Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
India's illegal coal mines turn into death pits
Shaikh Azizur Rahman
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
25 November 2006
ASANSOL, India -- When news of the midnight accident at the main coal pit at Gangtikuli reached the pregnant young wife of miner Pradip Bauri, she feared the worst.
By the time Kasuri Bauri and a boatload of fellow villagers -- all with relatives working at the mine -- reached the scene nearly two miles down the Damodar River, the illegal mine was completely flooded. Water was gushing through the shaft from an adjacent mine, and the villagers, armed with hand tools, were powerless to stop it.
"He died a painful death because no one will come in to help us in this illegal mine now. It is a wretched life," said Mrs. Bauri, banging her forehead against the wall of the pit, her grief played out before television cameras a day after the Aug. 1 disaster.
About 150 illegal miners are thought to have died in the pit, but it is doubtful the exact toll will ever be known. The case has brought attention to India's illegal mines, which are controlled by criminal syndicates.
Stories change
By the time police arrived at the Gangtikuli mine to investigate rumors of a disaster, Mrs. Bauri and others had changed their stories.
Police sources said that when she was asked if her husband was buried at Gangtikuli, she said her husband had no connection with illegal mining and he worked as a porter 220 miles away in Calcutta.
She repeated the same story to this reporter this week, but fellow villagers confirmed what was clear from the grief she showed on TV immediately after the disaster, that her husband was dead. Her brother-in-law also died in the mine, villagers said.
"Political pressure forced us to come to Gangtikuli. But villagers did not report any of their relatives missing here," said a police officer who attended the scene from the nearest police station.
Habul Bauri, a watchman at the illegal mine, said there were at least 150 persons working in the pit on the night of the flooding, and none escaped.
'Ordered' not to tell
The father of another miner said that hours after the accident, the criminal syndicate that ran the mine threatened the villagers not to tell anyone that they had lost family members in the pit.
"If it was a government-run mine, within minutes, a rescue operation would have begun. Simply because they were lifting coal illegally, we could not cry for help and the government did not help us," said Ganesh Bauri, a middle-aged man in the village of Khayer Kiyari which is thought to have lost about 30 men in the Gangtikuli accident.
"I have lost my son. But I cannot tell anyone of this big loss. I cannot even shed tears openly, I have been ordered. It makes the tragedy more painful for me." Now, three months after the mine disaster Kasuri Bauri and Ganesh Bauri are still afraid to reveal that they had lost their loved ones at the illegal coal mine at Gangtikuli.
Villagers say the local "coal mafia" routinely covers up such tragedies to keep their lucrative businesses running.
There are thought to be about 500 illegal mines run by about 150 different criminal groups and persons around the Asansol coal field, where Gangtikuli is located.
It is thought there are 60,000 illegal mines and about half a million illegal miners in the eastern Indian coal belt.
Bribes paid to police
A retired manager of a government-run coal field said the coal mafia could operate because bribes were paid to police and villagers worked in dangerous conditions simply to have a job.
"If a disaster as big as Gangtikuli's gets exposed at a national level, pressure from powerful agencies could stop illegal coal mining in the area, causing a massive loss to the mafias and others in the game," said the retired manager.
According to a study by DISHA, a social activist group in the east Indian mining city of Asansol, in the illegal coal mines in the West Bengal-Jharkhand coal belt every year about 300 large-scale accidents take place, killing at least 2,000 miners. In most cases the deaths go unreported because of a police-mafia nexus.
"A police inspector who earns an annual salary of 90,000 rupees (U.S. $2,000) can easily get 20 or 30 times as much in bribe from the mafias if he is posted anywhere in the coal belt. It is like winning a jackpot for him.
"He can never act against the operation of any illegal mine," said a local journalist.
When for safety or other feasibility-related reasons authorities stop lifting coal from a mine, it is filled up with sand, as per rule.
"But, mafias in no time take control of such abandoned mines, clear the sand and start lifting coal engaging a huge work force of miners on daily wage. These poor daily wage miners who, working under pressure from their bosses to lift as much coal as possible, often flout standard safety-related norms, inviting tragedies for themselves inside mine," said an officer with government-run Mines Rescue Station.
Press exposes dangers
However, extensive press coverage and a campaign by senior political figures have exposed both the severity of the Gangtikuli accident and the hazardous conditions that prevail across the illegal mining industry.
Finally, pressure from different quarters forced the government of West Bengal state, where Gangtikuli is located, to announce a crackdown on illegal mining in the area.
Two weeks after the Gangtikuli accident West Bengal's chief secretary, Amit Kiran Deb, said his government "would spare no means to stop illegal mining."
This week Mr. Deb said that police had closed down more than 1,500 illegal coal mines by the end of October.
"We have also arrested more than 500 illegal miners. Some trucks carrying illegal coal have been seized and our operation is continuing," said Mr. Deb.
But social analysts have expressed doubts about the ability of the government to shut down the mines.
"For decades the police-mafia nexus has remained in place. It is very difficult to dismantle this network of corruption. The long arm of organized crime can reach very high in the police administration. In one case action was taken against a police officer found to be in collusion with the coal mafia. But the officer who replaced him was found to be equally corrupt," said Kanchan Siddiqui, a commentator at the Calcutta-based daily Statesman.
"Maybe in the wake of the Gangtikuli disaster police have been forced to act against some mines. But it appears to be a temporary measure. Those mines will be operational again by the mafias soon, within a few months."
