फादर कामिल बुल्के

हिंदी भाषेतील पहिली डॉक्टरेट पदवी मिळवण्याचा मान जन्माने बेल्जियम आणि ख्रिस्ती धर्मगुरू असलेल्या फादर कामिल बुल्के यांना मिळाला. त्यांच्या प्रबंधाचा विषय होता : ‘रामकथा : उत्पत्ती और विकास’. फादर बुल्के यांचा इंग्रजी-हिंदी शब्दकोश आजही नावाजला जातो. 

‘ख्रिस्ती मिशनरींचे योगदान’ या पुस्तकातील हे एक प्रकरण...  ..

भारतीय संस्कृतीशी एकरूप होऊन महान कार्य केल्याबद्दल मदर तेरेसा यांना ‘भारतरत्न’ हा सर्वोच्च नागरी सन्मान देऊन सरकारने त्यांचा गौरव केला. त्याचप्रमाणे रामकथेवर मूलभूत स्वरूपाचे संशोधन करणाऱ्या, इंग्रजी-हिंदी शब्दकोशाची निर्मिती करणाऱ्या फादर कामिल बुल्के या जन्माने बेल्जियम असणाऱ्या ख्रिस्ती धर्मगुरूचाही ‘पद्मश्री’ हा सन्मान देऊन गौरव करण्यात आला. प्राच्यविद्यापंडित, संपूर्ण बायबलचे हिंदीत रूपांतर करणारे अनुवादक आणि हिंदी व संस्कृत भाषेचे पंडित म्हणून फादर बुल्के यांचा खास उल्लेख केला जातो.

फादर कामिल बुल्के यांचा जन्म बेल्जियम देशात १९०९ साली झाला. कॅथोलिक धर्मगुरू होण्यासाठी येशूसंघात दाखल होण्यापूर्वी त्यांनी इंजिनिअरिंगचे शिक्षण पूर्ण केले. भारतात त्यांनी १९३५ साली पाय ठेवला आणि १९४१ साली धर्मगुरू म्हणून त्यांना दीक्षा देण्यात आली. कलकत्ता विद्यापीठात त्यांनी संस्कृत विषयात पदवी संपादन केली, त्यानंतर अलाहाबाद विद्यापीठात त्यांनी हिंदी विषयात डॉक्टरेट मिळवली. त्यांच्या प्रबंधाचा विषय होता, ‘रामकथा : उत्पत्ती और विकास’.

विशेष बाब म्हणजे फादर बुल्के यांचा हा प्रबंध अलाहाबाद विद्यापीठातील हिंदी साहित्यावरील पहिलाच हिंदी प्रबंध होता. तोपर्यंत या विद्यापीठात या विषयावरील सर्व प्रबंध इंग्रजीतूनच लिहिले जात असत. फादर बुल्के यांचा हा प्रबंध स्वातंत्र्यप्राप्तीच्या सुमारास सादर केला गेल्याने या प्रबंधाचे लेखक त्या वेळी प्रकाशझोतात आले. अलाहाबाद विद्यापीठाने हा प्रबंध १९५० साली प्रसिद्ध केला आणि त्या प्रबंधाची विस्तारित म्हणजे ८१८ पानांची आवृत्ती झाली. या तीन आवृत्तींच्या प्रकाशनावरून जवळजवळ पंचवीस वर्षे फादर बुल्के हे रामकथेच्या कसे प्रेमात पडले होते हे दिसून येते.

फादर बुल्के यांचे रामकथेवरील हे संशोधन केवळ हिंदी भाषिकांपुरते सीमित राहिलेले नाही. केरळ साहित्य अकादमीने १९७८ साली या पुस्तकाचे मल्याळम भाषेत रूपांतर केले.

फादर बुल्के १९५० ते १९७७ या काळात यांची येथील सेंट झेविअर कॉलेजमध्ये हिंदी आणि संस्कृत विषयांचे विभागप्रमुख होते. यावरून त्यांनी या विषयात किती प्रावीण्य मिळवले होते, याची कल्पना येते.

बेल्जियममधून भारतात आल्यापासूनच फादर बुल्के या देशाच्या विशेषत: हिंदी भाषिक उत्तर भारताच्या प्रेमात पडले. त्या काळात भारतात येणारे बहुतेक मिशनरी ख्रिस्ती धर्माचा प्रसार हेच आपले जीवितध्येय समजत असत. फादर बुल्के यांनी मात्र धर्मगुरूपदाचे कार्य पार पाडण्यासाठी सर्वप्रथम स्थानिक लोकांशी आणि संस्कृतीशी एकरूप होण्यावर अधिक भर दिला. त्यासाठी त्यांनी १९५० साली भारतीय नागरिकत्व स्वीकारून आपल्या मायदेशाची नाळ कायमची तोडून टाकली.

