq gSA

orZeku lsrq ij ;krk;kr

1960

esa vkjaHk gqvk Fkk

90 |

- tuojh 2017

www.railbandhu.in

vuks[kk fMt+kbu fdaXlQ+js h fczt ,d izdkj dk fyf¶Vax iqy gSA ;g iqy ’ksIih }hi dks dsVa dh eq[; Hkwfe ls tksMr+ k gSA ;g ofVZdy fy¶+V okyk iqy gSA bl iqy dk fMt+kbu eksVgs ,aM ,aMjlu }kjk rS;kj fd;k x;k FkkA bldk fuekZ.k tkWu gkoMZ us MksjeSu ykWUx rFkk lj fofy;e ,jksy ,aM daiuh ds lkFk feydj fd;k FkkA bl iqy esa lsVa y ª fyf¶+Vx a LiSu lfgr dqy lkr LiSu gSAa chp dk og LiSu tks Åij&uhps fy¶+V gksrk gS mls lsVa y ª fyf¶+Vx a LiSu dgk tkrk gSA bl LFkku ij lcls igys lu 1860 esa jsyos cSLD;wy fczt cuk;k x;k FkkA ;g yanu] dSFke ,oa Mksoj jsyos dk fgLlk FkkA igys cSLD;wy fczt dks 19 twu] 1860 dks ;krk;kr ds fy, [kksyk x;k FkkA o"kZ 1901 esa bl lsrq esa vkbZ =qfV ds dkj.k bl iqy ij LFkkbZ ;k lkekU; jsy iqy cuk;k tkuk fuf’pr fd;k x;k FkkA fdarq tyiksr ;krk;kr ls tqMs+ O;kikfj;ksa ds dM+s fojks/k ds dkj.k ;gka ij nksckjk fyf¶+Vx a iqy cukus dk fu.kZ; fy;k x;kA QyLo:i bl iqjkus o [+kjkc gks x, iqy dks o"kZ 1904 esa cnydj dt+jZ Vkbi dk cSLD;wy fczt cuk;k x;k FkkA blds nksuksa IysVQ+keW Z 45 fMxzh rd Åij mBrs

FksA bl iqy ds 18 o"kksaZ rd lQyrkiwod Z pyus ds ckn 17 fnlEcj] 1922 esa ukosZ ds ,d cM+s tyiksr ls Vdjkus ij ;g iqy dkQ+h {kfrxzLr gks x;k FkkA blds LFkku ij nwljk iqy cuk;k x;kA bls cuus esa nl ekg dk le; yxk FkkA ckn esa bl iqy ds Hkh [+kjkc gks tkus ds dkj.k bl LFkku ij u;k rFkk orZeku jsy iqy cuk;k x;kA bls 20 vizy S ] 1960 dks [kksyk x;k FkkA ;g vHkh rd lqjf{kr <ax ls ifjpkfyr gSA lqpk: O;oLFkk bl u, iqy dks tkal gkoMZ ,aM daiuh }kjk cuk;k x;k FkkA ;g fo’o esa vius izdkj dk ,dek= ,slk iqy gS ftl ij okgu] jsyxkfM+;ka pyrh gSa o mlds uhps ls tyiksr xqtj+ rs gSAa bl lsrq ds uhps ls izfrfnu 20 cM+s tyiksr vkrs&tkrs gSAa bl dkj.k ls iqy dks gj jkst+ lkekU;r% 20 ckj fy¶+V djkuk iM+rk gSA ;g 650 QqV yack gS rFkk fyf¶+Vx a Hkkx dk ot+u 450 Vu gSA ;g pkj [kaHkksa ij cus dkmaVj cSyl as esdfuT+e flLVe dh iz.kkyh ij dk;Z djrk gSA bl iqy dks fy¶+V djuk vFkkZr bldk lapkyu nksuksa vksj yxh fctyh dh eksVjksa dh enn ls gksrk gSA ;g iqy ok;j jksi o dkmaVj osV ls lapkfyr fd;k tkrk gSA ;kf=;ksa dks lqfo/kk bl iqy dks 84 QqV ÅapkbZ rd fy¶+V fd;k tkrk gSA iqy tc vf/kdre ÅapkbZ ij igqp a tkrk gS rc lqfuf’pr djus ds fy, ogka yxs gwVj ctus yxrs gSAa iqy dks fy¶+V djrs le; lM+d ij dkQ+h HkhM+ yx tkrh gS D;ksfa d mls mBkus o uhps djus esa ,d ?kaVs dk le; yxrk gSA leqnhz tgkt+kas ds iqy ds uhps ls xqtj+ us ls iwoZ tyiksr vkWijsVjksa ls ,d uksfVl fy;k tkrk gS ftlds vk/kkj ij iwoZ esa vfrfjDr clksa dh O;oLFkk djds bl lsrq ls gksdj lM+d ekxZ ls tkus okyksa o jsy;kf=;ksa dks clksa }kjk blds fudV cus ,d vU; yac]s Åaps iqy ds ek/;e ls muds xarO; rd igqp a k;k tkrk gSA bl nwljs iqy dk fuekZ.k 2006 esa fd;k x;k Fkk rFkk ;g jsyos ØkWflax iqy ds uke ls Hkh tkuk tkrk gSA fdaXlQ+js h fczt ds fdukjs ij jsyxkfM+;ksa ds fy, ,d jsy iVjh cuh gSA bl iqy ds nf{k.k fljs ij Losy jsyos LVs’ku fLFkr gSA ;g czkp a jsy ykbu flfVaxcuZ ls ’khusl Z rd tkrh gSA ;g jsy iqy u dsoy rhuksa izdkj ds ;krk;kr ds fy, cuk fo’o esa vius izdkj dk ,dek= jsy iqy gS cfYd viuh [+kcw lwjrh vkSj nf{k.k&iwoZ baXySM a ds yksxksa ds fy, ,d ,sfrgkfld igpku okyk iqy Hkh gSA