'Lifeblood' for people
One operator of an illegal coal mine in the Bardhaman district of West Bengal who employs about 120 miners admitted to paying a monthly bribe of 25,000 rupees (U.S. $540) to the police. He said when rain stopped work he did not pay the bribe.
"Sometimes they become angry and ask me to send the men to the pit as soon as possible. Sometimes I even feel that I am in this business to serve police or, I am employed by the police," he said.
Another illegal mine operator said many workers were prepared to brave the dangerous conditions because they can earn twice as much as the average rural laborer. He said even if the mines were closed, the workers themselves would find a way to mine the precious coal.
Those behind the illegal mining said they were providing much-needed jobs. One politician, who is rumored to run 15 illegal mines, described the trade as "the lifeblood for most people in this area."
"Up to 98 percent of the people involved are daily-wage miners. If illegal mining stops, these miners will be jobless," he said.
He said the region was infertile for farms and that traditional industries had dried up.
"In the interests of the livelihood of hundreds of thousands of poor families, we have to keep ignoring such accidents," he said.
In the last three months since the illegal mine disaster in Gangtikuli killed about 150 miners 13 accidents have taken place inside illegal coal mines in the coal fields of eastern India killing at least 80 miners.
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
25 November 2006
ASANSOL, India -- When news of the midnight accident at the main coal pit at Gangtikuli reached the pregnant young wife of miner Pradip Bauri, she feared the worst.
By the time Kasuri Bauri and a boatload of fellow villagers -- all with relatives working at the mine -- reached the scene nearly two miles down the Damodar River, the illegal mine was completely flooded. Water was gushing through the shaft from an adjacent mine, and the villagers, armed with hand tools, were powerless to stop it.
"He died a painful death because no one will come in to help us in this illegal mine now. It is a wretched life," said Mrs. Bauri, banging her forehead against the wall of the pit, her grief played out before television cameras a day after the Aug. 1 disaster.
About 150 illegal miners are thought to have died in the pit, but it is doubtful the exact toll will ever be known. The case has brought attention to India's illegal mines, which are controlled by criminal syndicates.
Stories change
By the time police arrived at the Gangtikuli mine to investigate rumors of a disaster, Mrs. Bauri and others had changed their stories.
Police sources said that when she was asked if her husband was buried at Gangtikuli, she said her husband had no connection with illegal mining and he worked as a porter 220 miles away in Calcutta.
She repeated the same story to this reporter this week, but fellow villagers confirmed what was clear from the grief she showed on TV immediately after the disaster, that her husband was dead. Her brother-in-law also died in the mine, villagers said.
"Political pressure forced us to come to Gangtikuli. But villagers did not report any of their relatives missing here," said a police officer who attended the scene from the nearest police station.
Habul Bauri, a watchman at the illegal mine, said there were at least 150 persons working in the pit on the night of the flooding, and none escaped.
'Ordered' not to tell
The father of another miner said that hours after the accident, the criminal syndicate that ran the mine threatened the villagers not to tell anyone that they had lost family members in the pit.
"If it was a government-run mine, within minutes, a rescue operation would have begun. Simply because they were lifting coal illegally, we could not cry for help and the government did not help us," said Ganesh Bauri, a middle-aged man in the village of Khayer Kiyari which is thought to have lost about 30 men in the Gangtikuli accident.
"I have lost my son. But I cannot tell anyone of this big loss. I cannot even shed tears openly, I have been ordered. It makes the tragedy more painful for me." Now, three months after the mine disaster Kasuri Bauri and Ganesh Bauri are still afraid to reveal that they had lost their loved ones at the illegal coal mine at Gangtikuli.
Villagers say the local "coal mafia" routinely covers up such tragedies to keep their lucrative businesses running.
There are thought to be about 500 illegal mines run by about 150 different criminal groups and persons around the Asansol coal field, where Gangtikuli is located.
It is thought there are 60,000 illegal mines and about half a million illegal miners in the eastern Indian coal belt.
Bribes paid to police
A retired manager of a government-run coal field said the coal mafia could operate because bribes were paid to police and villagers worked in dangerous conditions simply to have a job.
"If a disaster as big as Gangtikuli's gets exposed at a national level, pressure from powerful agencies could stop illegal coal mining in the area, causing a massive loss to the mafias and others in the game," said the retired manager.
According to a study by DISHA, a social activist group in the east Indian mining city of Asansol, in the illegal coal mines in the West Bengal-Jharkhand coal belt every year about 300 large-scale accidents take place, killing at least 2,000 miners. In most cases the deaths go unreported because of a police-mafia nexus.
"A police inspector who earns an annual salary of 90,000 rupees (U.S. $2,000) can easily get 20 or 30 times as much in bribe from the mafias if he is posted anywhere in the coal belt. It is like winning a jackpot for him.
"He can never act against the operation of any illegal mine," said a local journalist.
When for safety or other feasibility-related reasons authorities stop lifting coal from a mine, it is filled up with sand, as per rule.
"But, mafias in no time take control of such abandoned mines, clear the sand and start lifting coal engaging a huge work force of miners on daily wage. These poor daily wage miners who, working under pressure from their bosses to lift as much coal as possible, often flout standard safety-related norms, inviting tragedies for themselves inside mine," said an officer with government-run Mines Rescue Station.
Press exposes dangers
However, extensive press coverage and a campaign by senior political figures have exposed both the severity of the Gangtikuli accident and the hazardous conditions that prevail across the illegal mining industry.
