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Dear Friends, Johar! I would like to share my experience of Petition Writings to so called V.V.I.Ps of Indian administration in India and abroad. Even the people working in overseas High Commissions and embassies behave as if they are still in India and have no courtesy of even acknowledging the letters. During last 6 months I have written to the Governor of Jharkhand, Prime Minister of India. UPA Chairperson Mrs. Sonia Gandhi and the High Commissioner of India in London. And what happened, you can guess, not a single response came. Not even a simple acknowledgement from any of their offices. I am attaching all those letters and would urge all of you to spare few minutes to read them and tell me what else one can do to bring these issues to their notice. Thank you for your patience. Dhuni Soren 28.7.2009 The High Commissioner of India India House Aldwych London WC2B 4NA. Dear Sir, Re; Governance of India. I am one of the early emigrants to United Kingdom from the old state of Bihar and now Jharkhand area. As far as I am aware, I was the first ever tribal doctor to come to this country from old Bihar state. My love and affection for India and its people and in particular of tribal people has remained as strong as ever in spite of passing years. I have managed to keep close contact with the people of my native place of birth in Jharkhand by regular visits over the years. During my annual visits I spend few months with them and actively participate in their socio-economic, social, cultural, language and literary activities. I also do some charity work in the area with the help and support of my family and friends in UK and extended family in India. I take keen interest in the progress and development of India and am proud of its achievements over the years. But, I am pained and disappointed to see the poor state of the people of my native place in all aspects of their lives including general health care, sanitation, clean drinking water, infrastructure, electrification and livelihood. During my last visit at the end of 2008 and early this year as usual I was in my village attending a blind relief eye camp at the referral hospital of the block head quarter .I was shocked to hear that a wall of the already dilapidated hospital collapsed during the camp but fortunately no one was hurt. After seeing and hearing all these, I wrote a letter to the Governor of Jharkhand in March 2009 as the Presidential rule was already in operation to bring these to his kind attention and to take necessary actions. I was bitterly disappointed not to receive any response, not even an acknowledgement from his office. I then wrote to the Prime Minister Dr. Man Mohan Singh with a copy to Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, the Chair person of UPA government forwarding the letter sent to the Governor of Jharkhand in March 2009.Its more than 5 weeks since I wrote to them and I am still awaiting some response from their offices. The government of India has been encouraging the people of Indian origin living outside India in particular in the western countries to help and support its efforts in the development and progress of the country. They are not only encouraging business and financial investment but also seeking other expertise and goodwill from Indian Diasporas and NRI. But in practice when ever people like me and other well wishers of Indian origin try to do whatever little they can, the response is rather disappointing. I am writing to you with the hope that you may be able to bring these to the notice of government of India and various states of the union. Thanking you in anticipation. Yours faithfully. Dhuni Soren (Dr) Enclosures; 1. Letter to the Prime Minister dated 15th June 2009 2. Letter to the Governor of Jharkhand dated 25th March 2009 PS; Hard copies will follow soon. 15.06.2009 To, The Prime Minister of India PMO office South Block Raisini Hill New Delhi 110 011 India Dear Hon'ble Prime Minister, Re: Presidential Rule in Jharkhand and its governance. I am a concerned Indian Diasporas living in UK for more than 40 years and have profound love and affection for India and its people. I have managed to maintain a close contact with India and in particular Jharkhand, my birth place and its people by regular visits. I spend few months with them every year and try to do whatever I can to preserve and promote tribal culture, heritage, language and literature. I have also been organizing blind relief eye camp annually at my native village with the help of a local charitable trust and support of my family and friends in UK for last 19 years. I came back on 24th of April 09 from my last visit in the middle of great Indian Lok Sabha election and would like to congratulate you for the re-election of your government. As usual I visited my native village Boarijor in the district of Godda in Jharkhand on 14th of Feb. 2009 to participate in a Blind Relief Eye Camp held there at the Referral Hospital of the block. I was very sad and disappointed to see the dilapidated conditions of the hospital buildings with no basic amenities and facilities and the lack of development of the area, the details of which are given in the enclosed letter. I felt obliged to write to the Hon'ble Governor of Jharkhand at the end of March 2009 to bring these problems to his attention with high hope of quick response. But I am sorry to tell you that I am still awaiting response from his office which has compelled me to write this letter to you. People of Jharkhand had high hope of better and efficient governance under the Presidential rule but their experience has been rather disappointing. I have high hope and great expectation like most of the Indians for better and efficient governance from your administration without any fear, favor, prejudice and nepotism. I would urge you to kindly look in to the conditions of Boarijor block and its people in general and Referral Hospital in particular and take appropriate actions to ease the hardship and suffering there. Thanking you in anticipation. Yours sincerely, Dhuni Soren (Dr) Copy to; Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson, UPA Government, 10 Janpath, New Delhi. Enclosure; 1 Letter to the Governor of Jharkhand dated 25th March 2009. BOARIJOR BLOCK AND SHOKING STATE OF ITS REFERAL