Hyderabad Tour

After Rahul’s epic travelogue, I was really hesitant (read scared) to put down my “Experience of Hyderabad Tour” that I had as part of Training at Basix Academy on “Microfinance: Practices, Processes and Risk Management” last week. Anyway, as a senior blogger (hope Rahul will not mind for this self proclaimed designation); I thought I should write something as so many things had happened first time in this tour.

It was three and half day tour (24^th to 28^th June) and we reached Hyderabad on 24^th Night. It was indeed my first travel by Air and frankly speaking I was frightened. The day before the actual journey, late night edition of 9XNews was exclusively carrying a half hour story on recent time aero-plane accidents and believe me every time I was changing my remote, it was getting standstill on that channel only. Hope you can imagine how good sleep I had that night.

The first flight experience in one word: Good. I was terrified when the plan was taking off, I was terrified when the plan was jerking in the mid air and I was terrified when the plane was landing. The smile of the beautiful air hostesses even was not enough to relieve me.So I can’t rate this journey more than “Good”. The come back flight was cool and I guess I am now quite confident for journey by fight.

Ok the real story started at the night when we had reached the Hotel which is almost 30 KMs away from the stunning Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (my senior Darshini from her personal experience shared that this airport is even better than Paris International Airport). First thing I had to do after reaching hotel was to give food to the Vodafone Dog so that it can bark (read: recharge my Vodafone mobile). So I went out from the hotel around 10.30 and I thought recharging of my mobile would be the easiest job in the universe. Coming from Mumbai, it was unimaginable for us to think that a city can be closed at mere 10.30 PM. So first, I went upto 1 KM by walking to right hand direction. It was absolute shocking to see that there was not a single shop open at that time. I thought then that the left side direction would be active as it’s the era of Left (be it IPL, Nuclear Deal or Oil Price reaching 148 dollar, Left are all there). So I went to the left direction and it was truly futile effort. I had to come back to hotel without recharging. The story does not end here. Before leaving the hotel I along with Ravi gave order for Dinner and when I was coming back empty hand, I was appeasing my mind that I will have good time as I had given order of Special Hydrabadi Biriyani. There was no food in the hotel’s room and it was almost 45 min over. Ravi checked to the reception and the famous answer came that the kitchen was closed at 10 and so there was no food (that son of b***h receptionist did not say this at the time when we gave our order). Nothing could have better than this. After disastrous food at the flight (I could not believe how food can be so tasteless at the flight when they are taking so much money), I was terrible hungry and Ravi too. So again I had to come out of hotel with hope (I guess it was greater that Lance Armstrong’s hope) that if any where any thing I get to eat. After 1.5 km walking me saw a bakery shop open and I bought cake and biscuit for my dinner. It was tastier than Biriyani at that time J

The first Day Training was general classroom training on Microfinance, its models and Legal Aspects. It was nothing new for me as I already had little bit exposure. But it was special for me because I could not believe that I was being taught by none other Mr. Shankar Dutta, the Livelihood and Microfinance Expert. It was dream coming true after the lunch when “Father of Indian Microfinance and Livelihood”, Vijay Mahajan Sir came to give us lecture on Bank and Microfinance linkage. He is really superb and I would like to give one example how passionate this man is for development of marginal people. He was telling a real life incident of his own house maid and one boy who collects garbage from his house. Sir wanted that these people should also be part of financial inclusion and they must have account in bank. We spend thousand words and write papers after papers for this financial inclusion. But when it was a simple act (accounts opening of these so called marginal people, so many obstacles, rules, regulations arise and ultimately the sufferer is these people). Without exception, it was not possible for that house maid and that boy to open account.

May be it was plain  incident, but the way Vijay Mahajan Sir was expressing his concerns for these people, it was clearly comprehensible that those words were directly coming from his heart. I was really wondering that a man like his stature (who has nothing to gain) is still so energetic; his eyes spark when he talks about these people. Salute Sir!!

The next day was supposed to be the field visit and it was in a place called Vidar which is district headquarter of District Vidar, Karnataka. The journey to Vidar from Hydrabad was excellent (Darshini please don’t mind, those Kishore Kumar’s songs were amazing). I was really missing those IIFM Field Trip days when similarly in a Zeep or similar kind of vehicle, we five people used to travel the country roads of Karnataka along with forest officials. The mood in the vehicle used to be much dramatic with Abhishek’s witty remarks, real mock fight between Vaibhav and Kalpana and Shweta’s act of reconciliation aunty. “Jane Kahan gaye woh din”!!