Finally, pressure from different quarters forced the government of West Bengal state, where Gangtikuli is located, to announce a crackdown on illegal mining in the area.
Two weeks after the Gangtikuli accident West Bengal's chief secretary, Amit Kiran Deb, said his government "would spare no means to stop illegal mining."
This week Mr. Deb said that police had closed down more than 1,500 illegal coal mines by the end of October.
"We have also arrested more than 500 illegal miners. Some trucks carrying illegal coal have been seized and our operation is continuing," said Mr. Deb.
But social analysts have expressed doubts about the ability of the government to shut down the mines.
"For decades the police-mafia nexus has remained in place. It is very difficult to dismantle this network of corruption. The long arm of organized crime can reach very high in the police administration. In one case action was taken against a police officer found to be in collusion with the coal mafia. But the officer who replaced him was found to be equally corrupt," said Kanchan Siddiqui, a commentator at the Calcutta-based daily Statesman.
"Maybe in the wake of the Gangtikuli disaster police have been forced to act against some mines. But it appears to be a temporary measure. Those mines will be operational again by the mafias soon, within a few months."
'Lifeblood' for people
One operator of an illegal coal mine in the Bardhaman district of West Bengal who employs about 120 miners admitted to paying a monthly bribe of 25,000 rupees (U.S. $540) to the police. He said when rain stopped work he did not pay the bribe.
"Sometimes they become angry and ask me to send the men to the pit as soon as possible. Sometimes I even feel that I am in this business to serve police or, I am employed by the police," he said.
Another illegal mine operator said many workers were prepared to brave the dangerous conditions because they can earn twice as much as the average rural laborer. He said even if the mines were closed, the workers themselves would find a way to mine the precious coal.
Those behind the illegal mining said they were providing much-needed jobs. One politician, who is rumored to run 15 illegal mines, described the trade as "the lifeblood for most people in this area."
"Up to 98 percent of the people involved are daily-wage miners. If illegal mining stops, these miners will be jobless," he said.
He said the region was infertile for farms and that traditional industries had dried up.
"In the interests of the livelihood of hundreds of thousands of poor families, we have to keep ignoring such accidents," he said.
In the last three months since the illegal mine disaster in Gangtikuli killed about 150 miners 13 accidents have taken place inside illegal coal mines in the coal fields of eastern India killing at least 80 miners.
Churulia: a handbook
ChuruliaHistory
It is the birthplace of Bengali poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, and the resting place of his wife Pramila Devi. Many of the manuscripts, medallions and other belongings of the poet are preserved at Nazrul Academy in the village. Nearby, there is a college bearing the poet's name. A weeklong festival is held every year to celebrate the poet's birth anniversary. It is attended by leading cultural and literary figures from both India and Bangladesh. Nazrul Academy was established in 1958.[2] It is believed that there was a fort at Churulia in olden days. It fell to Sher Khan, the Afghan chieftain in the 16th century.[3] A mound in the village is believed to contain the ruins of the fort. During the Muslim rule a mosque was built at Churulia. It is a good example of Islamic architecture.[4]
Geography
coor title dm2347N8705Eregion:IN_type:city Churulia is located on the south bank of Ajay River, about 15 km from Asansol The Asansol-Durgapur region is composed of undulating latterite region. This area lies between two mighty rivers – the Damodar and the Ajay. They flow almost parallel to each other in the region – the average distance between the two rivers is around 30 km. For ages the area was heavily forested and infested with plunderers and marauders. The discovery of coal led to industrialisation of the area and most of the forests have been cleared.[5]
Economy
Churulia is in the heart of coal mining territory,[6]
Transport
There are two minibus routes serving Churulia – one from Churulia to Asansol via Kalla and Domahani, and other from Churulia (Ajay Ghat) to Chittaranjan via Asansol and Chandrachur.[7]
External links
Satellite view
References
^ Villages in Bardhaman District
^ The Statesman 8 February 2007
^ Chattopadhyay, Akkori, Bardhaman Jelar Itihas O Lok Sanskriti (History and Folk lore of Bardhaman District.), (Bengali) , Vol I, p 181, Radical Impression. ISBN 81-85459-36-3
^ Chattopadhyay, Akkori, p 249
^ Chattopadhyay, Akkori, pp 14-15
^ Chattopadhyay, Akkori, p 48
It is the birthplace of Bengali poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, and the resting place of his wife Pramila Devi. Many of the manuscripts, medallions and other belongings of the poet are preserved at Nazrul Academy in the village. Nearby, there is a college bearing the poet's name. A weeklong festival is held every year to celebrate the poet's birth anniversary. It is attended by leading cultural and literary figures from both India and Bangladesh. Nazrul Academy was established in 1958.[2] It is believed that there was a fort at Churulia in olden days. It fell to Sher Khan, the Afghan chieftain in the 16th century.[3] A mound in the village is believed to contain the ruins of the fort. During the Muslim rule a mosque was built at Churulia. It is a good example of Islamic architecture.[4]
Geography
coor title dm2347N8705Eregion:IN_type:city Churulia is located on the south bank of Ajay River, about 15 km from Asansol The Asansol-Durgapur region is composed of undulating latterite region. This area lies between two mighty rivers – the Damodar and the Ajay. They flow almost parallel to each other in the region – the average distance between the two rivers is around 30 km. For ages the area was heavily forested and infested with plunderers and marauders. The discovery of coal led to industrialisation of the area and most of the forests have been cleared.[5]
Economy
Churulia is in the heart of coal mining territory,[6]
Transport
There are two minibus routes serving Churulia – one from Churulia to Asansol via Kalla and Domahani, and other from Churulia (Ajay Ghat) to Chittaranjan via Asansol and Chandrachur.[7]
External links
Satellite view
References
^ Villages in Bardhaman District
^ The Statesman 8 February 2007
^ Chattopadhyay, Akkori, Bardhaman Jelar Itihas O Lok Sanskriti (History and Folk lore of Bardhaman District.), (Bengali) , Vol I, p 181, Radical Impression. ISBN 81-85459-36-3
^ Chattopadhyay, Akkori, p 249
^ Chattopadhyay, Akkori, pp 14-15
^ Chattopadhyay, Akkori, p 48
KAZI NAZRUL : THE UNPARALLELED LYRICIST AND COMPOSER OF BENGAL
Dilip Chaudhuri /Press Information Bureau (Govt of India)
Kazi Nazrul Islam was born on May 24, 1899 in a very poor family at the village of Churulia in Burdwan district of West Bengal. He lost his father at the age of nine. At the age of 10, after passing through the lower primary examination, he started teaching in a religious school with a view to assisting his family financially which was in utter poverty. He also served as the khadem of a mazar, the imam of a mosque and even as a mullah.
