Gates help for mouse-eating village
Visit despite wife caution on heat
NALIN VERMA AND TAPAS CHAKRABORTY
Rahul Gandhi and Bill Gates in Amethi on Tuesday. (PTI)
May 11: The champion of the "mouse" from America will adopt a village
of rat-eaters in India.
Microsoft chairman and philanthropist Bill Gates will tomorrow make
his maiden visit to Bihar in sweltering weather and adopt impoverished
Gularia village on behalf of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,
which focuses on health and learning.
The village, 180km northeast of Patna, is populated by the Musahars,
one of the lowest Dalit sub-castes whose name means "rat-eater". The
landless community principally survived by hunting rodents for
centuries but nowadays many Musahars work as farm hands although rats
continue to form a part of their diet.
"Bill Gates has decided to adopt the village to improve the villagers'
socio-economic condition. His foundation will open a health centre in
the village," said Sudhanshu Kumar, district police chief of Khagaria.
Foundation sources would not reveal what other plans Gates has for
Gularia in Khagaria district that lacks drinking water, schools,
hospitals or electricity.
Gates's visit is unusual because of its timing — day temperatures are
now well over 40 degrees in the heartland. The American, one of the
world's richest men, toured Amethi this afternoon with Rahul Gandhi in
temperatures above 42 degrees, seven weeks after his wife Melinda had
visited Rae Bareli and committed Rs 250 crore worth of health
programmes for Uttar Pradesh.
A Rahul aide claimed: "After going back, Melinda, we have learnt, had
warned Bill Gates about the scorching Indian summer that she had faced
in March, but he still decided to come in May, when it's worse."
Sources said Gates had chosen Gularia for adoption after receiving
reports from the "field officers" of his foundation and other NGOs.
Khagaria district is home to the highest number of Musahars, whom
chief minister Nitish Kumar has included in his "Maha-Dalit" category
as a community that needs urgent development.
During his day-long visit, Gates is scheduled to meet Nitish in Patna
to discuss pro-poor schemes and offer help to improve medical
facilities.
The software icon will arrive in Gularia by helicopter, an official
said. "Tight security arrangements have been made. His schedule is
being kept under wraps."
Gates today flew down to the Fursatganj airstrip in Amethi and reached
Bahadurpur village by car, accompanied by Rahul, traversing a dusty,
rough road. As they stepped out, a gust of hot wind raised a cloud of
dust around the VIP visitors.
Over 300 women associated with self-help groups welcomed the foreigner
guest, who asked them how they cared for pregnant women and lactating
mothers and infants.
The women spoke of the challenges they faced but expressed confidence
about meeting them. The self-help groups impart healthcare to women
and children, provide basic medicines and manage minor welfare
projects.
Gates praised the women's efforts and then turned to his favourite
subject: the computer as a window to the world.
"How do you teach your children?" he asked. "Do you use computers to
educate your children?"
Rajkali Devi, 27, said yes, the village children learnt to use
computers from a very early age. "Sir, your goal and ours is the same
in some ways. Like your organisation, we too spread awareness and try
to fight poverty," she added.
The American's face lit up as he listened to the interpreter.
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