IT is perhaps their only way of working out an oppressive, intense nostalgia. For many NRIs, the longing for, and desire to alleviate the poverty of the 'home country' manifests itself through generous donations for 'good causes' back home. But rarely does such philanthropy extend further than that. This aseptic patriotism generated by foreign climes, perhaps, does not allow for a renunciation of the good life. Therefore instances of these people, who've 'made it good', abandoning their settled and prosperous life abroad and returning to face the hard reality of India are few and far between. But then there's always someone who disproves a theory. And D.D. Choudhary is one such man. His is a story of an NRI who, after 20 lustrous years in the US, returned home to his nondescript village and devoted his life to its unpliftment.
Pothia, a small hamlet in the interiors of Bihar, is about 30 km away from Bhagalpur. Like many others villages that dot the Indian landscape, Pothia and its 1,200 residents have been completely bypassed by any developmental activity or progress. Predictably, there are no roads here, and even the nearest nominal, severely damaged strip extends only to Sinhaula, 5 km away. After this, it's a walk through the fields. When Choudhary landed here, the whole village was an ignoble tale of disorder, ignorance and poverty. There was no school within a 10 km range, no post office or bank and a hospital was a very distant dream. But Choudhary, determined to change this all-too-familiar rural Indian plot, ran from pillar to post trying to get these basic facilities in his village. Inevitably, he came up against India's benumbing bureaucracy and only by dipping into his own resources was he able to get things moving. Even then, it was a grim, lonely battle. "Just two hands were not enough. I felt I needed more hands to overcome the obstacles which thwarted my plans for the village," reminisces Choudhary.
An IIT graduate, Choudhary was most concerned about education. In fact, it was his passion for higher education which took him to the US, a masters in petroleum engineering and an MBA were followed by a PhD in Economics. So, naturally he focused on building a school in the village. He started with just six students, all boys, whom he used to teach at home. It took all his persuasive skills to convince some parents into letting their girls join the group. Such acts, considered socially taboo, did invite ridicule, but when the good word spread and children from nearby villages started coming to his school, people realised the importance of Choudhary's plans. Soon he became a father-figure, the 'Baba' of the villagers and his dreams began taking a concrete shape.
Today, there're two schools in the village, one each for boys and girls. The boys secondary school has facilities from well-stocked science labs to adequate sports equipment. Special coaching classes are also held for brighter students aspiring for engineering and medical exams. As for the girls, besides academics they're provided vocational training in sewing, nursing as well as handicrafts. Passouts of the vocational school are given a loan of Rs 3,000 by the 'Gramin Bank' to set up their own units. This bank, another result of Choudhary's untiring efforts also provides loans to farmers in the area. To mitigate the suffering of patients having to traverse long distances for treatment, a six-bed hospital has also been set up. Then there's the post office as well. But it's in education that Choudhary's campaign has had amazing results. With senior school students required to teach two adults as part of their curriculum, today, there's not a single illiterate in the village!
When 14 years ago, Choudhary decided to return to his village, friends in the US thought it was a passing bout of romantic frenzy. "But this romance was there to stay," says Choudhary. Hardships along the way only steeled his determination. Plans for the future include an intermediate level in the schools and a road from Sinhaula to Pothia (which has already been sanctioned). Though a recent flood caused grave damage to the schools, Choudhary isn't disheartened. Nothing, he avers, can put him out of business. His address: D.D. Choudhary, village Pothia (Sinhaula), district Bhagalpur, pin: 813205.