- tuojh 2017 | 91

lSj likVk

Hkkjr dk

fLoV~t+jySaM

pfy, vkidks vkSyh dh lSj djkrs gSa tgka gjs&Hkjs cqX;kyksa ds chp lQ+sn pknj lh fcNh cQZ+ ij vki Ldhbax dk vkuan mBk ik,axs vkSj uoo"kZ Hkh euk ldrs gSa fnYyh ls vkSyh dh nwjh djhc

500

ys[k% eatw usxh

fdyksehVj gS

92 |

- tuojh 2017

www.railbandhu.in

m

Ùkjk[kaM ds fgeky;h {ks= esa tgka ,d vksj cQZ+ ls vkPNkfnr Åaph&Åaph ioZrekyk,a ns[kus dks feyrh gSa ogha nwljh vksj ;gka dh f’kokfyd Jsf.k;ksa esa ?kus o`{kksa ls yns fo’kky ou {ks= fcalj] nw/kkrksyh] ifM;kj] fte dkWcVsZ ] jktkth us’kuy ikdZ o jkB {ks= bR;kfn Hkh ns[kus dks feyrs gSAa buds chp ls gksdj ns’k dh ifo= ufn;ka ljLorh] vyduank] HkkxhjFkh] fiaMj] dkyh xaxk] iwohZ u;kj] if’peh u;kj vkfn NksVh&cM+h ufn;ka cgrh gSAa bu ufn;ksa dh ?kkfV;ksa esa fofHkUu izdkj dh tM+h&cwfV;ka fglqj] fduxksM]+ djkSna k] fcPNw cwVh] dVjh] f>axksj] dkyh fglqj feyrh gSa rks dgha Qwyksa dh cgkj okyh ?kkfV;ka fo|eku gaAS buds n’kZu djus ns’k o fons’k ls i;ZVd ;gka u dsoy xfeZ;ksa es]a cfYd lfnZ;ksa esa Hkh vkrs gSAa lfnZ;ksa esa ;gka gksus okyh cQZc+ kjh dk ut+kjk o cQZ+ esa [ksys tkus okys varjjk"Vªh; Lrj ds [ksyksa dks ns[kus Hkh i;ZVd ;gka igqp a rs gSAa uSlfxZd ifjn`’; izdf` r ds foLe;dkjh Lo:i o HkkSxksfyd fofo/krkvksa dk /kuh mÙkjk[kaM ds vkSyh {ks= esa uSlfxZd ut+kjksa ds lkFk&lkFk ;gka lkgfld [ksyksa dk vkuan Hkh mBk;k tkrk gSA izdf` r ;gka gj _rq esa viuh uSlfxZd NVk fc[ksj+ dj bls ,d vyx gh :i iznku djrh gSA vkSyh {ks= bruh fofHkUurkvksa ds chp esa clk cQZ+ rFkk ?kkl dk ,d ,slk eSnku ¼cqX;ky½ gS] tks fLoV~tj+ ySM a dh cQ+hy Z h Hkwfe ls de ugha gSA vkSyh cQZ+ dh ’osr pknj vks<s+ i;ZVdksa dks viuh vksj bl izdkj vkdf"kZr djrk gS fd ;fn i;ZVd ,d ckj ;gka dh cQ+hy Z h <ykuksa ij fQ+lyus dk et+k ys yas rks og ckj&ckj ;gka vkuk ilan djrs gSAa vkSyh {ks= esa cQZ+ dh <yku yxHkx 3-5 fdyksehVj ds nk;js eas o yxHkx 2]700 ehVj ls ysdj 3]200 ehVj rd dh ifj{ks= esa QSy + h gqbZ gSA bu <ykuksa esa lfnZ;ksa ds ekSle esa nwj&nwj rd cQZ+ te tkrh gSA vkSyh izdf` r dh fnO; lqna jrk dks vius vki eas lesVs gq, gSA blds pkjksa rjQ cQZ+ ls <ds Åap& s Åaps lQ+ns pedhys ioZrksa ij /kq/a k ds :i esa fyiVs ckny csgn :ekuh n`’; izLrqr djrs gSAa vkSyh dh cQZ+ dh <ykuksa ij i;ZVd ,d nwljs ij cQZ+ ds xksys ekjrs gq, fn[kkbZ nsrs gSAa ;g n`’; eu dks ea=eqX/k dj nsus okyk gksrk gSA Ldhbax dk vkuan vkSyh eq[;r% ,d varjjk"Vªh; Ldhbax dk dsUnz gSA ;gka varjjk"Vªh; Lrj rd ds Ldhbax f[kykM+h Hkh cus gSaA