The journey was good till the time when actually we realized that we were being directed by a Hyperactive Human Being who had lost his way to the place where we supposed to spend that night. Shrey, Getting lost is not good all the time specially when you are lost not because of you but because of a third person whom you are not liking. I can’t count how many times our Quails driver took “U Turn” that night. Finally we discovered that place and I must say it was beautiful Guest House. Actually it was Guest House cum Training Center of DCCB, Vidar. The dinner served that night was amazing.

Next day was hectic and we had to cover and see the microfinance operation being run by NGOs (Pawardha), MFIs (Nirantara and NKRDS) and Bank (DCCB, Vidar) at the same time. It was incredible to see those women with much confidence and smile in the group meeting of SHGs as well groups formed by MFIs. That part of Karnataka has much higher penetration of Microfinance operation because of the influence of adjacent “Microfinance Mecca of India” Andhra Pradesh and it was first time for me to see the cross borrowing by borrowers (One Borrowers borrowing from different MFIs). I guess it has both advantage as well disadvantages and its upto the MFIs to decide that whether they are feeding to those whose stomach are already filled or still hungry. It was also first time for me to see the Community Based Microfinance Institutions (GMASS) where community members themselves have built MFI out of their need and few women who were once mere borrowers have made into the board of the MFI.  

The returning journey was nothing special except for Darshini who might not forget those songs that our Driver played at the end of our Journey. It was awesome CD produced by Great Gulshan Kumar of T-Series. The songs were supposed to be for the broken heart and broken souls but the dialogues, in between the songs, were so hilarious that even every broken soul will might burst out in laugh J

We retuned hotel around mid night after breathtaking dinner at a Dhaba whose name was “International Dhaba” J

The last day was normal classroom teaching and finally it was over by 4.30 PM. Our fight was at 9 and so we had time to see the “Charminar”. It was nothing exceptional and I did really not like that throng there. We returned to hotel at 6 PM and Checked out to catch Radio Cab for airport at 6.30.

The Return from the Hyderabad was cool. Over all it was good experience minus Hyderabadi Biriyani. Please Curse me for the reason that I did not  eat “Hyderabadi Biriyani” in Hyderabad L

Negative Area, Muslim, Ghoragacha and Mumbra

I was going through the mails of Members of Solution Exchange Forum and suddenly came across a mail by Dr. Arabinda Mitra. I remember that he was my teacher in Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya (B.C.K.V) where I did my Graduation in Agriculture. Sir is from Department of Agril. Economics. I was curious to see that Sir has been associated with SHGs Movement in a remote village called “Ghoragacha” which was close to B.C.K.V. So I decided to write a mail to Sir and asked about the details. Sir was kind enough to reply me back the very next day and after going through his mail, I was surprised and excited too.

I am reproducing below Sir’s mail

“I shall write in brief here about the Self Help Groups of Ghoragacha. We started an informal school at Ghoragacha, a nearby village to Bidhan Chandra Krishi Vidyalaya, Mohanpur, Nadia, West Benagl to educate the farmers about practices of agriculture. The school was funded and supported by UPL Company. This was the first kind of school in India. Later this model has been replicated by state government, central government and others. This type of school was set up in many states. I was associated with the school from the very beginning. The philosophy of such school and mode of operation was mooted in the department of agricultural Economics. In fact I was heading the department that time. We included Farm management and cost aspects in the curriculum of the school.

One day I was listening to the lecture delivered by Dr.H.Sen (Agronomy). He was telling about OL (elephant foot.). I was astonished to see high return from OL. At the end of lecture I asked about 60 learners whether they are prepared to grow ol in the coming season. Only two hands were raised. Upon questioning I came to know that to harvest one bigha of ol- it requires at least Rs.20,000 /,which these people can not bear. Then I asked for financial support from banks or other sources. I found that this particular village is blacklisted. UBI (Jaguli) branch or the Co-operatives are not willing to give loan to them. It is very difficult to take loan from local money lenders. They charge more than 50% per annum. The farmers were really poor. Their source of income was only from land. The positive thing was that they are most efficient farmers in the region.

I asked them I am sorry that today are not in apposition to cultivate ol. But in the coming years you can grow more valuable crops, if you are united and stand by yourself with out depending upon external source. They agreed. I stared with the lessons of forming SHGs. Ultimately they did. More than 30 Shgs are in operation in this village. Women have formed SHGs. It was also my challenge as because this village is 100% dominated by Muslims.

