This cosmic morning

Ghats echo with Chhath prayers

Vijay Deo Jha/Richa Ojha, Ranchi Thursday, November 6, 2008

The dawn of the day was a cosmic moment for the devotees when the Sun begun its precipitous ascends in the eastern horizon, and the distant sky was flaming orange like saffron scattered on the heaving rivers, lakes and ponds.

It marked the advent of the final day of four-day-long Chhath Puja when devotees assembled on the banks of rivers, lakes and ponds of the town and offered arghya to the God Sun with folded hand and bowed head. They offered wheat, milk, sugarcanes, bananas and coconuts to the Sun as part of the ritual for divine blessings.

The devotees included 80-year-old Yamuna Devi, who concluded 45 years of worship without fail and Abhaylal Kishore, who travelled a distance of five kilometres all his way prostrating.

Cutting across the caste and creed, millions of devotees; mostly women, took a dip in rivers and ponds for a holy bath in nearly 43 water bodies across Ranchi and offered their prayer to the rising Sun hoping for god's bounty. At some places people celebrated the festival while digging small tanks within the premises of their house.

Chhath Puja was celebrated at different water bodies in the town --- Kanke Dam, Line Tank, Rukka Dam, Bada Talab, Karamtoli pond, Jail Talab, Bariatu Housing Colony Talab, Argoda besides river Swarenrekha where devotees prominently participated in the festival. The Chhath festival was celebrated at the famous Surya temple, Bundu where devotees offered special prayer to Sun God.

But the river Harmu remained desolated more or less owing to its advanced stage of pollution resisting a good number of people from sinking themselves in stinking water for prayer. At Kishorgang the residents offered their prayer in the small tank specially dug for this purposes. There were some other people also who faraway from the bustling ghats of water bodies celebrated Chhath on their rooftop and preemies with equal notes of devotion.

Devotees, who started thronging at river and pond sides from early in the morning attired in new colourful clothes, presented a panoramic conglomeration of religious devotion and festivity. Added with it was the Chhath related sonorous folksongs: Dinanath ho Kahio Ne Sukhai Ankhik Nor…Kahiya Puraibai Assa more, which showed the devoutness of the people at its best display.

People and devotees who turned festive with the offering of evening Arghya to descending Sun on Tuesday refused to sleep whole night as they could been seen busy in bedecking the ghats and illuminating it with lights.

Before the break of day the ecstatic mass with loads bamboo strewed baskets on their head surged on the roads trudging their ways to different water bodies.

Different puja organisations and the wings of district administration had made elaborate arrangements for the smooth conduct of the festival. The electricity department was specially instructed to ensure the smooth supply of electricity. Stalls and tents were erected to welcome the devotees.

Who loves you self styled Fasist

Raj’s pledge to allow Chhath Puja has no believers

Vijay Deo Jha Ranchi Monday, November 3, 2008

Although Raj Thackeray and his MNS thugs climbed down and said okay to Chhath Puja, the damage has been done.

It left many who returned home emotionally bruised and shattered. Madan and Ranjeet, both brothers from Kanke, are among those who fled from Mumbai under extreme condition with scars of MNS brutality deep upon their psyche.

Now, they will celebrate Chhath puja along with their family member but MNS sponsored violence took toll of their enthusiasm and gusto.

"Yes, we will celebrate festival with the same verve but the moment I recollect the incidents how MNS men tortured and mauled us in the street and threatened us with dire consequences if we continue to make Mumbai our home, I get frightened… it pains." Madan gets lost in emotion while sharing some of the recent horrible moments of his life.

To the family members of Madan and Ranjeet, it was the grace of the goddess that saved their lives. There are many such families in Ranchi who made special prayer pledges prior to Chhath puja if their family members in Mumbai come back safely or remain safe there.

But there are some unfortunate families whose members either sustained severe injuries by MNS activists. The worried family members of Ramu Das are desperately trying to find out his whereabouts since it is suspected that MNS desperados have allegedly murdered him. While another Marki Devi is under treatment, her family members are trying to maintain mental poise.

Chandrawati, the wife of Ramu Das, is finding it hard to accept the reality, ever since the politics over Chhath changed the contours and colour of her life. While political parties are capitalising the issue, the neighbours of Ramu Das decided not to celebrate Chhath with fervor. "We lost our friend and we decided to celebrate Chhath with simplicity," said Kailash, the co-villager of Ramu.

