RAIL CONNECTIVITY IN THARUHAT OF WEST CHAMPARAN

RAIL CONNECTIVITY 

IN 

THARUHAT OF WEST CHAMPARAN

All the images are subject to IPR

Even today this Tharuhat region of the land of Champaran cries for attention, as the Tharus are still vulnerable to all sorts of exploitation, suppression and oppression, as the process of apartheid is still prevalent in its cruelest form. But till today this area has not hit the headlines or no reporter of any channel has visited the place and reported the pathetic and inhuman conditions of the people for its Breaking News. 

Harinagar, which is the nearest Railway station, is almost 12 Km away from Bakhari Bazar and now has been linked to different parts of the country after conversion of narrow gauge into broad gauge. Chhitouni River Bridge has been constructed and rail link has been established between Bagaha and Gorakhpur and thus connecting West Champaran district from all the corners of the country. Satyagraha Express and Saptkranti Express run on daily basis from Raxaul and Muzaffarpur respectively to Delhi via Harinagar. Apart from that there are trains for Amritsar, Dehradun, Hawarah(Kolkata) , Mumbai  also.

Narkatiyaganj Railway station is the nearest junction touching the Tharuhat region. Table below gives the details of the trains either originating or going through this junction and thus now connecting almost every nook and corner of the country through rail.

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

NARKATIYAGANJ RAILWAY STATION

TRAIN   NO.	TRAIN NAME	FROM	TO	RUNS
515	Passenger Train	Sonepur	Narkatiyaganj	Daily
411	Passenger Train	Muzaffarpur	Gorakhpur	Daily
5215	Narkatiyaganj Express	Muzaffarpur	Narkatiyaganj	Daily
407	Passenger Train	Sonepur	Gorakhpur	Daily
529	Passenger Train	Muzaffarpur	Gorakhpur	Daily
5273	Satyagraha Express	Raxaul	Delhi	Daily
5211	Jannayak	Darbhanga	Amritsar	Daily
9040	Bandra Express	Muzaffarpur	Bandra	Tue.,Thurs.,Sun
5653	Jammutawi Express	Guwahati	Jammutawi	Thursday
5051	Purbanchal Express	Howrah	Gorakhpur	Saturday
2557	Saptkranti Super Fast	Muzaffarpur	Delhi	Daily
5001	Dehradun Express	Muzaffarpur	Dehradun	Monday
9270	Bapudham Express	Motihari	Porbandar	Monday
5201 A	Intercity Express	Hajipur	Narkatiyaganj	Daily Except Sunday
221	Passenger Train	Darbhanga	Narkatiyaganj	Daily
5523	Gandak Express	Jainagar	Narkatiyaganj	Daily
205	Passenger Train	Darbhanga	Narkatiyaganj	Daily
5531	Sitanchal Express	Jainagar	Narkatiyaganj	Daily
207	Passenger Train	Darbhanga	Narkatiyaganj	Daily
215	Passenger Train	Darbhanga	Narkatiyaganj	Daily
217	Passenger Train	Darbhanga	Narkatiyaganj	Daily
219	Passenger Train	Darbhanga	Narkatiyaganj	Daily
201	Passenger Train	Bhikhna Thori	Narkatiyaganj	Daily
203	Passenger Train	Bhikhna Thori	Narkatiyaganj	Daily
283	Passenger Train	Bhikhna Thori	Narkatiyaganj	Daily

This has really created a revolution in the region and opened the floodgates of opportunities for the people of the region. This will definitely have far reaching consequences on the development of the region. Movement of the people will become faster and easier. Now they need not go to Muzaffarpur or Patna for visiting various places of the country either for education or for trade and commerce or for any other purpose.

Dr AJAY KUMR OJHA on HOLI MAHOTSAVA

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(चित्र कॉपीराइट के अन्तर्गत  है( 

चित्र  डॉ  अजय कुमार ओझा 

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चित्र डॉ अजय कुमार ओझा 

GREAT CIVILIZATION SANS EMPOWERED WOMEN: AN IMPOSSIBILITY

GREAT CIVILIZATION SANS EMPOWERED WOMEN:

AN IMPOSSIBILITY 

(All the images are subject to IPR)

Position of women in a society goes a long way in helping one to have real understanding of its innermost nature. It shows us what heights have been achieved by that society.