फारद बुल्के यांची साहित्यक्षेत्रातील कार्याची दखल घेऊन १९५० साली बिहार राज्याच्या राज्यपालांनी बिहार साहित्य अकादमीचे संस्थापक सदस्य म्हणून त्यांची नेमणूक केली. त्यानंतरच्या काळात राष्ट्रीय पातळीवरील अनेक महत्त्वाच्या समित्यांचे सदस्य म्हणून केंद्र सरकारतर्फे त्यांची निवृत्ती करण्यात आली. राज्य आणि राष्ट्रीय पातळीवरील अनेक साहित्य संस्थांचे सदस्य म्हणून त्यांनी कार्य केले. राष्ट्रीय पातळीवर हिंदी भाषेचा राष्ट्रभाषा म्हणून मोठ्या प्रमाणात वापर व्हावा म्हणून त्यांनी प्रयत्न केले.

रामकथेच्या संशोधनानंतर फादर बुल्के यांनी इंग्रजी-हिंदी शब्दकोशाची निर्मिती आणि संपूर्ण बायबलचे हिंदीत रूपांतर करण्याच्या कार्यात स्वत:ला वाहून घेतले. त्यांचा इंग्रजी-हिंदी कोश १९६८ साली प्रसिद्ध झाला. त्यानंतर या शब्दकोशाच्या अनेक आवृत्त्या निघाल्या. १९७७ साली संपूर्ण नव्या कराराचा म्हणजे बायबलच्या दुसऱ्या खंडाचा त्यांनी केलेला अनुवाद प्रसिद्ध झाला. संपूर्ण बायबलचा हिंदी अनुवाद १९८६ साली प्रसिद्ध झाला. त्यांच्या निधनानंतर रेडिओवर आणि दूरदर्शनवर या प्राच्यविद्यापंडिताच्या कार्यावर आधारित खास कार्यक्रम प्रसारित करण्यात आला.

फादर बुल्के हिंदी भाषिक प्रदेशातील बिगर ख्रिस्ती समाजात ‘बाबा बुल्के’ म्हणून ओळखले जात. हिंदी आणि संस्कृत व्यतिरिेक्त फादर बुल्के यांना हिब्रू, ग्रीक, लॅटिन भाषा अवगत होत्या. डच, फ्रेंच आणि जर्मन भाषांतसुद्धा ते उत्तमरीत्या संभाषण करत असत.

कॅथोलिक चर्चमध्ये आंतरधर्मीय सामंजस्याचे आणि सुसंवादाचे वारे १९६२साली भरलेल्या दुसऱ्या व्हॅटिकन परिषदेनंतर सुरू झाले, पण या परिषदेपूर्वीच फादर बुल्के यांनी या दिशेने वाटचाल सुरू केली होती. त्यामुळेच त्यांना अनेकदा विरोध आणि टीकेस तोंड द्यावे लागले. आज मात्र फादर बुल्के यांनी केलेल्या कार्यास सगळीकडे मान्यता मिळाली आहे. ‘जोपर्यंत जगात रामकथा सांगितली जाते, तोपर्यंत बाबा बुल्के हे नाव विसरले नाव विसरले जाणार नाही, असे त्यांच्या मृत्यूनंतर एका हिंदी पंडिताने म्हटले होते.

Camil Parkhe 

Has Bihar voted against communal polarisation?

Has Bihar voted against polarisation?

Reporters Name | CAMIL PARKHE | Wednesday, 18 November 2015 AT 09:10 AM IST

    

Sakal Times Pune

http://www.sakaaltimes.com/NewsDetails.aspx?NewsId=5393045696791129537&SectionId=4861338933482912746&SectionName=Blog&NewsTitle=Has%20Bihar%20voted%20against%20polarisation

One of the highlights of the recent Bihar assembly poll is that the voters have completely rejected attempts of polarisation on communal grounds. The number of Muslim MLAs has risen from 19 of the previous house to 24 but a party which wants to identify itself as one with minority community politics has been rejected by the people. What is most striking is that of these 22 belong to the JDU, Lalu Prasad Yadav’s RJD and the Congress while the BJP has only one Muslim MLA. The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) led by Asaduddin Owaisi which had fielded its candidates in the Muslim dominant region has failed to make its debut in the Bihar assembly. The AIMIM was hoping to win some seats in the Bihar assembly which would have served as an entry point to the Hindi belt.

Almost all parties in the poll fray had played the caste cards to woo the voters but the Nitish Kumar-led Grand Alliance has outsmarted the rivals. Some parties, in addition, had also tried various games to bring in communal polarisation to improve its seats tally.