Swearing not to return to Mumbai, Ranjeet who now decided to start his own business here narrated some horrors of the icebergs of MNS vendetta. "It was terrifying when MNS men asked us to leave Mumbai and announced they would not allow Chhath puja at sea beach or in any part of Mumbai.

Last time they managed to put a ban on our cultural get together calling it a vulgar and provocative display of UP and Bihar culture." Another victim, Santosh Chaudhary, working with a reputed pharmaceutical company who returned home after receiving threats, said, "Unlike last time this year I did not find myself so happy when I visited my home town for puja celebration. Why does this self-styled champion of Hinduism hate Chhath puja when even people from other religions celebrate it, may god bless him."

The saga of disqualification and other stories

BJP struggles to collect evidence against Marandi for disqualification

Vijay Deo Jha Ranchi Monday, November 3, 2008

The State BJP that sought disqualification of the deputy Chief Minister, Stephen Marandi from the Speaker of Jharkhand State Assembly, now finds it tough to pursue the case due to the lack of evidence.

The party is still looking for the original paper of case filed by the party MLA, Chandresh Oraon. Interestingly, even Oraon is not aware of the 'where about' of that paper. The sources close to Oraon said that the MLA who signed the original case paper as per the instruction of a senior leader of the party was himself not aware of the merit of the case.

Oraon who originally filed case against the Minister under the 10th Schedule of the Constitution had to face criticism by the Speaker, Alamgir Alam who during the hearing of the case last time, not only asked Orano to come with 'solid evidence' within 15 days but also passed a pointed instruction not to waste the precious time of the court by bringing such cases having no merit. He even said that he could dismiss the petition against if the required evidences in the form of documents were not produced.

During the hearing, Oraon could not produce the evidence of the association of Marandi with the Jharkhand Vikash Morcha. However, he claimed having such news clips which clearly suggest Marandi's alleged violation.

"One should not file cases on the basis of news paper reports which are not admissible in general and are not treated as a primary evidence and record", the Speaker said during the hearing.

Concerned over the remark of the Speaker, the president of the State BJP, Pashupatinath Singh has instructed the media cell of the party to collect evidences against Marandi. Singh even criticised the way in which the BJP approached Speaker without sufficient homework.

According to the party sources, the media cell has been instructed to scan the newspaper of the last two years to collect newspapers reports to substantiate its case. The said exercise came as a nightmare for the media cell that however managed scanty evidences. Requesting anonymity, a senior party leader confided that the BJP was still not confident about the evidences that are only in form of published news.

The media cell is learnt to have submitted the cuttings of published news items. Although both Orano and Singh confidently said that the party would move to the court of speaker with sufficient documentary evidences, but the facts remain party is in position to produce.

UPA allies seek their pound of flesh in LS polls

Vijay Deo Jha/ Rajiv, Ranchi Sunday, November 2, 2008

Eying the Lok Sabha poll, major allies of the UPA Government led by Shibu Soren have started demanding their pound of flesh.

State chieftains of the UPA allies have a very limited say in seat sharing exercise that could be probably undertaken in the coming two months. It is learnt that most of them have conveyed their demands to the party high commands.

The Indian National Congress, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Rastriya Janta Dal (RJD), the constituents of the UPA Government, have staked their claims to contest from more parliamentary seats. However, the allies wanted to retain such parliamentary constituencies, which were won by various parties. Meanwhile, the JMM has decided to convene a meeting of the 'central committee' to decide its claim over different parliamentary seats.

Well-placed sources said JMM was mulling over contesting maximum number of seats in the State irrespective of claims coming out of different UPA quarters. A couple of days ago, the RJD decided to claim Koderma and Giridih LS constituencies besides Chatra and Palamu where it won the elections last time. RJD State chief Gautam Sagar Rana said his party had performed outstandingly in the last Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections.

"The party has decided to contest the General Election from the Giridih seat. We performed well in the four Assembly constituencies against six such seats. We have done outstandingly in Bagodar, Rajdhanwar, Gandey and Giridih," Rana told The Pioneer. The party is learnt to have already decided to field Annapurna Devi from Koderma constituency.

Meanwhile, the State Congress too joined the chorus by staking claim over Koderma, Hazaribagh and Chatra parliamentary constituencies. While confirming the stated move of the State Congress, party spokesperson Alok Dubey said the party wanted to field its candidates in these constituencies. "But we do not want cracks in the UPA regime. The matter would be settled when the leaders of the UPA allies discuss this issue." he added.The Congress does not seem in a mood of any compromise on the issue of Hazaribagh.