There was nothing in his life from which one could have the slightest inkling of how this poor boy, living in an insignificant village, would one day grow up to increase the horizon of not only the Bengali literature but of the whole Indian sub-continent as well. He brought the harsh reality of the life of the common man to literature. For the first time he introduced a hitherto uncommon theme of identification of self-interest of the people through the mass movement against all kinds of oppression in the social life. The most remarkable thing about his work was that he wrote a large number of songs, setting almost all of them to a tune and established himself as one of the greatest lyricists and composers of the sub-continent.
His creative life was spread over a period of a little over 22 years from March 1920 to July 1942. After a sudden attack of paralysis on July 10, 1942, he became silent for ever and spent as such a further spell of 34 years of his life before he ultimately died on August 29, 1976 at the age of 77.
The ten year span between 1910 and 1920 was the preparatory period for what he was to be in future. Even during this period nothing in his life was well-ordained.
In 1910, he joined the Leto group that used to perform music, dance and drama for the recreation of the rural people . At that time he was studying in class V. After coming out of school in 1912-13, he joined the Kabi troupe of Basudeva for a short period, then served as the cook to a railway guard and was an apprentice with a baker's shop. In 1914, under the guardianship of Kazi Rafizullah, a police sub-inspector, he went to Darirampur in Mymensingh and got himself admitted in a school there in class VII. He studied in Shiarsol Raj School from class VIII to X.
During 1917-19, when he was supposed to take his matriculation examination, he escaped once again and joined the army as a recruit to the Bengali Regiment and stayed in the army cantonments at Noushera and Karachi. Finally, he returned to Calcutta in March, 1920, only after the Bengali Regiment was disbanded. His fellow countrymen have known Nazrul in many capacities during his very short creative life. He was a poet, short story writer, speaker, newspaper editor, a film actor, a freedom fighter and a political worker. The history of our country will undoubtedly reminisce him in every such roll with due importance. But the single and the most important aspect of his many-faceted genius which gave him widespread fame and name was of a fine lyricist and a musician with many new ragas and talas to his credit
Over the next 22 years after returning to Calcutta he wrote over 2,680 songs. Critics believe that a number of his songs are yet to be discovered and some are totally lost.
The mainstream of his musical emotion was evidently classical. He was deeply engrossed and inspired by the totality of the raga style. In 1940 he talked on the radio about his feelings on this point thus: 'It is not possible for the modern tunes with their monotonous frivolousness to create the exquisite rasa which may be created by the classical music and which may carry away the mind of the peopleto the world of an experience that is magnificent and superb'. From this thought, he transformed the stream of classical music into a dominant one in the Bengali music world. Some of his songs based on some well-known Hindustani bandish are replete with exquisite poetic beauty, being freed from insignificant wordings of the original songs. Nobody has successfully adpted such a large range of musical styles prevalent in North India like Dhrupad, Khayal, Tappa, Thumri and Dadra along with Kajri, Chaiti, and Rasia.
During the last phase of his creative life, he retrieved many lost and nearly-lost ragas and wrote Bengali songs composed in these ragas. He created 17 new ragas and wrote songs based on them. He also created 11 new talas. He composed six Lakshangeets with double meanings attributed to each by one meaning, the song would appear to be a fine poetic piece, by another it is a description of the characteristics of the raga on which its compositon is based.
In the Bengali music world no other lyricist or composer has used so many ragas. Their number would run into about 200.
A special category of songs on awakening, patriotism and struggle for freedom from oppression was introduced by Nazrul. His songs on communal harmony, socialistic inspiration and economic freedom are worth a special mention. His song 'Durgama giri kantara maru' written in 1926 still remains unparalleled in its lyric, tune, and aesthetic excellence among songs of this category written till now. Nazrul also successfully introduced the Bengali ghazals which were readily accepted by the listeners. In this area he has no successor so far.
In the category of devotional and religious songs, Nazrul has numerous compositions to his credit. The first group consists of Islamic songs for which he was the pioneer. The deeply emotional and charming tunes have made such songs the most adored ones not only to the Muslims but also to the Hindu listeners. The second as well as the most dominant group consists of Hindu religious songs. Despite being a Muslim by birth, he created several Bhajans, Shyamasangeets, Agamanis, Kirtans and also a large number of songs on invocation to Shiva, Lakshmi and Swaraswati and on the theme of love of Radha and Krishna.