Bringing in the Pakistan factor and pulling in the cow in the election arena were expected to divide the electorates on communal grounds and thus ensure the BJP victory in many constituencies. If the AIMIM were to be prominent player in the polls, the BJP would have been a beneficiary of this outcome. Both Hindu and Muslim voters refused to bite the bait and instead preferred to vote for centrist parties like JD (U), LJP and Congress.

In the recent few years, the AIMIM has been harping that all parties like the Congress, Samajwadi Party, JD (U) or RJD are taking this community for a ride and that only a Muslim party would safeguard the interests of the Muslims. This campaign had succeeded in Maharashtra with AIMIM winning two seats in Maharashtra assembly and securing sizeable votes in some other constituencies. Then why did this party failed to make inroads in Muslim dominant region of Bihar?

Obviously, the Muslim voters in Bihar did not feel the need of supporting a party with a certain communal identity or certain leaders to protect their interests and felt secure supporting JD (U), RJD and Congress. The majority Hindu voters, too, rejected BJP’s attempts to divide the electorates on communal lines to win the poll and instead voted in favour of the Nitish Kumar-led Grand Alliance which had put up the agenda of development and good governance.

India’s secular credentials were best proved when Manmohan Singh, a member of a minuscule minority Sikh community, was elected Prime Minister in 2004 and five years later his government was voted back to power for a second term. The victory of certain parties in Bihar polls would have boosted the growth of this party and would have sent an ominous signal. By refusing to be carried away by vicious communal propaganda, both Hindu and Muslim voters in Bihar have proved their political maturity.

Comments

Fr. Anil Chakranarayan, SJ - Saturday, 21 November 2015 AT 02:51 PM IST

U r right. Njoyed the article. Secular India wud continue ruling Indians despite caste, creed, language, Ilks, fraternity, Wings, Outfits, Fringes, u name it. *Muslim ministers in BJP didn't raise an alarm@the riot, massacre in Muzafarnagar, later Dadri killing, other attacks, inflammatory mouthings against Muslims. Muslims mite'v thot that their own brother-ministers in BJP, joyously sang the same fascist song that BJP & their ilks sing. 'Two legs good 4 legs bad". Thus Muslim too'v realized that 'Known devils are better than unknown angels'. *Latin adage:'Homo homini lupus'.What happens in Syria, in Ireland, corruption is done by a religious minority against their own majority poor. It’s happening all the time in the world. So called 'our own'(same religion, caste) can persecute us. Why elect them? *Humans r’nt fools. But Politicians like to think so. They don't learn. voters tot them ‘Those who live by violence will die by ‘no-votes’.

 

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Antulay: Last Muslim CM in Maharashtra?

Antulay: Last Muslim CM in Maharashtra?

Reporters Name | CAMIL PARKHE | Monday, 8 December 2014 AT 08:08 PM IST

    

Blog, Camil Parkhe, Abdul Rehman Antulay, Maharashtra, obituary, Last Muslim CM

For many people in Maharashtra who are now in the late 30s or 40s, the name of Abdul Rehman Antulay may immediately remind the cement scandal to which he was allegedly linked with. Antulay had to relinquish the chief minister's post due to this scandal. Although the Supreme Court later acquitted him  of the charges, Antulay had to pay heavy political price for this scandal as he was moved away from Maharashtra and rehabilitated in national politics. Elected to the Rajya Sabha, he also held the union minister's post two terms.

Antulay was one of the few prominent Muslim faces having pan-Maharashtra appeal and popularity among cross sections of society. The then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi surprised the powerful Maratha lobby in Maharashtra by appointing him as the state chief minister in 1980. During his short stint as the chief minister, Antulay earned the image as a non-nonsense politician, a leader who could take fast decisions and who had total control over the bureaucracy, some of the traits which he shared with S B Chavan, another politician hand-picked by Indira Gandhi to lead Maharashtra. Having full command over the party organisation, Indira Gandhi then could afford to appoint a leader of her choice – and too belonging to a minority community-  to head Maharashtra government. Indira Gandhi had earlier also selected Abdul Ghafoor as the chief minister of Bihar in 1973.

Antulay shifted fom his Colaba (Raigad) Lok Sabha seat where he was defeated in 2004 to contest from Aurangabad – a seat having a sizable Muslim electorates. But his presence in the election arena had helped the rival parties to polarise votes and Antulay was defeated here too. After this, even the Congress and NCP have been wary of fielding a Muslim or other minor candidates as it now amounts to giving a cakewalk to rival parties, barring the minority-dominated seats like Malegaon and Bhiwandi.

With the demise of Antulay, Muslims in Maharashtra and to some extent in India, have lost a leader to whom they could relate to and bank on representing their interests.

