“DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY” THIS BARBER ASPIRES TO BE A LECTURER

Ranchi: Customers at a makeshift hair-cutting saloon on Ranchi's main road are not aware that the barber chopping off their hair is a PhD degree holder and also a writer.

It has been 15 months since Ashraf Hussain earned his doctorate "Doctor of Philosophy" (faculty of humanities) from the Ranchi University (RU) and this year in September his book on Urdu women writers of Jharkhand is expected to be ready.

Located in the Upper Bazaar locality, Ashraf's saloon has the bare necessities: an old chair and a small mirror. A plastic sheet supported by two bamboo sticks completes the infrastructure. He manages to earn Rs 150-200 every day working for eight hours or so.

Ashraf, who has to run a seven-member family exclusively with earnings from the saloon, may be poor but his ambitions are not. "I am hopeful of clearing the UGC's National Eligibility Test (NET) which I took last December. I will apply for lectureship after that," said Ashraf.

The results of the NET test, held in December 2011, are likely to be out soon. And pray, what was the subject of his thesis? "A comparative and analytical study of eminent Urdu short story writers of Jharkhand".

Ashraf has been cutting hair ever since his father, Abdul Aziz, expired in 1991. He had just cleared his intermediate examination then. "Under financial pressure I had to abandon studies till 1999," he said.

But the desire to learn kept simmering inside Ashraf. Somehow, he started his studies all over again. He did his BA (Urdu honours) from Doranda College between 1999 and 2002 and postgraduation between 2003 and 2005.

Ashraf is writing a book on women Urdu writers of Jharkhand, which will be ready by September. "The state has many good writers, but all of them are not famous," he added.

The barber, however, has no plans to quit his work right now. "I prefer working as a barber because there is no pressure or stress. I get ample time to study. I also study at my saloon," said Ashraf.

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SWETT MARDEN AND SHIV KHERA FAIL TO INSPIRE THIS BILLIONAIRE

Ranchi: Reading books of famous American writer Swett Marden and Indian motivational speaker-cum-writer Shiv Khera thousands have benefited across the world. But there is a billionaire builder in Ranchi who got no benefits of these celebrated motivators.

Ranchi police on Monday seized goods worth over Rs 1 crore from the palatial house, Karan Villah, where builder J D Nandi used to live. During the seizure operation this correspondent came across over 10 motivational books of Swett Marden and Shiv Khera stashed in the cupboards of Nandi’s master bedroom.

The builder, who founded and headed one of the largest property developers Sanjeevani Buildcon, is accused of cheating crores of rupees from over 100 people in Ranchi whom he promised flats. After the forgery came to light Nandi escaped to Malaysia with is second wife Anamika Nandi, the owner of Karan Villah, also an accused.

The books were 'Living With Honour' by Shiv Khera, 'Byabhar Kushal Kaise Bane' by Swett Marden, 'Peace of Mind' by well-know American author Joshua Loth Liebman, 'Only Love is Real' by Brain Leslie Weiss among others. Nandi's fraudulent acts seem to have mocked at great beliefs too.

Just above the main entrance of Karan Villah there was a large display-board which had one such great beliefs written “Christ is the Head of this house; the Unseen guest at every meal; the Silent listener to every conversation.”

“It is a clear indication that the internal being of Nandi was no less cheat. He showed to the world that he was honest and had regard for the values of life. But actually he had none,” a 65-year-old man, from whom Nandi cheated Rs 17 for getting him flats, said requesting anoynimity.

Neighbours got on their rooftops to see as four trucks drove treadmills, two large plasma TVs, three master beds, three huge conchs and reclining chairs, several advanced interior designing equipment, several ACs, and other household goods after day-long seizure.

The entire two-storied bungalow in a 5000-odd sq ft high-walled campus had several photographs of Nandi his wife and their son Karan.

“Thoug it is still to be valued, I estimate the cost must be over Rs 1 crore,” said investigating officer Arvind Kumar Sinha. The goods were dumped in Sadar police station.

The neighbours are sort of shocked. “Just a month ago, Nandi used to come out of this house protected by private body guards in a cavalcade. I can’t still believe that it all has happened to him,” said Abhishek Kumar, a college boy.

The police will also attach Nandi’s immovable properties if he does not surrender now. “In a period of six months, we will attach his immovable properties,” said Sinha.

Afraid with seizure of Nandi’s house, another accused in the forgery case Ram Prasad Verma, one of the directors of Sanjeevani Buildcon, surrendered in Ranchi civil court on Monday.