Nazrul was one of the founders and the most important composers of Bengali modern songs too. Modern songs are composed in a free style which is not related to any of the specific genres like dhrupad, khayal, tappa, thumri, ghazal, kirtan or even to western style.
His songs based on baul, jhumur, Santhali folksongs, jhanpan or the folk songs of snake charmers, bhatiali and bhaoaia consist of tunes of folk-songs on the one hand and a refined lyric with poetic beauty on the other. This makes them a favourite with the listeners. Nazrul's songs have not only elation or melancholy but also the theme of laughter and merry-making.
Kazi Nazrul Islam had a strong confidence that even if there were no discussions on his contribution to the music world in his lifetime, all would recall him in future. Today, when we are celebrating his birth centenary, it touches the core of our heart how right he was in expressing this confidence in such clear terms.
Kazi Nazrul Islam was born on May 24, 1899 in a very poor family at the village of Churulia in Burdwan district of West Bengal. He lost his father at the age of nine. At the age of 10, after passing through the lower primary examination, he started teaching in a religious school with a view to assisting his family financially which was in utter poverty. He also served as the khadem of a mazar, the imam of a mosque and even as a mullah.
There was nothing in his life from which one could have the slightest inkling of how this poor boy, living in an insignificant village, would one day grow up to increase the horizon of not only the Bengali literature but of the whole Indian sub-continent as well. He brought the harsh reality of the life of the common man to literature. For the first time he introduced a hitherto uncommon theme of identification of self-interest of the people through the mass movement against all kinds of oppression in the social life. The most remarkable thing about his work was that he wrote a large number of songs, setting almost all of them to a tune and established himself as one of the greatest lyricists and composers of the sub-continent.
His creative life was spread over a period of a little over 22 years from March 1920 to July 1942. After a sudden attack of paralysis on July 10, 1942, he became silent for ever and spent as such a further spell of 34 years of his life before he ultimately died on August 29, 1976 at the age of 77.
The ten year span between 1910 and 1920 was the preparatory period for what he was to be in future. Even during this period nothing in his life was well-ordained.
In 1910, he joined the Leto group that used to perform music, dance and drama for the recreation of the rural people . At that time he was studying in class V. After coming out of school in 1912-13, he joined the Kabi troupe of Basudeva for a short period, then served as the cook to a railway guard and was an apprentice with a baker's shop. In 1914, under the guardianship of Kazi Rafizullah, a police sub-inspector, he went to Darirampur in Mymensingh and got himself admitted in a school there in class VII. He studied in Shiarsol Raj School from class VIII to X.
During 1917-19, when he was supposed to take his matriculation examination, he escaped once again and joined the army as a recruit to the Bengali Regiment and stayed in the army cantonments at Noushera and Karachi. Finally, he returned to Calcutta in March, 1920, only after the Bengali Regiment was disbanded. His fellow countrymen have known Nazrul in many capacities during his very short creative life. He was a poet, short story writer, speaker, newspaper editor, a film actor, a freedom fighter and a political worker. The history of our country will undoubtedly reminisce him in every such roll with due importance. But the single and the most important aspect of his many-faceted genius which gave him widespread fame and name was of a fine lyricist and a musician with many new ragas and talas to his credit
Over the next 22 years after returning to Calcutta he wrote over 2,680 songs. Critics believe that a number of his songs are yet to be discovered and some are totally lost.
The mainstream of his musical emotion was evidently classical. He was deeply engrossed and inspired by the totality of the raga style. In 1940 he talked on the radio about his feelings on this point thus: 'It is not possible for the modern tunes with their monotonous frivolousness to create the exquisite rasa which may be created by the classical music and which may carry away the mind of the peopleto the world of an experience that is magnificent and superb'. From this thought, he transformed the stream of classical music into a dominant one in the Bengali music world. Some of his songs based on some well-known Hindustani bandish are replete with exquisite poetic beauty, being freed from insignificant wordings of the original songs. Nobody has successfully adpted such a large range of musical styles prevalent in North India like Dhrupad, Khayal, Tappa, Thumri and Dadra along with Kajri, Chaiti, and Rasia.
During the last phase of his creative life, he retrieved many lost and nearly-lost ragas and wrote Bengali songs composed in these ragas. He created 17 new ragas and wrote songs based on them. He also created 11 new talas. He composed six Lakshangeets with double meanings attributed to each by one meaning, the song would appear to be a fine poetic piece, by another it is a description of the characteristics of the raga on which its compositon is based.
In the Bengali music world no other lyricist or composer has used so many ragas. Their number would run into about 200.
A special category of songs on awakening, patriotism and struggle for freedom from oppression was introduced by Nazrul. His songs on communal harmony, socialistic inspiration and economic freedom are worth a special mention. His song 'Durgama giri kantara maru' written in 1926 still remains unparalleled in its lyric, tune, and aesthetic excellence among songs of this category written till now. Nazrul also successfully introduced the Bengali ghazals which were readily accepted by the listeners. In this area he has no successor so far.
In the category of devotional and religious songs, Nazrul has numerous compositions to his credit. The first group consists of Islamic songs for which he was the pioneer. The deeply emotional and charming tunes have made such songs the most adored ones not only to the Muslims but also to the Hindu listeners. The second as well as the most dominant group consists of Hindu religious songs. Despite being a Muslim by birth, he created several Bhajans, Shyamasangeets, Agamanis, Kirtans and also a large number of songs on invocation to Shiva, Lakshmi and Swaraswati and on the theme of love of Radha and Krishna.