HOSPITAL From Presently at; Dr. Dhuni Soren Saro-Lukhi Garh (Soren Villa) Dangalpara- Jaruadih Dumka Jharkhand 814101 25.3.2009 To The Governor of Jharkhand Raj Bhawan Ranchi. Jharkhand, India. Your Excellency, Re: Poor state of Boarijor block and its referral Hospital I was born and brought up in a tribal family at Boarijor and have been domiciled in UK for more than 40 years. But I still have love and affection for the people I have left behind. My father Late Ram Soren was a Manjhi of the village and Pargana of the area. He was honoured by the President of India in mid seventies for his outstanding and self less service to the local communities of the area and in particular tribal people. He was visionary and far sighted and understood the importance of the block development office for the development of the area and its people in the Independent India. He was instrumental in bringing the block offices and hospital to Boarijor against all odds. He gave his land for the hospital and girls school at the time of starting block in 1955 and persuaded the local villagers to part with their lands for the block offices and living quarters for the staff working there. In mid 1980s, the government decided to shut down the original hospital which was close to the block office and nearer from the village and local bazaar. The hospital was popular and well attended and was safe for the patients and the staff. The new REFERAL HOSPITAL was built in 1985-1986 with good intention but it was sited miles away from human habitation without consultation and informed consent of the local people. As a result, it never functioned as a hospital because the patients and the staff were afraid of working and living there. Apart from odd out patients, the hospital buildings have been empty all these years except for one week in a year when these are used for BLIND RELIEF CAMPS by a local charitable trust named after my late father. The PARGANAIT RAM SOREN MEMORIAL TRUST has been organising these camps regularly every year with the support of Medical Welfare Society, Liverpool, UK for last 19 years. There is no infra structure and basic amenities or logistic support available from the hospital as they have none and the patients and their attendants have to sleep on the floor. I have been attending these camps regularly and have watched the slow but sure decline and disintegration of the hospital buildings. There are no shutters on the doors and windows and the buildings are crumbling and are unsafe to work and keep any patients even for a very limited period. During the last camp on 14th of February2009, we had a fright of our life when one of the walls of a veranda collapsed in front of our eyes. Luckily no one was hurt. Apart from the deplorable state of the hospital buildings, there are no medical officers posted there on regular basis. I met 3 well meaning and dedicated young doctors during the last Blind Relief camp there. They informed me that they are on deputation but they do not live there as there are no facilities for them and their families. If that is the state of the REFERAL HOSPITAL, one can imagine the services at the Primary health care centres and to the communities at large. The Profile of Boarijor block: Boarijor is one of the 6 blocks of the district of Godda and is primarily a tribal block in the Damin-I-Koh - Total Population- 1, 13225
- ST 60% 67,590 +10,800 (Paharia)
- SC 3672
- Literacy of general population; 33.56% (31,134) in comparison to 54.13% of the state.
- Literacy of tribal people; 19% only
This block is one of the most backward, deprived and neglected in the state of Jharkhand and people are not awake to life and freedom in spite of 63 years of the Independence of India. - The majorities of the population are poor and live in the leaking thatched houses.
- Still using primitive tools for cultivation and livelihood and migrate to the surrounding states for works after few months of harvesting.
- Have no irrigation facilities and are dependant on Monsoon for their agriculture.
- There is no electricity supply to the villages except for the coal mining areas of Lalmatia (Eastern Coal Field Limited), one of the biggest and surrounding villages.
- There are schools and few colleges but the quality of education and retention of students is poor and the illiteracy amongst the tribal population is far below the rest of Jharkhand.
- Health care is poor and inaccessible for the tribal people and have to depend on private practitioners and quacks if they can afford and herbal medicines resulting in premature and avoidable deaths.
- Infants and maternal deaths are still high and unacceptable.
- There is no clean and safe drinking water which can reduce the water borne diseases by more than quarter.
- Roads from Lalmatia to Borio via Boarijor and from Boarijor to Bhuska in the west and Mirzachawki in the north are no better than when I left my village by bullock cart for England more than 40 years ago except that they were dusty and muddy then but now they are full of stone chips, gravels and ditches.
- But there is a railway track running past tribal villages including Boarijor for goods trains only to carry coal to Farraka power plants but none for the travelling public.
- No job opportunities for the majority of the local people for 9 months of the year except few hundred labouring and menial jobs in the coal mines.
- Lack of jobs nearer home have resulted in migration of work force to urban towns and cities affecting social and cultural fabrics of the tribal people and become the victims of the modern day diseases of the HIV and AIDS.
I am saddened to see the pathetic conditions of the local people who are voiceless and helpless and no one to speak up for them. There has been very little noticeable development and progress in the area. As a native of Boarijor village, I felt obliged to bring these facts of neglect to Your Excellency's kind attention for early investigation and appropriate actions to alleviate the suffering of the innocent and the poor tribal people. Yours truly, DHUNI SOREN (Dr.) 33 Longmeadow Road. Knowsley LIVERPOOL L34 0HN ENGLAND Tele-00441515464892 Email; dhuni.soren@btopenworld.com Copies: 1.The Deputy Commissioner, Godda, Jharkhand 2. The Civil Surgeon cum CMO, Godda, Jharkhand.
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