The other accused in the case are Anamika Nandi, Shyam Kishore Gupta, P P Lala, Arvind Singh alias Pappu, Abdul Baham and Shamim Khan. The court has ordered the attachment of the houses of all these accused.

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PRIVATE DIARY OF A SPURNED LOVER

Ranchi: I am giving away my life to you. But you may be too busy to catch hold of it, let alone care, last entry into 23-year-old Santa Das’s private diary, read.

An office management student of St Xavier College, Das hanged herself with her dupatta under strange circumstances at her lodge recently. Das’s boyfriend had dumped her, suggested 200-odd words suicide note.

“What was my fault? What was it that made you leave me for ………?” Das wished to ask, but her voice ditched her too.

Das wanted to speak to her love about the pain he had given, but her love hardly had time to listen. Cowardly, however, Das was not careless about her guy, at the very least.

“After I am gone, you will not be able to live with her happily. It is all that I know,” advised the tribal girl.

Certain scrawls in the succeeding paragraph indicated Das wanted to advice her guy to keep away from his new love. But once again her strength collapsed.

Das, who hails from Dhanbad district, was staying in Ranchi for the last four years. On the basis of a suicide note police suspect a triangle love affair was behind the incident.

“It appears that the boy, with whom Das is suspected to be having an affair, had recently developed relations with another girl. The deceased seems to be depressed over it,” said officer in-charge of Lower Bazaar police station A K Giri.

The suicide note does not however specify any name. The mobile phone of Das has gone missing, leaving the police clueless about Das’s boyfriend.

Words from Das’s diary have the police more confused. A paragraph loosely suggests: “I had told you if you cheat me, I will either kill myself or kill you. I hope killing myself is better.”

Das’s cousins told TOI they had no clue about the love affair of the girl. “I don’t know anything,” said one of her cousin sisters, who also studies at St Xavier.

But girls staying in a room next to that of Das’s at the lodge are not totally clueless. “Of late she had become more reserved than she actually was. We wanted to know, and she was uneasy,” said a friend of Shanta, who is preparing for Bank PO examinations.

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BEWARE: TRUCKS AND SUVS ARE HIJACKED HERE

Ranchi: Gangs from Delhi, Haryana, West Bengal, UP and Bihar are hijacking trucks and SUVs from Ranchi and adjoining districts in Jharkhand at gunpoint.

President of Jharkhand Truck Owners Association (JTOA), Uday Shankar Ojha has claimed that 50-odd trucks have been hijacked from Ranchi and adjoining districts in the past six months.

“All truck owners are scared. The incidents occur mostly on Ranchi-Patna, Ranchi-Tata highway and Barhi national highway,” Ojha told TOI. “I do not know the exact number. But I have received complaints from these truck owners,” added Ojha.

Even cops agree that there have been a series of hijacking (vehicles theft). The hijackers are experts in truck and SUVs theft.

A source in the police informed TOI: “In Delhi NCR over a dozen gangs engaged in lifting trucks, SUVs and autos have been busted recently. While petty criminals have been arrested there, kingpins have escaped and moved to Jharkhand and Bihar.”

Ranchi is one of the epicentres of such hijackings. Ranchi SSP Saket K Singh claimed that city police have been able to nab many of such hijackers.

“Quite a few cases of trucks and SUVs lifting have been registered at various police stations. It is generally a winter season phenomenon. Now we have increased vigil on national highways. It has led to good results too,” city SP Ranjeet K Prasad said.

City’s Ormanjhi police station has solved one case. “A Haryana based gang was involved in lifting the vehicle. Around half a dozen criminals have been arrested,” said a senior cop at Ormanjhi PS. Inroads have also been made into investigation of the lifting of a truck from city’s Booty More under Sadar PS.

A source in the police informed that the gangs generally comprise of around half a dozen hijackers. “They move by an SUV of their own. They give their target vehicles, be it a truck or an SUV, a chase. As soon as they seize “the right moment” they intercept and hijack the vehicle at gunpoint,” said the source. Sources suggest that a few city based criminals who have been recently released on bail are also involved into such activities.

Hazaribagh is 100 km far from Ranchi. A 40-odd km highway between Ranchi and Hazaribagh passes through several thickly forested and zigzag Ghatis. Police presence here (in Ghatis) is sparse. Thus it gives the hijackers the moments of confidence. At a number of occasions drivers and cleaners have been found with their hands and legs tied and left in the forests.