Nazrul was one of the founders and the most important composers of Bengali modern songs too. Modern songs are composed in a free style which is not related to any of the specific genres like dhrupad, khayal, tappa, thumri, ghazal, kirtan or even to western style.
His songs based on baul, jhumur, Santhali folksongs, jhanpan or the folk songs of snake charmers, bhatiali and bhaoaia consist of tunes of folk-songs on the one hand and a refined lyric with poetic beauty on the other. This makes them a favourite with the listeners. Nazrul's songs have not only elation or melancholy but also the theme of laughter and merry-making.
Kazi Nazrul Islam had a strong confidence that even if there were no discussions on his contribution to the music world in his lifetime, all would recall him in future. Today, when we are celebrating his birth centenary, it touches the core of our heart how right he was in expressing this confidence in such clear terms.
Kazi Nazrul Islam College is slowly fading into oblivion owing to state apathy
Kazi Nazrul Islam College is slowly fading into oblivion owing to state apathy
Bureau Report:
Eight years ago, Kazi Nazrul Islam College situated about 25 kilometres away from Asansol town had over 500 students on its rolls. It had only one pass course. Today the student count has dropped to a meagre 83, even though the college has added two honours courses to its curriculum - Bengali and Commerce. The irregular bus service to the place with only four minibuses plying on the route has only worsened the problem. There is no facility for providing drinking water facilities for students, no playgrounds or a canteen. It took the college management about 24 years to repair a portion of the dilapidated college building. It was a story of the gradual decay of this college at Churulia, the birthplace for the famous revolutionary poet of Bengal which was constructed by the state government on 4 acres of land. Former chief minister Jyoti Basu laid the foundation stone of the college. The college was inaugurated in 1882 but despite two separate visits by former prime ministers Atal Behari Vajpayee and Seikh Haseena Wajed of Bangladesh on its centenary year the college has limped on its way. Says Shanta Ram, the principal of Kazi Nazrul Islam college, "Students used to come from surrounding districts but as more colleges have come up in the locality, the number of students have steadily decreased." Every year, during end-May, the birth anniversary of Nazrul is held in Churulia with pomp and grandeur but the college hardly benefits from that. The library is dilapidated and worse, even the staff refuse to live in their quarters as snakes come out during the monsoon. The college is even suffering from an acute shortage of staff. While everybody blames the government for constructing this college in such an isolated location, the idea of shifting it to a better location for the benefit of the college and students has been mooted amidst stiff resistance from the local people. "We want to see if the student strength and their performance improves after the honours courses are introduced and then decide on the next move next year," said Tapas Kabi, chairman of Jamuria Municipality. The college is yet to get the Rs 3 lakh grant from the MP quota, Rs 3 lakhs from the minister’s quota and Rs 6 lakhs from the state government. The money was promised to the college years ago. "Neither the state government nor the Burdwan University has shown an interest to turn the college into an institute of excellence," said a college student requesting anonymity.
Bureau Report:
Eight years ago, Kazi Nazrul Islam College situated about 25 kilometres away from Asansol town had over 500 students on its rolls. It had only one pass course. Today the student count has dropped to a meagre 83, even though the college has added two honours courses to its curriculum - Bengali and Commerce. The irregular bus service to the place with only four minibuses plying on the route has only worsened the problem. There is no facility for providing drinking water facilities for students, no playgrounds or a canteen. It took the college management about 24 years to repair a portion of the dilapidated college building. It was a story of the gradual decay of this college at Churulia, the birthplace for the famous revolutionary poet of Bengal which was constructed by the state government on 4 acres of land. Former chief minister Jyoti Basu laid the foundation stone of the college. The college was inaugurated in 1882 but despite two separate visits by former prime ministers Atal Behari Vajpayee and Seikh Haseena Wajed of Bangladesh on its centenary year the college has limped on its way. Says Shanta Ram, the principal of Kazi Nazrul Islam college, "Students used to come from surrounding districts but as more colleges have come up in the locality, the number of students have steadily decreased." Every year, during end-May, the birth anniversary of Nazrul is held in Churulia with pomp and grandeur but the college hardly benefits from that. The library is dilapidated and worse, even the staff refuse to live in their quarters as snakes come out during the monsoon. The college is even suffering from an acute shortage of staff. While everybody blames the government for constructing this college in such an isolated location, the idea of shifting it to a better location for the benefit of the college and students has been mooted amidst stiff resistance from the local people. "We want to see if the student strength and their performance improves after the honours courses are introduced and then decide on the next move next year," said Tapas Kabi, chairman of Jamuria Municipality. The college is yet to get the Rs 3 lakh grant from the MP quota, Rs 3 lakhs from the minister’s quota and Rs 6 lakhs from the state government. The money was promised to the college years ago. "Neither the state government nor the Burdwan University has shown an interest to turn the college into an institute of excellence," said a college student requesting anonymity.
How to reach
Churulia
State
West Bengal
Pin Code
713368
Std Code
History
Population 12674
Climate And Geografical limit
Connectivity Bus
Important Places
Cities In India
State
West Bengal
Pin Code
713368
Std Code
History
Population 12674
Climate And Geografical limit
Connectivity Bus
Important Places
Cities In India
Churulia - where?