Karunamayee Mamtamayee Radhika Devi (Wife of Late Prof .Dr. Rabindra Nath Ojha ) with wife of Late Shankar Mahato , Tharu Schedule Tribe of Bakhari Bazar village of Tharuhat of West Champaran
 Image(C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Women are generally regarded as the weaker sex and human nature, being what it is, the temptation to underestimate them and ignore them. But still, if a particular nation or society is wise, just and liberal enough to treat them as equals and give them equal opportunities in all respects, then that would really be a great point in its favour, a grand step in the forward march. 

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

From this point of view, India has always stood before the world as a great paradox. Very difficult to understand. Perhaps, this is why, there is a common belief in the West that women in India occupied a very inferior position until the advent of the British and the introduction of English education. 

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

There are several critics in the West who are still misleading a good portion of the world and impressing upon it the degeneration and degradation of women that prevailed in India for centuries. The converts to this belief curiously enough seem to fail in discerning the anachronism in this fallacious statements. 

Image(C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

It is indeed quite obvious that no country could have attained the height of civilization which India attained nor have given to the world the wealth of knowledge that she gave if her womenfolk had been kept down and denied equal opportunities and rights with her menfolk . 

"Raja Rammohun Roy and Mahatma Gandhi - Their Contribution towards Emancipation of Women: A Comparative Perspective" by Ajay Kumar (Ojha)

Dissertation for Award of M.Phil Degree from JNU

HEALTH FACILITIES AMONG THARUS OF WEST CHAMPARAN

HEALTH FACILITIES

 AMONG

 THARUS OF WEST CHAMPARAN

(All the images are subject to IPR)

The health facilities have always been far from satisfactory throughout the country. Even in the national capital  Delhi we regularly read or watch the reports in media about the pathetic condition of hospitals mostly overpowered by big mafia.

 

Then what could be situation in the backward region Tharuhat of backward district West Champaran of Bihar? 

Tharu Tribes of West Chmaparan have always been very neglected or ignored community. Till the end of 20th century there were no basic health facilities available in the region. The poor people have to either foot the distance for miles together or arrange a bullock cart and carry the patient to a  nearby hospital. There was no proper road, no proper transport, no electricity, no telephone not even all weather bridge on rivers. During rainy season the villages of Tharuhat usually would turn into an island.

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Primary Health Centre in Bakhari Bazar in Ramnagar Block of Tharuhat
Image(C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

There was a health centre just for name in Bakhari Bazar village on Ramnagar - Gobardhana road. Doctors, if posted there, would visit the centre as per their whims and hardly did they stay in the night. The simple & innocent Tharus were in deep difficulty even  for basic facility such as delivery of a child. 

An ambulance in PHC Bakhari Bazar
Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

But during the first decade of 21st century the situation has remarkably changed. We can see a comparatively maintained Primary Health Centre near Bakhari Bazar crossing with an ambulance facility. Most importantly Doctors have become available for the people of the area. 

Medicine Centre in Bakhari Bazar run by a Tharu Ramchandra Khatait
Image ( C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

There is Usha Medicine Centre run by a Tharu Ramchandra Khatait who has graduated from M. J. K College Bettiah. I have been watching this medicine shop since later half of eighties of 20th century when I first visited this village for my field work. At that time there was hardly a good shop, area inhospitable and dangerous as infested by  Dacoits and that is why known to be "Mini Chambal . Later  Lal Salam Maoists also became active in Tharuhat.  

ELECTRICITY AMONG THARUS OF WEST CHAMPARAN (THARUHAT)

ELECTRICITY

 AMONG

 THARUS OF WEST CHAMPARAN (THARUHAT)

(All the images are subject to IPR)

Tharuhat of West Champaran has been most backward, neglected & ignored area in Bihar. Till the end of even 20th century most of the Tharuhat has not seen the arrival of electricity. 

Electricity Pole near Bakahri Bazar Crossing in Ramnagar Block  of  Tharuhat
Image(C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

The area has been deprived of other basic facilities also like road, transport , education health etc. The area has been island in itself  and people in utter distress.

Electricity Pole on way to Gobardhana  in Tharuhat
Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

But we can notice arrival of one of the basic facilities that is electricity in the Tharuhat in the beginning of 21st century.

Electricity Poles in Bakhari  Bazar Village of Tharuhat
Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

This has completely changed the age-old life style of the Tharus of West Champaran and brought smiles upon the faces of innocent tribal people.