Today I am proud that they are cultivating the most valuable crops ,viz, Guava. This has become the second Baruipur. People are happy. With development of SHGs there have been tremendous social and economic changes. Banks are now coming to lend money. Upon evaluation they told me that money lenders are not seen in the areas. Now, they put the question” Sir, what we will do with money. We have money and now need other things to be done by us”. Those SHGs are not dependent on any external organizations. They have built up themselves. They are running in their own ways. I was with them for constant two years. Then I left to see whether they can do themselves or not. The thing is that they can. Results of Shgs at Ghoragacha have been visited by many scholars”

Sir’s mail reminds me about the place “Mumbra”, a sub urban town in outer Mumbai. It is also considered as Negative Area and thats why No Bank gives loan to people of Mumbra. The interest rate was as high as 10% per month. Ironically both Ghoragacha and Mumbra are dominated by Muslim People. Then I searched internet and came to know many Muslim areas are considered as Negative Area and if one area has been tagged as Negative area, then nobody really takes the pain to look into whether it is right to continue the trend or not years after years. I could not figure out the reason.

Do Muslim are so risky for lending? Is there anything to do with their religion with lending money?

Godhra and Nandigram: The dreadful similarity

Nandigram, once a blue dot in the Map of India is now the attention of the world for a very wrong reason. “Wrong” may be incorrect word as if you do wrong, you may have chance to rectify it. But the case is absolutely different.  The wrong CPM did or is doing has no rectification. It’s an absolute horrifying. If Godhra is shame for Narendra Modi, Nandigram is a disgrace for Mr. Budhhadeb Bhattacharya. The blot of blood is clearly visible in the high flying CPM flags over Nandigram. It’s a clear case of Murder; Cold blooded one. If Godhra was genocide, then what Nandigram is? Killing, raping and torturing people only because they protest your decision. Does Mr. Chief Minister have any answer? The way the police was used in 14^th March to kill the innocent people and now the party cadres: Mr. Budhhadeb is really King Nero who is just seeing the “Firing” (Read Killing) sitting in his party office. May be Mr. Chief Minister was busy in writing “Drama” that time. He is very cultural you know!It is also shameful the way some intellectuals [(Really the term is very interesting, in Bengali it means “Buddhi-jibi”, but now it has changed to “Buddho-Jibi”(means very loyal to Mr. Buddhodeb)] like Actors, Writes and others are supporting CPM. It is true that others like Aparna Sen or Rituporno Sen has boycotted the ongoing film festival as to show their protest, but the majority of Intellectuals are really has become  “Buddho-Jibi”.It was also frustrating to see the hell politics at the national level. CPM is part of UPA and that’s why Central Government keeping their mouth silent. Prime Minister needs CPM for Nuclear Deal and CPM is not wasting any chance to let it down. Soon after Nandigram, the party politburo has given green signal the PM to talk with IEAE. It means that the Centre will not say any words to Budhhadeb or West Bengal CPM. Absolutely ridiculous. Game of power costing the innocent’s life!  Both BJP in Gujarat and CPM in WB: The face is so identical when the mask goes of. The way both party targeted the high court’s decision or the comment of Honorable Governor; I did not see any difference. Again you see how both Modi and Budhhadeb are getting the support of the corporate sector. No matter how heinous job they have done, the corporate are happy with “Brand Budhha” (or for that matter for “Brand Gujarat”) and thus Nandigram is “some other thing” for them. Will these corporate people ever shoe some real social responsibility?

The Mumbai Jewellery Workers: A harsh reality

The buildings are as old as the places. Dirty, no proper drainage system in the place, unhygienic. The people are living in such inhuman conditions. At least 10-15 peoples are sharing their place of living in a 7 by 6 feet room. All are working with fire. The fan can not be run as it will disturb in thier works. This 7 by 6 feet room is all for these 15 peoples, it is their work place, bathroom and more importantly kitchen room. The cooking is being done on Gas dangerously (any day it can burst as there is no proper check up) without any proper system of security. In amidst of 15 peoples, at least 7-8 are child ageing between 10- 12. This is the world of Jwellery Workers.

A huge number of these workers migrant from the states like West Bengal, Rajasthan, UP and Bihar are working in Mumbai for their livelihood in Jwellery Industry. You go to Zaveri bazar, Dahisar, Nalasopara and many others place, these people are very much there working from 11 am to 12 am or may be more in so inhuman condition.

“INDIA is the largest consumer of gold in the world to be followed by China and Japan. India is emerging as world’s largest trading centre of this commodity with a target of US$ 16 billion set for 2010″

You may be carried out with the glitz and  dazzle with gold jewelery but will never be able to understand the dark underbelly of the society.

No code of conduct of work, child labour, exploitation, unhygienic condition all are very much in this places. Most of the workers having bad health as they are always exposed to such condition. Above all many workers work with toxic chemicals, acids which causes health hazards like cough, irritation in throat, gastroenteritis, vomiting, wheezing and anorexia. Toxic fume when gold is soldered even can cause Cancer at latter stage.