Hazaribagh SP Pankaj Kamboj has also busted around half a dozen such gangs in recent months. “Police stations situated throughout all these Ghatis (including those at entry and exit points) have been instructed to maintain strict checks. It has not only helped us recover vehicles lifted from Ranchi and other parts of the state, but also from adjoining states,” said Kamboj.

At times, vehicle lifters had abandoned the vehicles in Ghatis, he added. After TOI intervention Ranchi SSP and Hazaribagh SP have promised to increase police vigil at strategic points to further check such incidents.

The truck owners association, however, is least satisfied. A delegation of JTOA will meet DGP Gauri Shankar Rath to demand strict measures to give commuters on Jharkhand’s highways a fearless passage.

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THIS STORY CAN MAKE YOU CRY AND LAUGH

Ranchi: As a housekeeping boy at a non-descript hotel in Jamshedpur, Satish Chandra Buriuly, had never dreamt of a Rs 10 lakh job offer. But with a degree from Indian Institute of Management Ranchi, he now has two equally lucrative job offers to choose from.

This became possible because of Buriuly’s 10 years of undaunted struggle and undying support of his girlfriend. Buriuly’s tale is a story of “agonic hardships”, “committed love” and “super success”.  

Things were fine till 1999. Till this time Buriuly had just two degrees, matriculation with 51% marks in 1996 and intermediate with 50% marks in 1999. Due to unavoidable reasons he had to take a one-year break from studies.

“After my father’s death in 2000, my destiny took extreme turns. I worked as a housekeeping boy, as a door-to-door salesman, as a school van driver, and as a temporary computer operator,” Buriuly, 32, told TOI at the expansive IIM-Ranchi campus.

Buriuly hails from tribal dominated Chaibasa, headquarter of West Singhbhum district. Before IIM-Ranchi, Buriuly was academically average and had a Hindi medium academic background.

“It was beyond my dreams. I could see nothing. I could hear nothing. I could feel nothing. It was like a fantasy,” said Buriuly whose mother had died when he was 3-year-old. His stepmother brought up Buriuly.

“I had to abandon further studies in 2000. I had just passed my intermediate then. I was the eldest son and I had to run from pillar to post to get pension for my ‘mother’,” Buriuly said narrating his story.

This 5-member Buriuly family was now dependent on their small landholdings for two square meals daily. “In Chaibasa only paddy is grown. It is grown only once in a year. It was not enough and we were deep into credit,” Buriuly recalled.

In 2001 hunger drove Buriuly to Jamshedpur in search of jobs. “I was in desperate need and I did odd jobs to earn Rs 1500 to 2000 per month. Nothing worked. I was frustrated,” said Buriuly while looking back on his life.

Someone suggested me to learn computer and I did. “I worked at a computer institute for meagre sums in 2003 in Jamshedpur. In 2006 I got a computer operator’s job on temporary basis in Noamundi,” said Buriuly. During this period this tribal boy bought a used van. “I drove it myself and carried school children to make additional money,” recalled the IIM graduate.

“I was not ready to accept this as my destiny. At times I used to worry and break down,” admitted Buriuly.

But there is someone who will never allow Satish to break down. “It is my love. When I had nothing and no one was around, she was always there to stand by me,” said Buriuly.

“She is 30. Despite tremendous pressure from her family for marriage, she is still single. She has been waiting for me through these year,” Buriuly told TOI with moist eyes.

Buriuly’s girlfriend got job of a teacher at a government high school last year. She even financed Satish’s sundry expanses during his second year at IIM. Satish did not divulge details about his girlfriend to protect her identity. “I will name her in public only after I marry her,” he said.

It was his girlfriend who motivated him to do graduation. “I took admission in Tata College Chaibasa for degree course in 2006. I had to start study all over again after six years,” he said. Unable to speak English in 2006, Buriuly also started going to an English spoken class.

In 2009, Buriuly cleared CAT with 80.8 percentile. Thanks to quotas for Scheduled Tribe he made it to IIM. It was through the help of his acquaintances that Buriuly deposited Rs 1.10 lakh for admission to IIM.

An IT company has made an offer while a leading manufacturer of handmade carpets has made another offer. “We are very proud of this boy,” said IIM Ranchi director MJ Xavier.

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RARE MUGHAL MANUSCRIPT IN BOOK FORM SOON

Patna: Patna’s renowned Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library, the proud possessor of the world’s only extant copy of ‘Tarikh-e-Khandan-e-Timuriyah’, has decided to reproduce the Mughal-era manuscript in digitized facsimile and also publish its hard copies by April this year.