But the party's claim over Chatra is enough to create ruffle among RJD leadership as Dhirendra Agrawal of RJD represents the constituency. To ward off any deadlock, a section of party leaders want RJD to leave its claim over Chatra and allow the smooth sailing of Congress. In return, Congress would back RJD candidate in Koderma. But RJD finds little merit in this formula. "Congress too should leave claim over Godda parliamentary constituency where the RJD has emerged stronger", said Rana.

We would have taught lesson to Raj if he could have been in Bihar

Nitish demands Prez rule in Maharashtra

Vijay Deo Jha Ranchi Saturday, November 1, 2008

The controversy over violent regional cleansing under taken by MNS chief Raj Thackeray against North Indians gained momentum on Friday when Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar demanded CBI and judicial inquiries into the alleged "killing" of Rahul Raj who was shot dead on Monday in a BEST bus by the Mumbai Police by ing five bullets in his body.

He warned JD(U) MPs from Bihar could resign anytime if the Central Government failed to stop violence against North Indians in Maharashtra and arrest the perpetrators.

While demanding President rule in Maharashtra on account of the failure of the State Government to take corrective and punitive measures against MNS activists and giving them a free hand to run terror against North Indians, Nitish also criticised the Central Government for its silence on the whole affair.

Nitish was in the State Capital to discuss the candidature of Basundhara Munda, the wife of late Ramesh Singh Munda, from Tamar Assembly constituency.

While answering a pointed question about the death of Rahul Raj, he said, "If Rahul was indeed carrying and brandishing revolver on that day he should have been arrested by the police and a case against him could have been filled to ascertain truth, but instead he was killed and now some people 'Raj Thackeray and his activists' are trying to justify his murder."

Nitish was referring to the comment made by Thackeray in a Press conference in Mumbai on Friday evening. Terming it a barbaric act, the reported incidents in which people from UP and Bihar are being thrown out of moving train, Nitish said it exposes the lack of sensitivity on the part of the people at whelm of affair.

Criticising Raj Thackeray and his ilk for corroding the federal structure of India and treating Maharashtra as their fiefdom, Nitish asserted, "No political party can impose restriction upon the free movement of the people. Those who are forcing North Indians through violence do not know the impact and ramification of their act."

Mentioning the contribution of people of the different parts of Indian in making Mumbai rich and giving it a chance to boast as the "financial capital of India", Nitish cautioned, "What they (MNS people) will do if money stops flowing to Mumbai, if MNS continues to drive away people from the State."

Later, he met Basundhra Munda to discuss her candidature for the coming by-election of Tamar constituency which lies vacant after the murder of Ramesh Singh Munda. In a brief interaction with media, Basundhara Munda dropped hint to fight elections as JD(U) candidate.

No Kandmal here just politics

Arjun Munda’s meet with Cardinal raises eyebrows in State BJP

Is Munda writing another political script

Vijay Deo Jha Ranchi Thursday, October 30, 2008

The meeting of Arjun Munda, the senior BJP leader and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, with Cardinal Telesphore Toppo last Saturday in the State capital has brought Munda under the line of fire and has created ruffle among the top rungs of the State BJP and RSS.

Although Munda termed the meeting as ‘formal’ and said the duo “discussed the issue of the tribal welfare and unity”, but the party insiders hinted that the meeting was a serious political move of Munda through which he tried to score several points- a secular credential to expand his reach among tribal Christians as well as a veiled hint to the BJP about his original ideological mooring of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM). Even senior party leaders accepted it was politically a wrong step that would damage Munda and the BJP in the long run. The meeting has left party leaders guessing whether Munda wanted to write another political script.

But not concerned with what Munda achieved out of this meeting, hardliners and the tribal leaders of the party who in the past locked horns with Christian missionaries over the issue of reservation given to the ‘converted tribal Christians’ of Jharkhand and their alleged conversion of Sarna tribals into Christianity and also the remarks made against Sarna religion in Nemha Bible, have questioned purpose of the meeting.

Criticizing Munda for his meeting with the cardinal without due permission of the party, the senior BJP leader and MLA, Karia Munda said that it might send wrong signal among the party workers and voters- the party is no more the protector of Sarna religion and many such others. Agreeing to what Karia Munda apprehended, a senior party leader said that the meeting has set Munda in contrast as a week back Munda projected himself as a hardliner during his address to the ‘Sarna Mahapanchyat’, a conglomerate of Sarna tribal groups where he categorically blamed missionaries for offending the sentiments of Sarna and categorically repeated party’s unquestionable support to them.