Churulia is a small village located on the banks of the Ajay, at Jamuria in Bardhaman District. The village is famous as the birth place of Nazrul Islam, the national poet of Bangladesh. Maintained by Nazrul Academy, the birth place of the poet attracts large number of tourists. Churulia is also noted for its stone carvings.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Not a Big Bang for Penrose
Statesman News Service
DURGAPUR, Nov. 5 (2006): At a convocation of the National Institute of Technology here yesterday, cosmologist Roger Penrose was pleasantly surprised to learn that fellow scientist Mr Satyavarapu Naga Parameswara Gupta, who is the lone Asian personality who has challenged the idea of The Big Bang alongwith Stephen Hawking and Roger Penrose and has even proposed rectifications to their model of universe, lived and worked in the city. Mr Gupta served as a blast furnace technologist at Durgapur Steel Plant before being subsequently transferred to Bhilai Steel Plant, also owned by Steel Authority of India Ltd. The electrical engineer presented his model at the GR-17 (General Relativity) International Science Conference in Dublin held from 18 to 23 July 2004. Prof. Hawking and Prof. Penrose had attended the conference. Prof. Penrose told The Statesman following his address at NIT: “Yes, I do recollect Mr Gupta. He subscribed certain alternative approaches to Big Bang. Does he belong to this city? It’s encouraging to know that someone was working on general relativity sitting here.” When contacted, Mr Gupta said: “Prof. Hawking described supernatural cosmic activities that in the expanding universe show the existence of light-shifted galaxies. But the Big Bang model has failed to rectify the presence of blue-shifted galaxies which are smaller in number compared to the red-shifted galaxies.” Challenging the Penrose version of the expanding universe, Mr Gupta presented his new “line of approach” in Dublin. Professor Stephen Hawking incidentally himself “rectified some of his mistakes” in 2004. Prof. Penrose proposed that red-shifted galaxies are expanding at random and blue-shifted galaxies are frequently decreasing to lend space to their red counterparts. Mr Gupta, however, argued that “if the imaginary time axis as proposed by Prof. Hawking is taken into account, then the blue-shifted galaxies would have vanished from the scene due to continuously increasing red-shifted ones. But the Penrose approach fails to take this into account.” The Statesman had published Mr Gupta’s opinion on 7 November 2004. Mr Gupta was later invited by a Russian government sponsored research institution.
DURGAPUR, Nov. 5 (2006): At a convocation of the National Institute of Technology here yesterday, cosmologist Roger Penrose was pleasantly surprised to learn that fellow scientist Mr Satyavarapu Naga Parameswara Gupta, who is the lone Asian personality who has challenged the idea of The Big Bang alongwith Stephen Hawking and Roger Penrose and has even proposed rectifications to their model of universe, lived and worked in the city. Mr Gupta served as a blast furnace technologist at Durgapur Steel Plant before being subsequently transferred to Bhilai Steel Plant, also owned by Steel Authority of India Ltd. The electrical engineer presented his model at the GR-17 (General Relativity) International Science Conference in Dublin held from 18 to 23 July 2004. Prof. Hawking and Prof. Penrose had attended the conference. Prof. Penrose told The Statesman following his address at NIT: “Yes, I do recollect Mr Gupta. He subscribed certain alternative approaches to Big Bang. Does he belong to this city? It’s encouraging to know that someone was working on general relativity sitting here.” When contacted, Mr Gupta said: “Prof. Hawking described supernatural cosmic activities that in the expanding universe show the existence of light-shifted galaxies. But the Big Bang model has failed to rectify the presence of blue-shifted galaxies which are smaller in number compared to the red-shifted galaxies.” Challenging the Penrose version of the expanding universe, Mr Gupta presented his new “line of approach” in Dublin. Professor Stephen Hawking incidentally himself “rectified some of his mistakes” in 2004. Prof. Penrose proposed that red-shifted galaxies are expanding at random and blue-shifted galaxies are frequently decreasing to lend space to their red counterparts. Mr Gupta, however, argued that “if the imaginary time axis as proposed by Prof. Hawking is taken into account, then the blue-shifted galaxies would have vanished from the scene due to continuously increasing red-shifted ones. But the Penrose approach fails to take this into account.” The Statesman had published Mr Gupta’s opinion on 7 November 2004. Mr Gupta was later invited by a Russian government sponsored research institution.
