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Author Archives: Pankaj Adhikari

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Morocco, the story of the tournament

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Despite Morocco‘s defeat in the World Cup semi-finals against formidable France, the North African nation, as an underdog, scripted history not only for the African and Arab world, but also for the entire world.

In 1977, when only three African nations were permitted to qualify for the World Cup, soccer legend Pele predicted: “An African nation will win the World Cup before the year 2000.”

However, by the end of 2010 World Cup in South Africa, only three African nations had reached the quarter-finals: Cameroon in 1990, Senegal in 2002 and Ghana in 2010. In the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Algeria was the only African country to qualify for the group stages. They lost to Germany in the round of 16. In 2018, no African nation could reach the knockout stages of the World Cup in Russia.

TV grab of the semi-finals match, France vs Morocco

Morocco’s advancement to the semi-finals in this World Cup took them one step closer to making Pele’s prediction a reality, though years later.

The 2022 World Cup has been a tournament of underdogs and iconic upsets with Saudi Arabia defeating the mighty Argentina, Japan triumphing over Germany, Korea winning over Portugal and Tunisia defeating formidable France. Also, football giants like Spain, Belgium and Denmark tasted defeat at the hands of African and Asian teams.

It’s worth noting the heroics of Morocco especially after the country defeated Spain, one of the only eight countries to have ever won the trophy and Portugal, which is ninth in FIFA’s ranking of the national teams.

National anthems of the two teams being played before the match

Morocco will forever be remembered for their fearless zeal, passion, skill, team effort and relentless fight. Notwithstanding Messsi, Neymer, Ronaldo and Mbappe, fans won’t forget Youssef-en- Nesyri whose fine header against Portugal secured Morocco a spot in the semi-finals, manager Walid Regragui without whose cool, intelligent leadership none of this would have been possible, Hakim Ziyech, Sofiane Boufal, Yassine Bounou, and Achraf Hakimi.

Morocco may have failed to reach the finals, but it has touched the hearts of milions of fans not only in Africa and the Arab world, but across continents. The defeat to France can’t take away for a moment the impact Morocco’s advancement to the semi-finals has had on its country, its people and anyone, who has ever felt like the underdog.

Even though the tournament isn’t over yet, there’s no denying Morocco is the ‘Story of the Tournament’.

 

 

 


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In front of bison at Betla

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The day dawned. We got out of bed at 5.30am for the safari at the Betla National Park, located in the Chotanagpur plateau of the Latehar district in Jharkhand. It was cold with temperature hovering around 14 degrees Celsius. The Park’s entrance gate was very near to Banvihar (a Jharkhand Tourism property) where we had checked in the previous day. Warmth of the guy at the ticket (Rs 1,200) counter touched us. We’re given a Commander jeep and a young and energetic driver. Going on a safari with an expert guide makes the experience mind-blowing and we’re fortunate enough to get a knowledgeable guide.

The author with cousin at the entrance of the Park

There were no other tourists in the jeep. The gate opened and the jeep made its way into the forest. With the rays of the early-morning sun caressing the trees, we were transported to another world. I could see tree leaves covered with dew drops. “Keep a close look at either side of the road,” said our guide. “If you’re lucky, you may spot bison, leopard or elephant.”

Two years ago, the guide reminisced, a tigress was killed by a group of bison. “Since then tigers at Betla disappeared,” he added. As the jeep moved ahead slowly along the meandering roads, we came across the site where the tigress was killed. “The autopsy showed the tigress was carrying three cubs,” the guide rued, pointing to the site.

“Shhh,” the guide muttered. “Look at the bison.” We could see as many as four bison in the dense forest not far from us. One of them was feeding her baby. “Don’t get off the jeep,” the driver said. “I’ll be in trouble. There are several cameras kept hidden among the branches of the trees.” We snapped photos of the bison from the jeep.

