This story may not be of any use to Nitish Kumar, neither it is intended for him. But the story of late Manju Sinha is worth pondering over by all those who like and relish to get themselves branded as workaholic. The life style and the work ethics must remain balanced, otherwise we repent for not enjoying some real nice things and relations bestowed on us by the almighty, if at all He does that. As otherwise too, the demise of the wife of the CM, Bihar leaves behind some unanswered questions in the mind of Biharis and even, the people at large.

Bihar’s CM lost his wife on April 14, 2007. I came to know of the news while surfing the site of Daily Telegraph, Kolkata at around 4AM on April 15. I went to Patna’s news sites that I usually look at regularly. Websites of patnadaily.com and bihartimes.com did carry the sad news. However, I couldn’t trace the news in any of the national newspapers of New Delhi. For them, all other news-matters appeared to be so hot that they never cared to have the news covered even in a corner. After all Manju Devi was not Rabri Devi. Funny, is it not? Media and particularly its reporters who, as I assume, are mostly from the same region, would have been a little more sensitive.

I just can’t understand the way things go for the first family of the state like Bihar, or for that matter any state. While Nitish Kumar might be too busy to provide the attention desired, was there none- servants, assistants, relatives, or sycophants from the party in the chief minister’s residence to take care of the ill health of the first lady of the house there? Is the family not provided with a panel of doctors for regular medical checks and attention? Why was she taken to the nursing home of Kankarbag? Is it the best one? Did the nursing home provide the attention of the best of doctors and right medication? Is it not the minimum the wife of a CM deserves? Couldn’t the doctor attending her diagnose the trouble? People of Bihar have a right to know about it. And the doctors attending her and the nursing home must come out with some of the details. The story will be a black spot on the capability of the doctors of Patna who have earned a name for careless approach to their patients. I have some doubts about the seriousness of the doctors of Patna who attended her. I know neither Late Manju Sinha would have complained because of his humility nor Nitish Kumar will ever come out with any doubt about the doctors. It is perhaps the way the family has built its own culture.

Why was the CM’s wife shifted to Max Hospital in New Delhi and not to other more reputed and established ones? Was that a decision of Nitish Kumar or the doctors of Patna? Why can’t some help from the doctors from the other hospitals in New Delhi or other cities in the country or abroad sought when the condition was so critical? The authority or doctors of Max hospital attending Late Manjuji must issue statement detailing circumstances and reasons that made her succumb to pneumonia. It speaks very poorly about the Max Hospital that wishes to have a big name in healthcare in India. How can a country expect a huge inflow of medical tourists, if its reputed hospital can’t treat a case of pneumonia?

Late Manju Sinha was a teacher in a school in Patna, and remained that even after becoming the wife of the CM of Bihar. Her simplicity and detachment from the perks of a CM wife must be lesson to many and all.

But at the end I shall like to remind the people of Bihar what Laluji spoke in full view on T cameras on news channels when the Yadav family had to leave the official residence of the chief minister. “I am leaving behind one ghost on one of the tree in the complex that will keep on troubling Nitishji.” Most of us come from rural Bihar where we still believe in those forces even after all our education. Why would have he uttered that?

My Choicest Readings April 18, 2007

1. A five trillion dollar market
2. India seeks higher-value work
3. Mayawati and the emergence of Dalit power
4. Diagnosis: Casteism
5. From Ajanta caves to financial waves
6. Divided we stand