A brief history of a timely intervention
Kanchan Siddiqui
STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE
Durgapur, Nov. 6 (2004) — This is an exciting brief history of an electrical engineer with a steel major straying into astrophysics. And what happened next. Mr Satyavarapu Naga Parameswara Gupta’s passion for cosmic mysteries had given him the gumption to find some gaping holes (pun entirely unintended) in the findings of Professor Stephen Hawking — even after the master physicist himself “rectified some of his mistakes” recently. And Mr Gupta’s intervention reportedly earned praise from Prof. Hawking himself. Mr Gupta works with SAIL’s Durgapur plant. His positions challenging the theories of Prof. Stephen Hawking and Prof. Roger Penrose were presented at two international conferences in Dublin and London in the past three months. Mr Gupta has contradicted both the Big Bang and Black Hole theories, attributing a dynamic status to the universe, formulated by Prof. Hawking and his one-time collaborator Prof Roger Penrose. Mr Gupta, from Kankinara in Andhra Pradesh, presented his model at the GR-17 (General Relativity) International Science Conference in Dublin held from 18 to 23 July 2004. Both Prof. Hawking and Prof. Penrose attended the conference. According to Mr Gupta: “Prof. Hawking in his Big Bang theory described the supernatural cosmic activities that in the expanding universe show the existence of light-shifted galaxies. But the Big Bang model has failed to rectify the presence of blue-shifted galaxies which are smaller in number compared to the red-shifted galaxies.” Challenging the Penrose version of the expanding universe, Mr Gupta presented his new “line of approach” in Dublin. Prof. Penrose proposed that red-shifted galaxies are expanding at random and blue-shifted galaxies are frequently decreasing to lend space to their red counterparts. Mr Gupta, however, argued that “if the imaginary time axis as proposed by Prof. Hawking is taken into account, then the blue-shifted galaxies would have vanished from the scene due to continuously increasing red-shifted ones. But the Penrose approach fails to take this into account.” In Mr Gupta’s theory, “the imaginary time axis as considered by Prof. Hawking is perpendicular to the present time axis and is not a real ‘thing’ that justifies the Big Bang theory.” Mr Gupta proposed, as an addendum, that the parameters of forces of repulsion in the greater universe be ignored. Mr Gupta’s paper, released by the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire, said: “In this simulation, dynamic universe was tested. It shows gravitating bodies do not collapse due to mutual gravitational forces of attraction. Newtonian gravitational forces with special relativity concepts are sufficient. No Big Bang, no Black Holes, no repulsion forces at any distance.” And he worked all of this out on his laptop with a mere 2.6 GB processor as his lone tool! Adds Mr Gupta: “Even the renewed version of Hawking’s theories have loopholes... they proposed the existence of warm holes, the ‘connecting link’ between the normal universe and baby universes. (But) there are no additional universes, so there’s no question of a ‘connecting link’. I have raised the issue of both Prof. Hawking in his new theory and Prof. Penrose having overlooked the existence of blue-shifted galaxies. I sought clarifications from Prof. Penrose about this sudden shift of postulate during the Dublin conference but he could not satisfy my queries.” The Statesman has e-mailed Prof. Hawking and Prof. Penrose for their comments.
STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE
Durgapur, Nov. 6 (2004) — This is an exciting brief history of an electrical engineer with a steel major straying into astrophysics. And what happened next. Mr Satyavarapu Naga Parameswara Gupta’s passion for cosmic mysteries had given him the gumption to find some gaping holes (pun entirely unintended) in the findings of Professor Stephen Hawking — even after the master physicist himself “rectified some of his mistakes” recently. And Mr Gupta’s intervention reportedly earned praise from Prof. Hawking himself. Mr Gupta works with SAIL’s Durgapur plant. His positions challenging the theories of Prof. Stephen Hawking and Prof. Roger Penrose were presented at two international conferences in Dublin and London in the past three months. Mr Gupta has contradicted both the Big Bang and Black Hole theories, attributing a dynamic status to the universe, formulated by Prof. Hawking and his one-time collaborator Prof Roger Penrose. Mr Gupta, from Kankinara in Andhra Pradesh, presented his model at the GR-17 (General Relativity) International Science Conference in Dublin held from 18 to 23 July 2004. Both Prof. Hawking and Prof. Penrose attended the conference. According to Mr Gupta: “Prof. Hawking in his Big Bang theory described the supernatural cosmic activities that in the expanding universe show the existence of light-shifted galaxies. But the Big Bang model has failed to rectify the presence of blue-shifted galaxies which are smaller in number compared to the red-shifted galaxies.” Challenging the Penrose version of the expanding universe, Mr Gupta presented his new “line of approach” in Dublin. Prof. Penrose proposed that red-shifted galaxies are expanding at random and blue-shifted galaxies are frequently decreasing to lend space to their red counterparts. Mr Gupta, however, argued that “if the imaginary time axis as proposed by Prof. Hawking is taken into account, then the blue-shifted galaxies would have vanished from the scene due to continuously increasing red-shifted ones. But the Penrose approach fails to take this into account.” In Mr Gupta’s theory, “the imaginary time axis as considered by Prof. Hawking is perpendicular to the present time axis and is not a real ‘thing’ that justifies the Big Bang theory.” Mr Gupta proposed, as an addendum, that the parameters of forces of repulsion in the greater universe be ignored. Mr Gupta’s paper, released by the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire, said: “In this simulation, dynamic universe was tested. It shows gravitating bodies do not collapse due to mutual gravitational forces of attraction. Newtonian gravitational forces with special relativity concepts are sufficient. No Big Bang, no Black Holes, no repulsion forces at any distance.” And he worked all of this out on his laptop with a mere 2.6 GB processor as his lone tool! Adds Mr Gupta: “Even the renewed version of Hawking’s theories have loopholes... they proposed the existence of warm holes, the ‘connecting link’ between the normal universe and baby universes. (But) there are no additional universes, so there’s no question of a ‘connecting link’. I have raised the issue of both Prof. Hawking in his new theory and Prof. Penrose having overlooked the existence of blue-shifted galaxies. I sought clarifications from Prof. Penrose about this sudden shift of postulate during the Dublin conference but he could not satisfy my queries.” The Statesman has e-mailed Prof. Hawking and Prof. Penrose for their comments.
My Churulia
Hi This is Kanchan Siddiqui here. Hailing from Churulia - a small village in Bengal - Jharkhand border wish to have my own blog once again. I shall be talking to the global mass through this latest mode of communication. I shall try to share my ideas, reactions and philosophy with you regarding several matters. Do visit this blog at your convinient time and help enriching this youth time to time by posting your responses.
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