The sun rose as a canopy of gold, bright amid the blue bidding the stars to take their nightly rest.  I was reminded of the lines: “The early morning is the dominion of birds, for they in bright feathered plume, are so very in love with the sunrise.” We’re captivated by the sweet chirp of birds as the jeep moved deep into the forest. Beatles’ Norwegian Wood crossed my mind.

We saw peacocks and a herd of deer frolicking in the forest. “If you visit the park in April or May, you can see leopards here,” the guide said. The safari was just for one hour. “If you’d like to spend more time in the forest, you’ve to come out of the forest and buy another ticket for one more hour,” the driver said.

The safari began at 6am and got over at 7am.

Want to have a real feel of the forest? You may stay at Tree House inside the forest. The booking may be made from DFO office, Daltonganj, now known as Medininagar. Tel: 995552731/6562222454

We bid adieu to bewitching Betla and headed for Ranchi on our way back to Kolkata. The trip was a true broadening of the horizon for me, an education for the mind and a rejuvenation of the soul.

(Concluded)


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Bewitching Betla

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Part 2

Jharkhand, famously known as the “Land of Forests” is an ultimate destination for nature lovers and wildlife aficionados.

As the crowd melted away from the sunset view point at Netarhat, Naresh drove us back to a roadside restaurant (Hotel Nagbanshi). “If you bring desi chicken, I can cook for you,” the young man at the restaurant said. “The shop is nearby,” he added. Excited, my cousin Pronab and I hurried to buy the chicken. As we handed over the chicken to the young man, he said: “Your dinner will be ready by 9.30pm.”

We then went to see the Netarhat Residential School, a unique initiative by the Jharkhand government for poor and meritorious students. Established in 1954, the school consistently produces toppers of the Bihar School Examination Board. We couldn’t go inside the campus which is spread over 780 acres.

Pronab and I then returned to the hotel. Around 9.30pm we went back to the restaurant for dinner. The menu was: hot roti, rice, dal and desi chicken. We thanked the young man for the hearty meal. The stillness of the night whispered peace. With the moon shining up in the sky, I was savoring every moment.

The next day morning we woke up very early to see the sunrise at Magnolia Point, the same site where we went to see the sunset. It was 5.40am. Naresh drove us to the viewpoint. The wind was beginning to lift the veil of mist which melted away slowly before the sun. The rising sun cast a rosy hue across the morning sky. Spellbound, we watched the sun slowly rising on the eastern horizon. After soaking in the mesmerizing sight, we returned to the hotel.

Our next destination was Betla National Park located on the Chotanagpur plateau in the Latehar and Palamu district.

We quickly had our breakfast at the restaurant where we had our dinner and bid adieu to Netarhaat around 8.30am. The 94km drive through the luxuriant sal forests was breathtaking. Nature has bestowed all her treasures here. Driving through the enthralling terrains and dense forests, I recalled an anonymous quote: “The view is tree-mendous!”

We drove past a bridge over the river Koel. Pronab and I got off the car to take some photographs of the romantic river. Even though the midday sun was blazing down, our mood was as brilliant as the rays of the sun.

We finally reached Betla around 12pm and checked into Banvihar (a Jharkhand Tourism property) which was very close to the entrance to Betla National Park.  A very spacious ground floor room was given to us. After leaving our luggage at the hotel, we drove to Palamu Fort, 3km from Banvihar. The poor maintenance of the Fort was appalling. After spending about an hour, we returned to the hotel for lunch.

The timing for the National Park safari is from 7am to 9am in the morning and from 2pm to 4pm in the afternoon (entry fees Rs 1,200). We decided to take the morning safari the next day.

(To be continued)


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Captivated by the sights and sounds of Netarhat

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If the world’s too much with you and if you’re looking for peace and tranquility, get your backpack ready and head for Netarhat, a tiny hill station in Latehar district of Jharkhand.

My cousin Pronab broached the idea of going to Netarhat, also referred to as “Queen of Chotanagpur”. The entire plan was cooked up and final decision taken in just less than 24hours on a weekend.