Still people are working here and making India largest center of tarding.

Anybody will do something for these people?

Why So..

Political colour of religion is same every where. Whenever you will see a crowd, may be the occasion is nothing to do with politics, the omnipresent politician are there. Untolerable.

The story is same perhaps all over the world, be it democratic or autocratic country. When ever you have the power, you want to show it and want to get “importance” out of it. Theses politicians think that they are powerful and no let go a chance of to show their “False Proud”. Poor Soul !!

Last day I visited the Birla Mandir. It was Janmasthami (Birthday of Lord Krishna) and though I am not that religious, but I went to Mandir to give accompany to Friends Jitendra, Garima and Atul. As it was Janmasthami, Mandir was full of people. No deadly combination of Crowd and Religion was strong enough to pull Mr. Chief Minister (ultimately he is so caring about people). So “he” was there with lot of security. The obvious result was that the smooth flow of crowd was hindered, creating chaos. To offer devotion to God, we had to do fighting (so much dashing and pushing) literally.

Again in Nehru Nagar, there was arrangement of “Matka Phod” ( Traditional Birth day celebration of Lord Krishna) and on that occasion there was Bhajan. Now obviously the politicans become pure devotee of Bhajan and they the Star on the stage.

This is not story of Bhopal but it is all over the India and perhaps we, Indians, like to see politicians these way

Where we are goin…..???

“One way to appreciate the nature and value of ecosystem services  is to imagine trying to set up a happy day to day life on the Moon”…John Holdren
There is enough for all .The earth is generous mother; she will provide in plentiful food for all her children if they will but cultivate her soil in justice and peace.God has designed the system of nature  that run perfectly but He has not given the blueprint .There is no book in the world that says how to run the earth.We understand that environment conservation was the key to our success yet during the last few decades Man has not hesitated to cause severe damage  to environment.If the life of earth is considered as 24 hours then the age of human is only 5 seconds and the most destruction to earth is caused by human.Natural extinction of one species is 27 years, but the influence of human during recent decades has facilitated  extinction of 2 species per day. So where we are goining..lets take INDIA..no-not a single state can claim that it has seepage water plant to clean seepage water ..why take any state..not even a city can claim this.We worship Ganga as our mother ..and the most humiliation we do with Ganga, our mother. Take any city whether it is Varanasi or Kanpur Or Kolkata; we are throwing ton of domestic,industrial disposal(not to mention all these are highly toxic) without thinking anything.We know we have to do something for the Gange..so we have Ganga Action Plan..but crores of rupees we are spending to clean the water of Ganga (as if Ganga is bathroom;we can clean by sweeping) we can spend that for poverty alleviation programme or child education programme.
So again the question is where we are going the way climate is changing there will be time in next 50 year that we our carrying oxygen cylinder in our back (all the petrol pump will be converted into oxygen cylinder filling hub) and we are wearing a special type of cloth which will protect us from Ultra Violet Rays with rubbing UV protecting lotion in our body:
Where we are goin………………..???

Manthan:the crushing of mind

Last Friday i watched the movie “Manthan”, directed by Shyam Benegal.The movie is based on success story of AMUL under the “Milk Man of India” Verghese Kurien.The movie is fantastic,depicts the transformation of Untouchable harijan from severe destitute condition to advance stage through formation of a cooperative under the influence of a city educated,idealistic vetenary doctor(played by Girish Karnad).The movie itself a case study,representing different shades of rural india or rural villages.

But the question which arise in my mind ..has the situation changed? The movie was made in 1976.30 years have passed ,we are forth fastest growing economy of the world ,Sensex is touching all time high,but still helpless mother have to sit beside her ill child when he husband moving door to door to find doctor,to bring doctor in home.Health Centre..its a building only which itself a dying patient.Vetenary doctors are treating human.

Still the exploitation of higher caste people of the lower cast with so many weapons..politics,setting fire of the houses of the poor,conspiracy.The lower caste people still have to make separate queue otherwise the holy shadow will be touching those helpless.

Still the urban youth look a village girl as commodity to quench his sex thirst.

The elite ,RANG DE BASANTI ,inspired youths of India have ever seen the movie? Perhaps they are too a”awakened” that they need not to see the movie.

I may sound too pessimistic..yes the situation has changed,the multinational companies are spreading their tentacles to rural market(corporate social responsibility?)…but have u ever think in this free economy and globalized arena what will happen to thousand of self help groups which provide substantial livelihood to rural people(through making of processed food,pickles,agarbati)..will be they able to compete with this mammoth MNCs?

“Rang De Basanti” awakened generation plse do something for this peoples also.Onle Jessica Lal is not INDIA.