Harsh Realities in Cantankerous Land

The first Government of India Act,1858 carved a new country British India, a conglomeration of several thousands of small and big kings and Zamindars, and their courtiers. BIHAR came into existence as a state in 1912. Third Government of India Act, 1935 allowed indigenous Indians to rule states of British India. Dr. S. K. Sinha was entrusted to rule Bihar, a poverty-stricken and caste-ridden but resource rich society in 1936 and again in this democratic demographic republic after winning independence in 1947. But he failed to deliver the direction and vision. Since then BIHAR did not merely remain a name but became a phenomenon for the obnoxious society. This phenomenon is now at its zenith. Present BIHAR was once known as a land of prosperity and democracy, a land of Buddha, a land of Ashoka, and many more before 1947 and a Ruhr of Germany after 1947. Now it is a Lalooland describing the rara avis as a legend for the society.

Dark days of common Biharis started when self-declared defenders of democracy became crusaders of democratic monarchy in 1960s. Each step was taken to tame the machinery to work in favour of its own (read caste). Literacy rate rose from 21.95% in 1961 to just 23.17% in 1971. Practising and maintaining the corrupt system diverted major amount of government funding and central assistance. Many posh colonies in the cities of Bihar grew on that money. Common Biharis were mute spectators and were suffering the humiliation of being ruled by these forces mainly comprising of upper castes. The era of anarchism started in early 70s when the ruling class felt threatened. They started goofing up with criminals and mafias. Central system of governance which provided white-collared job opportunity to a few educated Biharis helped the latter to flee Bihar. Poor section of society in large number, too, left Bihar in search of food, prestige and dignity. In brief, this chaos led to that famous movement under the leadership of Shri Jai Prakash Narayan.

Jai Prakash Narayan’s movement remained Vanity Fair for Bihar. He gave a call to all Indians to work ceaselessly towards eliminating "dictatorship in favour of democracy" and bringing about "freedom from slavery". JP’s “Total Revolution” overpowered a mentally bankrupt political system of Bihar. Unfortunately this movement added fuel to fire. Three years of long boycott perpetuated by JP and his followers percolated into every nuke of the society and governance and set another wrong precedence, once emergency was invoked. Thus, the nimbus political cloud rained many hardcore anti-social elements and helped them to reach in the corridors of pious assembly or parliament in 1980s. Since then it became a gradual phenomena in Bihar’s political arena. The administrative dominance of ruling class in political circle was churning militancy in the poor section of society. Politically misruled Bihar since 1947 compelled these Biharis to travel to Calcutta (Kolkata) for housekeeping jobs. After receiving praise, prize and dignity they kept expanding their bases to Delhi, Punjab and Mumbai. In early 80s, this became a predominant phenomenon.

In the aftermath of JP movement, the fear of losing power in the ruling class was so intense that it groomed several criminals as students’ leaders to control such movements and uprisings. Each and every college and university was full of such self-proclaimed leaders who were dictating each and every aspect of college activity. I recall those days of early 80s, a few teachers and students’ leaders had nexus to reign the supremacy and thus caste war amongst students became affairs of the days. No one was bothered to find a solution why five years’ course was being run in extra time. No questions were raised in assembly but during that period five chief ministers changed. Caste became students’ identity and not his merit. Thus plight of students became more and more pathetic and forced them to flee Bihar in large numbers. Moreover, distortion of university service acts (by Dr. Jagannath Mishra, Ex. CM) allowed any crass to become professor. This made mockery of higher education in the society. Thus pursuing a Ph.D degree became a joke. In the meanwhile, the hunger for power exploded in all community and state and civil services started holding the key to success and respect in the society. 

The new generations growing with frustration and anger found solace from 1989 Parliamentary election results, which showed a reinvigorated ray of hope amongst Biharis. But it was soon shattered. Lusty, greedy, mentally and politically derailed ruling class in the hope of reviving democratic monarchy joined anti-mandal forces. This time silent grudge against anti-mandal forces translated our rotten political heritage into even a worse contemporary leadership. As nature demands symmetry; the present ruling class is just maintaining but with optimum concentration of criminals and opportunistic pathogens. That is why everyone in Bihar wants to become “The king” not “Member of Parliament” or not “Member of Legislative Assembly”. That is why Munna Shukla, Suraj Bhan Singh, Md. Shahubuddin, Dadan Yadav, Pappu Yadav ……. many more ………. have become leader of their community. Just imagine, they are now the pride of their community. This reflects the mindset of common Bihari  and thus inhibiting the priorities in governance as well as education. The keepers of these institutions have no time to set the house in order; instead they participate in and continue nefarious activities with the help of education mafia like Wahab Asharfi and S. D. N. Singh who dismantle the edifice of  higher education. Many of them who wanted to serve Bihar on higher education platform were shown doors. I was amongst one of them. In 476 AD, a student from Kerala, “Aryabhatta” came to Nalanda University (Bihar) to study astronomy in  old Magadh Empire. Greece and Italy have also seen much historical turbulence. They have maintained their glory and pride while the Magadh Empire of yester century has succumbed to the sick mindset of their own people.