Malda Intercity chugged off from platform no 17 of Howrah station at 12.50pm. Our destination: Ranchi

The second sleeper compartment was not crowded, much to our relief. Possibly, it being Sunday, there weren’t many hawkers in the compartment. The first stop was Kharagpur; the train then stopped at Bishnupur, Bankura, Bokaro, Jhalida and a couple of other stations before finally screeching to a halt at Ranchi at 10pm about 15 minutes early. As we got off the train, we could feel the chill. I quickly zipped up my jacket after I shivered with cool breeze brushing against my bare face. We took the stairs up, ambled out of the station, took a rickshaw and reached Hotel Guru.

We stayed overnight at Ranchi and the next morning we rented a car to travel to Netarhaat about 151km away. We left Ranchi around 8.45am; after traveling about 30 minutes on the NH39, our car left behind the city bedlam. We could see the lush green fields on either side of the road. Nature unfolded her treasure as we feasted our eyes. Wordsworth’s “Nature never did betray the heart that loved her,” crossed my mind. Lush carpet of pine needles and spongy grass greeted my eyes.

“I’ll let you have a delicious breakfast,” said driver Naresh as he stopped the car at a wayside eatery — Puja Sweets Centre– at a place called Bero. We got off the car, ordered singara, fried litti (a local delicacy) and tea. The litti was simply mind-blowing.

For the next almost three hours we drove through the hilly terrain and savored, to the hilt, the lush green of “pine needles and spongy grass” on the way. Satyajit Ray’s Aronner Din Raatri’s unforgettable scene in which Rabi Ghosh burnt a copy of The Statesman in his inimitable style saying “Sobbhoytar songe sob somporko sesh (We cut off all ties with the civilization)” came to mind.

We finally reached Netarhaat (3,700ft), the highest point in the Chotanagpur plateau, around 1.45pm. Temperature then was around 15 degrees Celsius. The great sweep of the plateau was breathtaking. As we didn’t book any hotel in advance, we had to look for a hotel. We checked in Hotel Prakash, a budget, yet a reasonably good, hotel.

“Please get your lunch fast, sir, we’ve to go to the sunset view point,” Naresh said. “Sunrise and sunset views here are stunning.” By the time we had our shower and finished our lunch, it was well past 4pm. We drove to the Magnolia sunset point (about 5km from our hotel) to witness the spectacular sight. The sky was ablaze with the fire of the setting sun as it was slowly disappearing on the western horizon. We watched in awe as the majestic beauty overwhelmed us.

 

PHOTO: PRONAB RAHA

The mesmerizing view of the blazing sunset remained etched in my mind as darkness descended slowly on the hill town.

For booking Hotel Guru (Ranchi), Call 9334422773

Hotel Prakash (Netarhat), Call Sanjiv: 8986649798/7091129278

For better accommodation

Lake View Resort (Netarhat) Tel 7321991365/9693512065/8809815397

Ravi & Sashi (Netarhat) Tel 9934769927/9431500964)

(To be continued)

 


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Magical Muruguma

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As we (Amitava, Apurba, Suvendu and I) reached Muruguma, Purulia around 5pm after nine hours of drive from Naihati, our worries faded away as we got immersed in watching birds returning to their nests in green, luscious forest with the sun slowly disappearing on the horizon. Chrystal Woods’ “a sunset is the sun’s fiery kiss to the night,” crossed my mind.

My three friends are artists (Amitava from Kala Bhavan, Santiniketan, Apurba and Suvendu studied in Govt. Art College, Kolkata) and it was primarily their decision to visit Muruguma.

In Satyajit Ray’s Aranyer Din Ratri (1969), the four friends “had specific reasons for their journey: Asim wanted to try out his new car and wanted to be irresponsible in the company of his friends. Sanjoy needed relaxation from the cares of his work. Hari wanted to forget about the girl who had ditched him. Shekhar’s friends wanted him for the tonic effects of his company.”