;s gS dksV}kj jsyos LVs’ku ;g LVs’ku mŸkj jsyos t+ksu ds eqjknkckn eaMy ds varxZr vkrk gSA dksV}kj mŸkj jsyekxZ dk vafre LVs’ku gSA ;g LVs’ku ns’k ds lHkh izeq[k {ks=ksa ls tqM+k gqvk gSA elwjh ,Dlizsl&14041 vkSj x<+oky ,Dlizsl&14044 ls vki fnYyh ls ;gka igqap ldrs gSaA fnYyh ls dksV}kj dh nwjh yxHkx 242 fdyksehVj gSA

;gka ns’k&fons’k ls Hkkjh la[;k esa i;ZVd Ldhbax dk vkuan mBkus rFkk Ldhbax dh Vªsfuax ysus igqaprs gSaA vkSyh esa x<+oky eaMy fodkl fuxe dk ,d Ldhbax Vsªfuax dsanz Hkh gS] tks jksi&os VkWoj uacj&10 ds ikl fLFkr gSA Ldhbax dh Vsªfuax ds fy, de ls de 12 lky dh mez gksuh pkfg,A ;gka Ldhbax djus ds fy, _f"kds’k] nsgjknwu rFkk fnYyh ls ,Mokal cqfdax dh tkrh gSA ;gka Ldhbax djrs le; <yku ds ,d Nksj ls nwj] nwljs Nksj ij nks NM+ksa ¼fLVYV½ vkSj Ldh dh lgk;rk ls rst+h ls cQZ+ dh fQ+lyu iV~Vh ls fQ+lyuk rFkk cQZ+ ls vkPNkfnr ioZrksa ds chp cQZ+ ls <dh ?kkVh esa pkjksa vksj ?kweuk csgn jksekapdkjh gksrk gSA vkSyh esa Ldhbax dsanz gksus ds lkFk&lkFk ifM;kj ?kkVh lnkcgkj ou {ks= Hkh gSA vkSyh dk {ks= tks’kheB ls yxHkx nl fdyksehVj dh nwjh ls vkjaHk gks tkrk gSA tks’kheB ls VSDlh ls rFkk xM+ksyk ¼dscy flLVe ^jksi&os*½ ls Hkh igqapk tk ldrk gSA jksi&os ls vkSyh rd igqapus ds fy, fVdV feyus dk le; lqcg vkB cts ls ysdj ’kke pkj cts rd gksrk gSA jksi&os ls ?kus nsonkj ds o`{kksa ds ou ds Åij ls gksrs gq, rFkk cQZ+ ls <dh Åaph&Åaph igkfM++;ksa dks ns[krs gq, lh/ks cqX;kyksa ds Åijh fgLls esa igqap tkrs gSaA okdbZ ;g ;knxkj lQ+j vuks[kk vuqHko cu tkrk gSA