Vasantaro Naik, a member of the Banjara tribe, was chief minister of Maharashtra for a record 11 years. But that was four decades back.  As the political things stand today, it is unlikely that a Muslim or any minority leader  will occupy the chief minister's seat in Maharashtra or any other state in the country in the near future. Presently, there is no minority leader belonging to any mainstream political party who can truly claim to be mass leader or at least a minority leader having well connect to his/ her community. This is bad for the secular fabric of the nation. In the absence of such leadership and political parties ignoring minorities due to vote bank politics constrains, communal forces may be able to create their base among these communities. It is in the interest of the nation that all mainstream political parties give equal representation to all sections of communities, be it in civic bodies, at state or national levels. Antulay should not be the last  Muslim or  minority leader to be the chief minister of  a state in the country. 

Maharashtra is at a standstill

State is at a standstill

CAMIL PARKHE

Sakal Times

http://www.sakaaltimes.com/20120605/5311163883781370098.htm

Tuesday, June 05, 2012 AT 08:13 PM (IST)

Tags: Bihar,   Nitish Kumar

The recent reports that Bihar has recorded the highest, 13 per cent, growth rate among the states needs to be welcomed not only by the people in Bihar but also other states where local politicians have been crying hoarse over the influx of Biharis in their respective states. Bihar has experienced a new lease of life after Nitish Kumar of the Janata Dal (United) took over as chief minister, ending the over 15-year-old rule of Lalu Prasad Yadav.

Maharashtra, the leading state in the country, has experienced a strong resentment against the presence of Biharis and people from other northern states after Raj Thackeray broke away from the Shiv Sena and used the issue of "outsiders" to create political space for his Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. When Bal Thackeray floated his Shiv Sena in the 1960s, he too had made the south Indians in Mumbai the targets and entrenched himself as the voice of the Marathi people, especially in Mumbai. Today, when Raj Thackeray has been praising the Narendra Modi-led Gujarat model of development and Bihar is progressing fast, Maharashtra is fast losing the race to retain its lea in development.

Almost all parts of the state are facing load shedding for several hours a day. The plight of farmers and entrepreneurs in rural sectors is worse. They face power shutdown when electricity is most needed. The economic growth in these areas has virtually come to a halt and yet there are no sign of measures to mitigate the situation in near future. The power scarcity is expected to create an alarming situation within a few years and the ruling group leaders and those in the opposition are refusing to acknowledge the writing on the wall. Some major cities like Aurangabad receive drinking water after an interval of two days while towns like Shevgaon in Ahmednagar district get water after four days. Shevgaon is not far away from the Jayakawadi reservoir, state’s largest irrigation project. Even then, residents of such towns are considered luckier than people in remote villages, who just do not have any source of clean drinking water. This indeed is a sorry state of affairs for an economically developed state.

What is worse is that none of the political parties and leaders -- ruling or opposition -- has taken up these issues in the interest of the masses or tried to exploit them to their own political advantage. All politicians take up people’s issues and hit the streets only during the state or the civic polls. They return to their cabins in New Delhi or Mumbai as soon as the elections are over, even before counting begins. In the past, leaders like Sharad Pawar, Pramod Mahajan, Gopinath Munde or even Ramdas Athavale had undertaken statewide tours, mobilising public opinion on  people’s issues. This had helped them to be on first-name terms with local leaders and eventually become a leader of the masses. The new breed of politicians has not tried that sort of approach. They have never tried to be with the masses to really get to know their problems. They usually do not know the pulse of the masses.

Senior BJP leader L K Advani recently criticised the UPA government for the various crises faced by the country but lamented that even the BJP work has been disappointing. The same can be said about the Congress-NCP front in Maharashtra. The front has been elected to rule for the third consecutive term only because the opposition parties have miserably failed to expose the ruling group’s failures on economic, industrial and other fronts. The state has not witnessed any major development in power generation, industrial growth or on removal of the regional development imbalance. The ruling politicians have remained steadfastly apathetic to the people’s problems while the opposition leaders have not been much different.

The recent BJP executive meeting saw Gopinath Munde on the dais after long. Although a mass leader in his party, Munde has been keeping a low profile after Nitin Gadkari became the party president three years back. The voices of other opposition leaders, including the Shiv Sena, are heard only when the state legislative session is on, or when elections are round the corner. Their agenda is confined to the protests in the House and statements at media conferences.

Raj Thackeray has rarely moved out of Mumbai to keep himself abreast of the state situation. Nor is he monitoring the affairs of the state legislature and civic bodies, where his party members have been elected. The leaders don't realise that Nitish Kumar and Mamata Banerjee had to toil hard for nearly two decades before they could oust the ruling parties in their states.

The lacklustre performance of all-party politicians is ominous for the future of the state. In the face of intense competition from other states, Maharashtra will have to strive extra hard to attract investment and maintain its lead in development. And everyone must remember that even the basic needs of the entire population are not being met at present.