However, we had just one reason: to get out of the unbearable humidity and cacophony of the city to breathe fresh air and savor the wonders of Nature.

After we left Naihati around 7am, we took Ishwar Gupta Setu in Kalyani to cross Ganga. Our driver Biswarup drove down Durgapur Expressway and crossed Durgapur Barrage and Beliatore village in Barjora block in Bankura on our way to Purulia. The midday sun was blazing down as we were wonderstruck by the beauty of kash flowers on either side of the road. With Durga puja a few days away, the color of the sky was azure, a typical characteristic of Sarat which we sadly miss in Kokata. I was reminded of one of the characters in Aranyer Din Ratri burning a copy of The Statesman and announcing their parting with ‘civilization’. My heart leapt every time I saw kash flowers growing in abundance by the roadside.

As we’re getting late we had our lunch on the way. We phoned the manager of the resort saying that we wouldn’t take lunch. It was around 5pm when we reached Palash Bitan Jungle Huts. Dilipbabu, the manager, welcomed us and took us to our room. There are as many as 11 cottages at Palash Bitan. We’re taken to the cottage where we’d stay three nights. The room was modestly decorated.

What struck us first about the resort’s staff was their warmth and cordiality. Soon darkness descended on the resort and there was silence all around except the buzz of crickets. We were feeling hungry after the long drive. Muri, hot vegetable pakora and tea were served for evening snack.

The dinner was ready around 9.30pm. We were given hot rice/roti, begun bhaja, saabji and chicken, and rosogolla. We were bone-tired and hit the sack early. The next day we woke up early to see the sunrise from the Muruguma lake located on the western flank of the Ayodhya Hills. We strolled down to the view point and saw the sun slowly rising from the horizon. The beauty of the placid lake, the dam, the sound of silence and the serene surroundings moved us.

After experiencing the soul-stirring scene for half an hour, we walked back to the resort. We’re given tea while breakfast was being readied. Soon we were served boiled egg, luchi, alu chochhori and awesome labangolotika (this particular misti is very rarely available in Kolkata now.)

After breakfast, as my artist-friends took out their sketch books and began drawing, I decided to pen a few lines while soaking in serene, tranquil surrounding.

Lunch was delectable: rice, alu bhaja, mosur daal, cabbage curry, kaatla maach and chaatni/papad. Lunch over, we took a nap and got ready to visit Begun Kodor bazaar which was 6kms away. The bazaar was centred around an old Rash mandir. It was crowded. We had a resort staff with us who took us to the sweet shop from where they purchase labongolatika. We had tea there. It was getting dark; we drove back to the resort.

Unalloyed adda followed. Dinner was served around 9.30pm. We’ve no complaint about the food which was served.

For three days, we stayed in and around the resort only and enjoyed every moment in the lap of nature. Sadly, our three-day trip came to an end in no time. But, the memories of Muruguma will remain etched deeply in my mind

 

Photo: Apurba Sengupta and Subhendu Sarkar

For booking Palash Bitan, contact Joyeeta Sinha (Tel: 9674222675)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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Hey, we’re ‘Special’…

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I’d like to begin with a famous quote by Stephen Hawking, one of the renowned scientists of the 20th century, who had motor neuron disease and was confined to a wheel chair and had a computer system that allowed him to communicate.

“My advice to other disabled people would be, concentrate on things your disability doesn’t prevent you from doing well and don’t regret the things it interferes with. Don’t be disabled in spirit as well as physically.”

Indeed, special needs children shouldn’t feel that they’re ‘disabled in spirit as well as physically’.

Samuel Kirk, the American psychologist and special education pioneer, who first coined the term “learning disability” in 1963, said: “When youngsters in the same class room are remarkably different, it is difficult for the teacher to help them reach their educational potential without some kind of assistance. The help that the schools provide for children who differ significantly from the norm is called special education”.

Special educators are responsible for the educational needs of children with a wide range of disabilities. These children also require different services in their educational experiences. Knowledge of each type of disability and the specific needs of the children with that disability are crucial if he or she plans to be involved in the field of special education.

