For quite some time Bihar has become a metaphor for underdevelopment and mal-governance. It is very difficult to understand that despite all the malice, the state is having a very stable government for the last twelve years. What is worst is that the state is being ruled by a proxy ruler and the de-facto ruler is not better than any other housewife of a middle class family.

Do the people of Bihar not like to share fruits of development? For them electricity, roads, schools and hospitals have different meaning. Do the people still have to come to a stage to understand democracy?

Bihari society has always been considered as most vibrant society and it is very much reflected in the struggle for independence and in the Jai Prakash Narayan Movement later on. The evening BBC news bulletin can be heard even in the remote rural areas like Madhepur of Mdhubani or Ghoshi of Jehanabad. The discussion not only on state and national politics but even on international issues is not a very strange thing in dalans or chaupals in villages. Right from the age of Dinman and Ravivar (news magazines of 70's & 80's) all political magazines have largest circulation in Bihar despite the fact that half of its population is living below poverty line and so is the case on literacy front.

Perhaps this is a state where largest number of political organisations have their perceptible presence right from the ultra-left Maoist Communist Center to major national parties like Congress and BJP. Almost a dozen active political parties are active, even in NDA coalition ,atleast three parties are purely Bihar based.

More than six different factions of CPI (ML) are moblizing people under their banner for social revolution in rural areas.

But why the state polity is not changing despite all efforts ? The forces for change try to change it but it more or less remains the same. Why election after election, we have the same set of politicians who are capable of doing everything you name except good governance for which they are elected.

We can not go merely by blaming the system. The same system was working efficiently till late sixties, the state was considered as one of the best administered state in the country in 50's. The state of affairs started deteriorating when we allowed second generation politicians to rule the state on their whim and fancy purely using the tools of distributing patronage and favors to their social constituency. Casteism became the only consideration in the politics and all sorts of crooks and goons could win elections only in the name of caste. The leadership of any society is largely on the shoulders of middle class. Here the middle class got divided in the name of caste and the social force which transforms society got weakened. People, during last one decade, learned how to live in this situation and their capacity for adjustment is so excellent that if they find government hospital is not working, they don't care and go for nursing homes and so is the case with schools. Their exceptional patience can be judged from the recent two month old transport strike. Can we imagine the similar situation in any other part of the country. Perhaps the civil society organisations are one of the weakest in the country. Every year lacs of people become homeless and hundreds of them die in flood or by communicable diseases spread after floods. But whole country considers this great human tragedy as routine human suffering but if any one dies out of starvation in Rajasthan it becomes a big issue. Is the tragedy and sufferings of the people living in Madhubani is less painful than in other parts of the country. The people of Bihar can only change Bihar. The middle class intelligentsia have to take a lead role otherwise the most vibrant society of the country will remain in stagnation.

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Comments...

It is an excellent article. I am sure , many Biharis within India and Abroad would like to participate and support honest organisation to set-up effective opposition to the present Government unless they change their way for the best interest of Bihar. Historically , we are the proud people with leadership qualities. It was the main reason even Gandhi's success initated from Bihar. Can we have some handful of intelligentsia who can set-up and organisation and laise with other Bihari aborad for financial and political support to bring about the changes ?
pkverma

This article is precious but nothing new. We Biharies read these sort of script every day. We think that we are born for all these abnormalities to live with. Talk about the Dharna and Hartal and so many people not going to work children not going to school and patients not being allowed to reach the doctors and hospital. Who is responsible? It is only us. Our Sri Laloo Prasad jee went once to Japan nad effect of that we could see the cats eye near chauraha connecting chiryakhana and hawai Adda. At least he did something. I propose that Sri Laloo jee should be encouraged to go abroad very frequently. Every time he will be back he will bring some "catseye" ..........at least.

As far as mass population is concerned, they are not concrned except for talking. Luckily we have grass root politics even at our home basis.We have so many organization and parties but just to make halla-gulla and then sleep nicely. ( Sleeping problem is not taken as a problem) It does not mean that we can not do some thing. The day the importance of time and culture will come to the public some thing will surely happen. Let us wait.......
A good thing is that we Biharies are religious to some extent. We can pray for a good change ," a nice Bihar and a fantastic Patna". Specially for Muslims they can utilize Ramazan for this purpose.
Shammu