Like majority of our rivers, Kosi too is a goddess - the daughter of Lord Shiva. Nicknamed `the sorrow of Bihar' by the male-dominated engineer-contractor -politician lobby, the river has been searching for its identity ever since. Ironically, most of what has been seen and written on the hydrological engineering imposed on the river has been by `men' only. Could women not have a different perspective? With this in view, we are planning to organise an all-women travel-cum-expediti on into the flood plains of north Bihar to get the `missing' perspective.
With the limited resources we could gather, the travel can accomodate a maximum of 6 participants. The 7-day journey will commence and culminate at Patna. Given the ravaged infrastructure in north Bihar, the twin-sharing stay arrangements might just be reasonabe. Given the nature of such travels where learning is more `important', the interested participants may come prepared to face the ordeal of such field visits. Dr Dinesh Mishra, the engineer who does not see Kosi as 'sorrow of bihar' but a living entity whose feminine aspirations have been curtailed by modernity, will be the expert navigator on this study tour. You would address a press conference upon return at Patna.
The travel is scheduled betweenr end-Feb and early-March 2010. If interested, please drop a line about yourself and your professional interests at kavindrapandey@ gmail.com
/articles/inviting-women-researchers-journalists-and-activists