Rail Bandhu - January 2017 | 93

Nk;kfp=% xkSjo lhej

lSj likVk

ns[kus yk;d LFky vkSyh ls yxHkx nks fdyksehVj nwj ifM;kj eafnj rFkk xkWjlkWu VkWi vkrk gSA ;gka igqapus ds fy, yxHkx vk/ks ?kaVs dh iSny ;k=k djds p<++kbZ ikj djuh iM+rh gSaA ;k=k djrs le; jkLrs esa nsonkj] vksd] cqjka’k] vYikbu] vkfn ds o`{kksa ls Hkjk ?kuk ou {ks= feyrk gS rFkk vkxs pyrs&pyrs vpkud ou {ks= lekIr gksrs gh tks n`’; lkeus vkrk gS] og eu dks eksg ysus okyk gksrk gSA lkeus fgeky; dh izeq[k pksfV;ksa] ioZrksa ,oa cqX;ky ds n’kZu gksrs gSaA buesa ls eq[;r% uanknsoh ioZr] nzks.k ioZr] gkFkh ioZr] eu ioZr ¼dker½] f=’kwy] xkWjlkWu cqX;ky vkfn gSaA vkSyh ls fgeky; dh HkO;rk dks vklkuh ls ns[kk tk ldrk gSA ;gka ij eq[;r% fons’kh i;ZVd gh vf/kd la[;k esa vkrs gSaA os fgeky; dh HkO;rk dks vius dSejs esa dSn dj vius lkFk ys tkrs gSaA xkWjlkWu VkWi ij ljdkj us gsyh&Ldhbax cukus dk izLrko Hkh j[kk gSA vkSyh dh Ldhbax <yku ls tqM+k ifM;kj ,d ?kuk ou {ks= gSA ;g ou {ks= cQZ+ dh lQs+n pknj ds fdukjs xgjs gjs jax esa fyiVk gqvk cgqr gh je.kh; yxrk gSA ljdkj Ldhbax dk foLrkj djuk pkgrh gS rkfd vf/kd ls vf/kd i;ZVd ;gka dh vksj f[kaps pys vk,aA

3LFky n’kZuh;

94 |

- tuojh 2017

?kjsyw o fons'kh lSykuh bl lqanj ioZrh; i;ZVd {ks= dh vksj f[kaps pys vkrs gSaA ;gka lky Hkj i;ZVdksa dk tekoM+k jgrk gS

vkWyh >hy

;g ,d d`f=e >hy gS vkSj fo'o dh lcls Åaph ekuo fufeZr >hy Hkh gSA {ks= dh lqanjrk c<+kus dh fn'kk esa gh ljdkj us bldk fuekZ.k fd;k gSA

vkd"kZ.k dk dsna z vkSyh esa lfnZ;ksa ,oa xfeZ;ksa nksuksa gh ekSle eas i;ZVd igqp a rs gS]a ijarq ;gka Ldhbax rFkk cQZ+ dk yqRQ+ dsoy fnlEcj ls ysdj ekpZ rd gh fy;k tk ldrk gSA ekpZ ds ckn /khjs&/khjs cQZ+ fi?kyuh vkjaHk gks tkrh gS vkSj Ldhbax tSls lkgfld [ksy ugha [ksys tkrsA bldk eq[; dkj.k ;g gS fd ml le; ;gka cQ+Z dk LFkku /khjs&/khjs NksVh&NksVh ?kkl ls Hkjs gjs eSnku ds :Ik esa ifjofrZr gks tkrk gSA vkSyh esa ,d ckj fQ+j ls lQsn+ pksfV;ksa ds chp bl rjg gjs jax dk fu[k+jdj vkuk bruk lqna j vkSj vkd"kZd yxrk gS fd tks bl n`’; dks ,d ckj ns[k ys] og ;gka dh lqna jrk dk nhokuk gksdj xfeZ;ksa esa ckj&ckj ;gka vkuk ilan djrk gSA blfy, cgqr ls i;ZVd xfeZ;ksa esa Hkh ;gka ckj&ckj vkuk ilan djrs gSAa ;gka xfeZ;ksa ds ekSle eas Hkh lnhZ dk vkHkkl gksrk gSA ;fn vki xfeZ;ksa eas vkSyh dh ;k=k ij fudyrs gSa rks vius lkFk xeZ diM+]s nLrkus] eQ+yj] ekst]+s Luks cwV vkfn ysdj vo’; tk,a D;ksfa d ;gka dk rkieku gj le; yxHkx ’kwU; fMxzh ls uhps gh jgrk gSA ;gka fDyQ+ VkWi fjt+kWVZ rFkk x<+oky fodkl eaMy fodkl fuxe ds vfrfFk x`g esa Bgjk tk ldrk gSA bl ckj uoo"kZ ij vki Hkh ;gka vo’; tk,aA

