Champaran the ailing pride of India

  Its crystal clear morning in April and I am waiting for train to go back to my destination.I am here at Bapudham Railway station Motihari Champaran.

Champaran literally means a forest of Champa flowers.Champaran which derives its name from two words Champa and Aranya means forest, but yellow flowers of Champa is nowhere in evidence.This railway station is named Bapudham for honouring father of Nation Mahatma Gandhi The man who understood Champaran because Bhojpuri is the only language spoken in Champaran never the less he interacted with the people of Champaran.This place came into news for the first time when Bapu arrived on 10thApril1917.Built.as a part of historic arrival of Bapu and an iconic edifice are testimony to its visionary leader Mahatma Gandhi.The scene is not pleasent here at Bapudham Railway station there is preputual mayhem on the platform and everyone is jostling in mad rush to get somewhere.The coolies in red uniform are absent here.I came to Champaran for a Holiday and spent a week here.During my stay I visited various spots in Champaran East and Champaran West manoeuvring my way through potholes.The British had made Champaran an Independent unit in 1866 but in 1971 it was divided into East Champaran and West Champaran.In Champaran Mahatma Gandhi based himself alternately in the two main town of Champaran mainly Motihari and Bettiah.The Bettiah Christian missionaries flourished under the blessing of Pope Benedict Xiv and the patronage of the royal court of the Bettiah Raj.There is a church in Bettiah and one of the best School for girls St.Teresa.girls High school.In1765the East India company acquired the Bettiah Raj the largest territory under its jurisdiction.It consisted of all the Champaran except for a small portion held by Ramnagar Raj (by Shah Rajput). Ramnagar it is a place that evokes nostalgic emotion because this is the place of my birth.This place is famous for Harinagar sugar mill.Now villages are turning into towns and towns into cities and cities into megacities.But for Champaran it is bitter truth Champaran has got a surprisingly raw deal in popularity like any other big cities of India.Unemployment rates are high farmers are stressed and economy is sluggish.Sugar factories create few jobs. which grow at a snail's pace . Here in Champaran we don't see Industrial development.There are so many places in Champaran that provide a deep insight in India's History and culture.But relatively little attention is given to the fact.The world largest stupa is in Kesaria village of East Champaran.Kesaria is43km away from Bapudham Railway station.There is no rail route for Kesaria village.Tourist activities is negligible here due to poor infrastructure..There is not a single top class hotel here, no fresh drinking water, no toilet within the premises.After 24year excavation is still incomplete.This stupa is probably dates back to the time of Ashoka.Another important place of attraction is Mehsi.The oyster shell button factory at Mehsi only of its kind in the whole of the country.Once upon a time Mehsi was a small rural market only 48km East of Bapudham Railway station.The button factory established here in 1908.The factory flourished huge profits facilitated establishment of many more factories at Mehsi.There are so many artisans and labours employed in this cottage industry.It also employed many more workers in piecing the refuse shell which are used in decorating floors.Women were also employed in pasting button paper sheets.Now most of the button factory in Mehsi is closed due to government apathy.Mehsi is the renowned litchi belt of Champaran.In the month of April and May the sweet smell of the litchi fruit is thick in the air.Mirza Halim Shah ka Mazar is another historical site of attraction visitors from different parts come here to pay their obeisance .This Mazar is in a Hindu -majority area and is revered by all.Another religious place of attraction is Someshwarnath Mandir of Areraj village which is dedicated to Bhagwan Shiva.This place is 28km away from Bapudham Railway station Motihari.

Unfortunately there's no rail route to Areraj.As India enters it's 75years of Independence but the occasion is also an opportunity to introspect why Champaran has not achieved genuine prosperity.After all 75year is a long time and some countries have become prosperous in less than this time.In modern time machine are helping rewrite,history,peering into the ancient and modern Indian history while history of Champaran is not shrouded in mystry . Mahatma Gandhi laid the foundation of Buniyadi school in Barharwa Lakhan Sen and Bhitiharwa where training in spinning and weaving.carpentry ,farming were imparted as a part of school education.In 1917 Gandhi ji set up a Ashram in remote village of  Champaran

West .

This is known as Bhitiharwa Gandhi Ashram.This echoe with the name of Mahatma Gandhi who shaped India's freedom is also callous neglect of his legacy.This is obscure remote quite and heart-tuggingly beautiful Ashram .

Unfortunately this Ashram is not famous as Sabarmati ashram.The hustle and bustle of town are all absent here.Tourist

activities is negligible here.The Ashram preserved one of the unique artifact like jata (hand mill)to grind flour.Photo of revolutionary farmer Rajkumar Shukla is visible here.But the man like Raj Kumar Shukla who silently self-effacingly serve the society with no interest in fame or power or money donot get the attention of the media.

There are so many places in Champaran that provide information about Ancient India.Lauriya Nandan Garh is28km away from Bettiah.One lion pillar is present here.Lauriya is village draws it's name from the pillar (Laur) of Ashoka period.We can see a Buddhist Supa here.Tourist presence are absent here.

This is button factory at Mehsi.We can see deserted look of button factory at  Mehsi.

The another place of attraction is Valmiki Nagar tourist spot.Earlier this place is famous as Bhainsa Lotan.There is a Tiger Reserve here.According to Hindu mythology this is the place where Maharishi Valmiki said to have passed some time.Most of the area of Champaran

are flood prone area. .We are going to commemorate 75th years of Independence on15thAugust 2022 how can I forget the pride of India Champaran once upon a time it was a epicenter of Freedom Movement.How can I forget the great revolutionary farmer Rajkumar Shukla and Mahatama Gandhi.Still I am remembering the words of Bapu,who famously said,it is Champaran that introduced him to India."This is the Champaran of Rajkumar Shukla, Gopal Singh Nepali,Ravish Kumar, Prakash Jha , George Orwell, Manoj Bajpai and this Champaran belongs to me also and my beloved parents are resting in peace here.

All of a sudden train arrives at Bapudham Railway station Motihari.I got a comfortable seat near a window.Soon all were settled now it was time for the train to depart.The train went on even greater speed and stopped at Sugauli.This is the place where on March 4,1816 a treaty was signed between the government of East India company and Nepal.Sugauli is flood prone area. Deluge are prennial sorrow of Champaran. 

Rajkumar Shukla vanished somewhere in the history and no other Rajkumar Shukla is visible to the public eye.

History books do teach us about Champaran but today I saw tangible and ailing Champaran.I closed my eyes and leaned back  and thinking of India's Independence and Satyagraha , because Satyagraha was experimented on the soil of Motihari in Champaran and so Champaran has been starting point of India's Independence .,