Giving Munda a tough time to explain his stand another tribal BJP MLA, Chandresh Oraon demanded Munda to reposition his stand. “I will raise this matter in the meeting of the ‘working committee’ of the party… this is up to party to decide how does it see this visit which took place without the prior permission of the party.” Appearing belligerent Oraon added that tribal leaders of the party would continue their fight to protect saran religion and its followers.

The meeting had no sanction of the State BJP nor Munda seems to have informed about his intention to the party leaders, a fact indirectly admitted by the BJP State president of the party PN Singh who said that he needed to talk to Munda in this regard.

The meeting took place at a time when the RSS has decided to undertake a nation wise ‘sit in demonstration’ programme at district headquarters from November 7 against the killing of the VHP leader Swami Laxmananand Saraswati. Even though, the RSS has not yet reacted over this, but sources confirmed the meeting of new RSS pracharak, Mithilesh with Munda on last Sunday. What exactly transpired in the meeting and its content is not known but the well-placed sources confirmed RSS has not taken this issue lightly. Refusing to say anything on this issue Mithilesh reacted with “no comment over this issue as we have nothing to do with this issue.”

Congress Working Committee fails to energise workers

Vijay Deo Jha Ranchi Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Even though the parliamentary election is fast approaching throwing a major challenge before the Jharkhand Congress to save its respective tally in the forthcoming election, it failed more or less to energise the party workers during the meeting of its ‘extended working committee’ held on last Saturday.

This is despite the party finally adding organisational restructuring and the creation of booth committees into ‘must do it’ list, the response on the part of the district heads of the party and workers were not encouraging.

Although the meeting benefited the party in some other way — the party workers had a chance to speak their mind on several issue including how to strengthen party and generate a dialogue between the top-rung party leaders and the workers as most of the party workers had their complaint against top party leaders for neglecting their views.

Reacting over the outcome of the meeting a senior party leader said that the meeting lost its real agenda and became defocussed in addressing the core issues. Adding further he said: “We must be honest in accepting the truth that party in Jharkhand lost its ideological mooring.”

Speaking on the sideline of the meeting another senior party leader said that the party would have to explain its position in the State. “Either You are in Opposition or term yourself as ruling party. You can not sit on the fence which the party has been doing right now,” he said.

The party workers appeared to be undecided over how to move in the election in absence of a clear-cut guideline added with a concern that with a weak organisation set up at grassroot level the Congress could hardly give a befitting reply to the NDA combine in the State during the election. About the booth committee the reports submitted by the district units of the party at least made clear that the party needed to do some more ground work before it takes on the NDA in the State.

Reacting over this, party spokesperson Alok Kumar Dubey who did not agree to this said, “The meeting gave a positive direction to the party workers. We are ready to face the challenge.”

All hue with saffron cry

Jharkhand BJP leaders told to campaign for Chhattisgarh poll

Vijay Deo Jha Ranchi Monday, October 27, 2008

Senior BJP leaders in Jharkhand have been instructed by the party high command to gear up and start campaigning for Chhattisgarh BJP for the forthcoming Assembly election, scheduled to be held on November 14 and November 20.

Jharkhand BJP leaders, having connection with Chhattisgarh and Orissa, and those who worked as office-bearers of the party in Chhattisgarh BJP, have been specially instructed by the party high command to campaign for the party and highlight the performance of Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh.

Party sources said senior party leaders, including Jharkhand BJP organisational secretary Ranjan Patel, regional general secretary Prassan Mishra, the editor of party periodical Antyodaya; Ravinath Kishore; former spokesperson of the party Ramesh Puskar, BJP State secretary Ganesh Mishra, former BJP MLA Dinesh Oraon and a host of other party leaders.

The party has also decided to hold a series of election rallies which senior BJP leader and leader to the Opposition in the Jharkhand Assembly Arjun Munda would address.

During telephonic conversation with The Pioneer, BJP national secretary and Rajya Sabha MP from Madhya Pardesh; Prabhat Jha, who had made a personal request to the leaders of the State BJP for campaigning, said: "Both Jharkhand and Orissa have been an integral part of the State politics due to cultural proximity. The presence of the party leaders from Jharkhand and Orissa would help us to target the tribal vote banks especially in the constituencies adjacent to Jharkhand and Orissa."

The Jharkhand leaders has been asked to focus upon Raighar and Ambikapur, which equally has a large presence of the voters belonging to Jharkhand and Orissa. Terming their presence fruitful for the party in the elections, Jha added that after November 1 some other BJP leaders are expected to arrive.