The manuscript in Persian, dating back to AD 1577-78, is one of the 238 items identified from across the world and listed in the Unesco’s prestigious Memory of the World Register (MWR). The text recounts the history of the Timurids (Taimur and his descendants) in Iran and India. It was written 22 years into the reign of emperor Akbar.

The 338-page manuscript, made of handmade paper of sharp cream colour with a slight ivory gloss, also contains 133 illustrations on the theme of sieges and battles.

Some of the miniatures contain the names of leading contemporary painters, including Daswant, Miskeen, Madho Mukund, Haidar Kashmiri, Miskeen, Manohar and Basawan.

The Unesco’s website says Tarikh-e-Khandan-e-Timuriyah is part of the most precious documentary heritage of the world, representing the most exquisite cultural history of the Timurids and their artistic genius which influenced not only India but the world as a whole.

“Though we plan to reproduce a digitized facsimile edition, the heritage manuscript won’t be uploaded online. The hard copies are, of course, meant for circulation,” library director Imtiaz Ahmad said and attributed the move to the fact that its inclusion in the MWR in May last year has generated renewed interest in it among scholars and history lovers.

The Unesco’s MWR programme, as per its practice, offered monetary assistance for safe preservation of the unique manuscript. “But we did not accept it since we are adequately funded by the government of India,” Ahmad said and added as early as 2006 the manuscript was identified as a ‘Manuscript Treasure of India’ by the Union ministry of culture.

According to Ahmad, the manuscript is kept in an iron safe under double lock-and-key system with one key in his possession and the other in the possession of Patna divisional commissioner.

The MWR items belong to 11 countries, including Bulgaria, Fiji, Guyana, Ireland, Japan, Mongolia and Morocco. It covers various kinds of material, including stone, celluloid, parchment and audio recordings.

The register was launched in 1992 to “guard against collective amnesia through preservation of the valuable archive holdings and library collections” all over the world.

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World-fame Bihari Innovator Helpless to Live Pitiable Life

Motihari:  People fondly call him ‘cycle-wala’. Sixty-five-year-old Mohammed Saidullah, an innovator of world famous amphibious bicycle and tricycle, in Bihar’s Motihari town is living a disgraceful life.

Saidullah, shot to fame when he created an amphibious bicycle to save himself and family members from flood waters in 1975. The same year his Jatwa village in Banjariya block was flooded and local boatmen had refused to carry Saidullah and his family to safe places.

The bicycle led his to win a life-time achievement award in January 2005 from National Innovation Foundation (NIF), an autonomous body under Department of Science and Technology, GOI which promotes grassroots innovations in the country. Here Saidullah was conferred the award by former prez A P J Abdul Kalam.

Saidullah today finds it difficult to afford two-square-meal a day. His left leg was lately bruised somehow, it has grown now and now Saidullah walks with limp.

“You are talking of medical treatment. I think more than medical treatment, getting my stomach filled twice a day is important,” Saidullah told TOI when asked why he doesn’t get his bruise treated.

The innovator, who used to pull rickshaw in Motihari town during 1958 to 1960 to support his education, had just modified conventional bicycle to make amphibious one. The amphibious bicycle had air floats at both the wheels and fan-blades in the rear wheel. Such an improvisation had made his bicycle run flawlessly on water. The bicycle was also able to run in reverse direction.

During Independence Day parade in 1995 at Gandhi Maidan in Patna, Saidullah had exhibited his bicycle before Bihar governor A R Kidwai. On August 22, Saidullah had crossed river Ganga on his amphibious bicycle before a surprised governor and stunned crowd in Patna.

Among the innovations Saidullah had exhibited before the governor included a self-made tractor, engine of pumping set, bicycle and other products.

 “I myself heard a cash award of Rs 51,000 was also announced at the Independence Day function. But I could not get that. I made efforts to know the problem, but in vain,” he added.

Discovery Channel had prominently profiled him in a series of innovations, Saidullah’s innovations also found mention in BBC, Newsweek. NIF also nominated him for Shell’s World Challenge Competition 2006.

 “My entire family was against me when I was selling lands to buy equipment to do innovations,” Saidullah, who has sold all of his property except for a hutment, said.

“I am crying to sell this hutment as well. But unfortunately no one is interested in buying it,” Saidullah, sitting by a plaque “House for Sale” in his hutment, wept at the end of the interview.

“When creativity meets necessity, it is innovation; and when hunger and deprivation meets creativity it is ruination,” Saidullah summed up his plight.

Currently Saidullah survives out of petty work in his workstation.

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