Unfortunately, acceptance among parents is a great deterrent to the needs of special children. Their frustration and disappointment is understandable, but they should bear in mind that every child is unique and each has hidden potential which we should ignite.

We may recall here what Einstein had said: “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”

Coming down to the local scenario, catering to the needs of these special children and awareness about this population picked up late in West Bengal and was in a nascent stage even in the first decade of the 21st century.

Fortunately, things have taken a turn for the better and many organizations have come forward to lend their helping hands. In Kolkata, IICP, Manovikas, Noble Mission, Pradeep and Julian Day New Mission School and Training College have been doing a commendable job with unwavering commitment and unflinching zeal.

Let us hope more and more organizations will step out and say to these children: “I just called to say I love you” (to remember blind American singer Stevie Wonder’s famous song).

 

 


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Where have all those Bengali ‘buddhijibis’ gone now…

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Nelson Mandela once said: “Destroying any nation does not require the use of atomic bombs or the use of long-range missiles. It only requires lowering the quality of education and allowing cheating in the examinations by the students…

“Patients die at the hands of such doctors. Buildings collapse at the hands of such engineers. Humanity dies at the hands of such religious teachers. Justice is lost at the hands of such judges. Money is lost at the hands of such economists and accountants.”

“The collapse of education is the collapse of the nation.”

The above messages are brutally true in the context of Bengal’s appalling state of education!

Bengal, which used to lead the country from the front during pre-Independence days, has now fallen into a gutter, recovery from which seems almost impossible unless the current leadership is shown the door. Well, the ‘fall’ had begun from later years of the Left regime which ruled the state for over three decades. But, at least, there was some semblance of respectability toward true academicians. Merit and unblemished experience were given preference then in matters of appointment in most cases.

Unfortunately, over the last 11 years, the education sector is neck-deep in corruption and is run by thoroughly corrupt, uneducated politicians and their lackeys aided by bumptious bureaucrats. The recent recovery of huge cash and ornaments from former education minister Partha Chatterjee’s aide’s houses speaks volumes for the extent of that filth, corruption and nepotism.

Sadly enough, the Bengali intellectuals, barring a few, have remained strangely silent and mute spectators to the current malaise afflicting the education sector. (We may recall the leadership efforts of German intellectuals– Karl Jaspers, Thomas Mann, Friedrich Meinecke, and Bertolt Brecht– and their contributions to post-war cultural reconstruction.)

The reasons for Bengal’s collapse of education, however, aren’t far to seek. From admission to colleges and universities to recruiting teachers, political influence, money and tolabaaji (extortion) are playing a major role. The faceless and shameful ‘buddhijibis” (including poets, writers, artists, theatre personalities and musicians) have been blatantly purchased by the powers-that-be: they’ve been given numerous facilities and rewarded with all kinds of “…bhushans”. Filmmaker Anik Dutta has rightly pointed out that the word “buddhijibi” now sounds like an ‘abuse’. It’s truly deplorable that the Bengali intellectuals are still keeping mum over the spate of allegations against the former education minister and have never condemned the current corrupt leadership and come out on the streets to show genuine concern for or stand by the agitating job-seekers who have been holding dharnas over the past 500 days braving police torture, sun and rain.

Ironically, these are the ‘buddhijibis’ who took to the streets during the Nandigram massacre in 2007.

The ‘buddhijibis’ have a crucial role in the fight against corruption as they can demand accountability and transparency from the government. While the masses are appalled by the deep-rooted corruption in the sphere of education in Bengal, these spineless and sycophantic intellectuals have remained silent and are waiting in the wings to jump the ship.

Bengal badly needs outspoken, upright and intrepid writers like Nabarun Bhattacharyya whose writings often brought him in conflict with the powers-that-be and who till the end remained a fearless voice against the power and corruption.

Cartoon by Suparno Chaudhuri


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