It should be noted that Chhattisgarh has a massive presence of people belonging to Jharkhand and Orissa, which according to Jha "is near about 20 per cent." Besides election related campaigns, the party leaders from Jharkhand has been assigned with important task of media coordination.

During telephonic conversation with the Pioneer correspondent, Ramesh Pushkar, who has been appointed as media incharge of Raipur centre, said for effective media coordination the party has formed four media cells at four places: Bilashpur, Jagdalpur and Sarjuga and Raipur. The team includes Ravinath Kishore, who said that their first priority was to make people aware of the developmental works done by the Raman Singh Government.

On November 14, elections would be held in 39 Assembly constituencies while in the second phase the rest 51 Assembly constituencies would go for vote on November 20. The BJP has already fielded 20 candidates, including Raman Singh, who filed his nomination from Rajnand Gaon Assembly constituency. Terming it another unforgettable moment for Chhattisgarh BJP, when leaders of both the States stood united for the success of the party in the election, Raman Singh said: "The victory of the party in the elections would be a combined victory of the party units of both the States."

It should be noted that the women cell of Chhattisgarh BJP had actively campaigned for the Jharkhand BJP during the last parliamentary and Assembly elections in the State.For the leadership of Jharkhand BJP, the victory of Raman Singh in the elections would benefit the party in the coming parliamentary elections.

Cong meets decides strategy for parliamentary elections

Vijay Deo Jha Ranchi Sunday, October 26, 2008

With the meeting of the extended working committee of the State Congress on Saturday in the State capital the State Congress seems to have swung into action for the forthcoming Parliamentary elections in the State, scheduled to be held in the next year.

The party has decided to showcase the achievements of the Central UPA Government. Chalking out different programmes of the party in view of the elections it was decided to celebrate the 123 years of the formation of the Congress in the State capital on November 28.

Terming the constitution of the booth committee crucial to ensure the success of the party in the elections, in the meeting it was decided to constitute the booth committees before November 15. It also decided to convene the regular meeting of the booth committees. Alok Dubey, the Spokesperson, State Congress said that the party would invite the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi and party’s general secretary Rahul Gandhi and other prominent leaders to bless the occasion.

The long marathon meeting of the party also dwelt upon the strategy for the next elections. It also asked the JMM chief and Chief Minister Shibu Soren to decide the common strategy for the next LS elections. Most of the party functionaries wanted the party to field its candidates in all 14 parliamentary seats. But, what worried the party most was that it could not showcase its achievements. It claimed that the party was instrumental behind several welfare measures for the minorities that were started by the previous Madhu Koda Government. But “the party failed to showcase them before the public”, the leaders added.

The party felt serious lack of coordination among the leaders as a large number of party officials blamed the MPs for sidelining them and criticised them for running parallel organisation that to them made a dent on the morale of the party workers. It should be noted that except party MP from Ranchi, Subodhkant Sahai, rest of the party MPs remained absent from the meeting.

Even not condoning party’s State president Pradeep Balmucchu for his alleged unsatisfactory tenure and the style of functioning, some of the senior party leaders including Chhatrapati Sahu Munda, member working committee, said that on the basis of the decisions taken therein the party could barely manage the election unless the party takes into confidence all the sections of the party.

Realising the party is virtually on the margin in Jharkhand the meeting stressed on the need of membership drive to be started the next month. In this context the party MLA Niel Tirkey said that workers would have to raise the issue of the common mass to instil confidence among them towards the party.

All on the name of Marathi Manus

Jharkhand MPs’ silence on MNS sends wrong signal

Vijay Deo Jha Ranchi Friday, October 24, 2008

Even though the Winter Session of Parliament is likely to conclude on Friday and the stormy protest against the regional cleansing drive undertaken by Raj Thackeray can be witnessed in Bihar and Jharkhand, the elected representatives from Jharkhand found no time to raise their voice during the session.

A fact on record and even accepted by the MPs reveals that while at a time the MPs of Bihar stormed Parliamentary session, the MPs of Jharkhand remained silent more or less.

The episode even kept the winter session of Parliament on boils, where cutting across party line MPs, prominently from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, demanded stringent actions against MNS chief.

Although the Union Minister of Food and Supply appeared on the television along with LJP chief condemned Thackeray and his ilk for their alleged attack on the students of Bihar and Jharkhand. During the telephonic conversation with The Pioneer, Sahai said, "I have been in touch with the DGP and requested him to make every effort to bring Thackeray on transit remand." A case has been lodged against the MNS chief in Jamshedpur and warrant has been issued against him.