f='kwy f'k[kj

vkWyh ls 23]490 QqV Åaph rhu ioZrh; pksfV;ksa fn[kkbZ nsrh gSa tks ns[kus esa f='kwy dh Hkkafr yxrh gSaA cQ+Z ls <dh pksfV;ksa dh lqanjrk ns[krs gh curh gSA

www.railbandhu.in

dYis'oj {ks=

;g tks'kheB ls 12 rFkk gsykax xkao ls 10 fdyksehVj dh nwjh ij fLFkr gSA ioZr dh xksn esa fLFkr bl {ks= ds pkjksa vksj izkd`frd NVk fc[+kjh iM+h gSA

IN FOCUS

BOOK YOUR DATES WITH US! NDWBF is a major calendar event in the publishing world

T

he New Delhi World Book Fair (NDWBF), organized by the National Book Trust (NBT), India, is one of the largest book events in the Afro-Asian region. The 25th edition of the NDWBF is scheduled from January 7–15, 2017 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.

In order to bring out the role and contribution of women writers, and to bring about a better understanding of Gender issues, the theme of NEW DELHI WORLD BOOK FAIR 2017 is designated as MANUSHI. The Theme Pavilion at Hall 7E will display about 800 books in different genres in all major Indian languages on the subject.

book releases, workshops, etc. In addition the star attraction of the fair will be the Author’s Corner where authors will share their literary journey with the booklovers. The Author’s Corners are located in Hall 8 (Sahitya Manch), Hall 10-11 (Reflections), Hall 12-12A (Lekhak Manch) and Hall 18 (Conversations).

There will also be a special exhibition on ‘60 years of NBT’s Journey’ in Hall 7A & Foyer B. The pavilion at Foyer B will focus on NBT’s publishing, and domestic activities, and will have a reading corner, and information about its specific schemes.

Come and enjoy the nine days of fun, reading and entertainment!

The NDWBF hosts a number of literary events, like seminars, discussions,

A MAN OF ACTION

Meet the man behind India’s first Cherry Blossom (Sakura) Festival

N

ot merely a man of words, Professor Dinabandhu Sahoo, Director, Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development Department of Biotechnology, has been making efforts for close to a quarter century now towards improving the quality of lives of people living in coastal and rural India. He has contributed immensely towards protection of the environment and socio-economic empowerment of the coastal people through sea farming and more recently through sustainable utilisation of local bio-resources in North Eastern Himalayas.

Sahoo is the man behind India’s first Cherry Blossom (Sakura) Festival that took place in Meghalaya in 2015-16. The four-day festival was

aimed at creating opportunities for the people of Meghalaya and developing collaborations with Japan so that more international tourists can visit the north-eastern states.

Humble roots Born to a very humble family in Puri, Odisha, Sahoo completed his B.Sc with distinction and then moved to the University of Delhi where obtained a Ph.D. He was chosen for the 7th Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica in 1987-88 and became the first Indian student ever to do

so. With other team members, he laid the foundation for India’s second permanent station ‘Maitri’ in Antarctica, a landmark in the history of Indian Antarctic Science.

By the time he was 27 , he had travelled the world, in a record time of 18 months in an effort to understand various sustainable and eco-friendly developmental models.

Subsequently, he undertook two trips to Arctic during 1991 and 1992.

Feathers in the cap Sahoo has earned several awards including Young Scientist Award, Zahoor Qasim Gold Medal, MP Purohit Award, India Sustainability Leadership Award 2015 amongst 50 most influential people in India for Sustainable Development and the YSRK Sarma Memorial Award, 2015 for his outstanding contribution in the field of Marine Science.

Rail Bandhu - January 2017 | 95

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BEST ON-TIME PERFORMANCE AMONGST ALL AIRLINES IN INDIA. HIGHEST OCCUPANCY RATE FOR 20 MONTHS. OTP RATING (ALL AIRLINES) NOVEMBER, 2016 OTP RANKING

AIRLINE

ON-TIME PERFORMANCE

1st

SpiceJet Jet Airways +JetLite Vistara

81.7%

IndiGo

72.4% 69.0%

2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th

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*As per DGCA statistics released on 19th December, 2016.