  Class struggle was, /is /will be part of human life, be it USA, UK or South Africa, and southern states of India. But failure to bring mental food and satisfaction by educated and economically elevated class to the all section of society in Bihar converted class struggles into caste-nepotism and reached new heights. In fact, these nepote demanded respect more than commanding it. Staying and studying in big cities was considered as a self-declared path of development. Lack of self-pride back home further detached people to people, and better to say one Bihari to another in the name of caste. Thus Bihar remained divided between the castes, between elite and poor, and between illusion and reality. Every Bihari wants to cut the cake of corruption if they get chance to. That keeps them mum. Thousands of IAS officers from Bihar. some of them still serving in Bihar, the so-called cream from IITs, JNU and other premier institutes are now ratooning in the system. Caste consideration has changed priorities in their lives. Are crooks, goons and buffoons controlling the social fabric of Bihar in all fronts or vice versa would be difficult to answer. That is why Department of Sociology, Harvard University, USA has initiated research on this topic and on Shri Laloo Pd. Yadav.

Parts of present Bihar looks like a Darfur region of Sudan while in totality, it can be compared with Rwanda. If you drive out of Bailey road area (home of politicians and bureaucrats) of the Great Patna, rest of Patna looks like an urbanized village. There is crime in every city in India or world. but in Patna or whole Bihar, majority behaves like criminals in order to prove their prowess in the society to protect their families or relatives. Gunfire without leaving anyone dead is no longer considered a crime. People living in Bihar have too much patience to wait for development, may be, for 100 year; but rest of Indians don’t have. That is why other states touched or mapped global road. Biharis are the laziest because they crave for “GOVERNMENT JOB” (Pro-Mandal or Anti-Mandal) to loot government money. Please visit posh colonies in Bihar’s town. This is the reason why bihari politicians keep laying foundation stones of government companies from NTPC to Ordinance factories to Axle-Wheel Plants. No political systems other than Bihari themselves are responsible for such a sorry state for which they have voted in the past 57 years. They are still voting for the pride in their caste, not for their development. They will never vote unless they get total ecstasy from so-called caste bashing.

Bangalore’s rise to a world-recognized high tech center is no accident. In 1947, after the country won independence, India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, designated Bangalore as the “city of the future” and the country’s intellectual capital and Sindri (now in Jharkhand) and Nangal (Punjab) as “Modern temples of India”. The government made Bangalore the headquarters for its aerospace company and defense research labs. Engineering companies followed. But what happened to Sindri describes Bihari attitude. How could or would one expect any development? Another Industrial town Barauni is facing same problems.

It is our habit, we eat less and belch more. We just keep counting  IAS or AOs, POs in government services in the running trains, buses, restaurants and many other places? We always remain in the constant state of self-denial. I am giving you one example - Wherever I traveled since my school days I found there was a clash, no one wanted to pay money. I still remembered few events; a man was traveling with his 7 years old boy by Jayanti Janata Express (now Vaishali express) in 1983,  he pulled chain to stop the train near the station and proudly reached his village. Fortunately I met that man at a marriage party after three hours. His son was still asking “ ho babu, kahela na ghare ke paas gadiya ke rok dela, etna door paidal chale ke padal.”(Hey father, why didn’t you stop the train near our village, ufff.. we walked so long to reach here). Believe it or not… the same guy did his job successfully what he was pleading to his father, when I was traveling by Shahid express in 1994. I have seen many doctors, engineers or so called self-proclaimed intellectuals travelling forcibly in unauthorized compartments from Arrah, Chhapra, Siwan, Mokamah, Barh, Samastipur etc etc. They are the coward opportunistic pathogens that have some say in the political corridors. They are responsible for social anarchy in Bihar. If someone is a celebrity, his or her way of life influences large section of society. These self-proclaimed intellectuals have failed at all fronts to deliver good for the society. Time to time they have played hide and seek with the law in the past. Now it is open for all. Reaching Beur Jail has become the easiest way to garner “power” in all the circle of the society.

In the past 60 years we are being asked ‘]Write any five reasons for the backwardness of Bihar?” How long are we going to answer this question again and again?

AT PRESENT, ONLY GOOD EDUCATION SYSTEM CAN CHANGE THE FACE OF BIHAR, MAY BE AFTER THE SACRIFICE DONE BY ONE GENERATION WITHOUT LAMENTING FOR FUTURE AND LIFE.