While accepting the fact partially, Furkan Ansari, MP Godda, said Jharkhand MPs equally demanded actions against Thackeray. "This act an act of vendetta and ugly demonstration of regionalism by Thackeray which must be protested," he added. A senior Congress leader and MP showed concern over the repeated silence of the MPs of Jharkhand and said that it indeed sent wrong signals among the people about their representatives who can stand united to raise the issue for the larger interest of the State. It may be recalled that the UPA managed 13 seats in the last Parliamentary elections.

The MPs from Jharkhand in the Rajya Sabha also remained silent or least affected while the state capital as well as the other parts of the state was agog with the first hand narration of the gory tell of MNS vandalism. But the newly elected Rajya Sabha MP from Jharkhand, Jayaprakash Narayan Singh contested it by saying that the party was equally sensitive towards the enormity of the issue.

However, reactions on the part of students who barely managed to return to their home safely are sharp. A senior politician quipped that the MPs of Jharkhand virtually turned the state in a political ghetto.

Artist stray from film to politics

Film director Iqbal Durrani eyes Godda parliamentary seat

Vijay Deo Jha Ranchi Thursday, October 23, 2008

'Come on youth, Make Godda good'. This is not the part of the any dialogue of a Hindi movie rather a 'political overture' of Iqbal Durrani, the noted film director and producer who is trying to start a new inning in Jharkhand politics by contesting the forthcoming parliamentary election from Godda, his home town.

For Jharkhand it is for the first time when a noted cine personality has tried to make room for him in the state politics.

Durrani who is credited with directing writing scripts and dialogues for more than six dozen of films has produced blockbusters like Kohram and Fool Aur Kante, with Amibah Bacchan and Ajay Deogan as star-cast.

It would be after a long span of time the director again moved to the rough terrain of politics. Earlier he had contested election of the president of the students union of Tata College, Chaibasa during his college day- the only Muslim who contested and won election of the student union so far, he revealed.

Durrani who is reported to seeking ticket from the BJP has met BJP state president PN Singh and leader to opposition in the State Assembly Arjun Munda and also senior central party leaders including Sushma Swaraj. He is also in touch with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Bahujan Samaj Party. In this connection he met the JMM chief Shibu Soren on Wednesday.

What prompted him to join politics at a time when film heroes with impressive dialogues and caliber on screen perform shabbily as public representative inside the Parliament and in their constituencies? Durrani, while taking to ‘The Pioneer’ on Tuesday night in the state capital, Durrani as a seasoned politician who has done enough home work to assess the electoral mood of the people said, “I am joining politics with full devotion knowing my responsibility towards people who want development in Godda. I can not fight shy of my responsibility towards my own people who expressed faith in me”.

It is evident that Durrani has been associated with Godda which is also his home town and claimed to have been associated with several developmental projects here. “During my interaction with the people and the problem I faced during executing developmental projects I came to conclusion that I could be more in the command of things if I represent them” , he revealed.

Durrani who some three months back held an impressive 22 KM long Pad Yatra in Godda has given sufficient hint that he was equally serious and resolute to contest election even as an independent if he fails to get ticket from the BJP and other parties. Claiming his Pad Yarta a turning point in making people aware to raise their problems and demand its solutions, Durrani hoped that his fair, apolitical image would be decisive in his election.

Knowing well the political chemistry of the state might go against his aspiration to seek ticket from some national parties but Durrani has stirred the politics of Godda with his door to door campaign and public meeting. Not happy with the developments in Godda he said that the sitting MP of Godda had no time to raise the issue of under-development of Godda in the Parliament. Whether he get party ticket and wins the election, would become clear in the coming days but his presence could be enough to disturb the political calculation of many seasoned politicians.

Ramdev warns Raj against vandalism

Vijay Deo Jha Ranchi Tuesday, October 21, 2008

On Monday, Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev during his brief sojourn in the State capital advised Raj Thackeray, the belligerent chief of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena to use his potential for some constructive work rather to indulge in bruising his own countrymen. This is a sheer act of vandalism, he added.Ramdev who later on went to Raurkela for conducting yoga camp talked to mediapersons at Birsa Munda Airport said that every good act must be praised either it is century of Sachin Tendulkar or the team spirit of Mahindra Singh Dhoni. But at the same time every wrong act deserves unconditional condemnation. Under the cloak of championing the cause of a particular area and people Thackeray knowingly or unknowingly is shattering the edifice of the Indian society.