This is the article that appeared in The Hindu today….
Bihar won’t change…
SHREESH CHAUDHARY
| Nitish Kumar at best might be a good joke between bad serials |
A LOT of people feel that now that we have got rid of Lalu, suddenly everything is going to be all right with Bihar. I say no Nitish or any other Kumar can change Bihar. I may sound cynical, but I have the following reasons to say that Bihar will not change until in Bihar:
* Everyone goes to work at nine and stays there at least until five without grinding and spitting tobacco in the office through the day;
* Everyone helps everyone without worrying about the other person’s caste or cash;
* Everyone stops stealing electricity, reports against those still doing so, and pays his bills on time and demands better power supply, in that order;
* Everyone stops playing cards in the day time;
* Everyone is ready to confront crime, regardless of place, time and consequences;
* All railway passengers there pay full fare and buy tickets rather than pay three fourths and travel without ticket;
* All bus passengers demand and obtain a ticket before they pay the fare;
* Doctors first go to the hospital before going to their own private clinic;
* Schoolteachers insist they would much rather teach in the class than close the school for cattle census;
* All teachers stop private tuition and go to class, library and laboratory more enthusiastically than they go for tabulation of examination marks;
* All teachers award marks only after reading the script, rather than on the weight of recommendation behind it;
* All workers contribute national level work before they demand national level pay and perks;
* There is a social boycott of those who have more than their known sources of income;
* All there invest in their daughter’s education more than they invest in her dowry and feast on her wedding day;
* Everyone leaves a square foot of space between the road and their house for the drainage rather than encroach it and place another brick upon it;
* Everyone treats a bank loan as capital for investment rather than not to be returned charity for fun;
* All upon retirement return to their villages and reduce the difficulties of life there through their presence and participation, rather than remain stuck in their dark and damp and uncomfortable flats in rurban areas Bihar so abounds in; and, finally,
* Until at least its elite travel the class for which they claim travel allowance.
The quality of people
The difference between any two States is not so much because the Chief Minister of one is a lot better than that of the other; it is because people in one have initiative and enterprise, and those in the other don’t; people in one have some sense of shame and pride, in the other don’t.
Because all those things I listed above are not going to happen in the foreseeable future I am sure Bihar is not going to change for the next few decades at least. Nitish Kumar at the best might be a good joke between bad serials. Call it cynical if you will!
(The writer, Professor, IIT Madras, is a native of and frequent visitor to Bihar)
Well very true so i decided to reply him….
Dear Sir,
I just read your article in The Hindu. I definitely agree with you when you talk about the people of Bihar changing their perspective and contributing towards development. But this mindset has taken decades to set in and can be conspicuously attributed to the indifferent attitude of Laloo towards development. Under his governance no heed was paid to any sector of the society and this has lead to the present state of mind of Biharis. You would definitely acknowledge the fact that ‘brain drain’ is rampant in the state and the major reason being lack of national level institutions in the state. People (including me) don’t leave the state just for studies but with the intention never to return back! Coming out is like freeing ourselves from the bondage. Who would like to waste one’s life in a state deeply immersed in corruption; where there is no difference between a person who commits a crime and a person on whom it is incumbent!
If the new government can at least make a head start by addressing these issues then it would be a great achievement for her. I realise that as youth we need to contribute by occupying influential positions in the state. It has to be a joint effort to get rid of the mess Laloo has left Bihar in. I was home this December. I could sense the excitement in people around. They feel that something is going to change for good. Traders are investing more and are closely following all the proceedings of the government. There are already reports in with regard to stricter rules being imposed on the government employees. I sincerely believe that Nitish should be given a chance before writing him completely off. But i understand its a difficult task ahead for him.
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Mr. Shirish Chaudhary may not realise but his kind of mindset is one of the prime reason why Bihar has got to this state. Its called cynicism. Because a state with a brilliant historical and cultural background, a state so actively involved in India’s politcs and a state so rich in its resources would never have floundered this way. Imagine thousands of years of great culture and achievemnts against 15 years of Lalu raj.. and all you get to hear is utter cynicism especially from runaway bastards like Mr. Shirish. To all the Biharis reading this, dont let these assholes bring your spirits down, stand up and do something, bit by bit , inch by inch.. we will surely get where we deserve to be.. at the top. Nevermind the Shirishs of this country. And to all the non-biharis.. remember if ur hand has gotten a disease.. the rest of the body doesnt start makin fun of it.. you start doing something bout it.. afterall its your hand, your country … your bihar !
My initial reaction to Mr. SHREESH CHAUDHARY’s article is that of despair and disappointment.
While it is true that Bihar has consistently been at the bottom of affairs in more than one ways but branding it as a hopeless case can do no good to any of us in Bihar or India. Why not look at this change as the beginning of the end of fall of Bihar ? It is perception such as these, floated around the nation,, by the leading newspapers and channels that the theory of Bihar has become a dirty word….that when an earthquake occurs in a rich state..the whole nations cries its heart out and donations pour in from all corners….that a literate and rich state…soaks in 5 days of rain water ..and people around the nation sit up and take notice of the plight of the people suffering in that state …but when scores of people die every day …due to floods ..droughts or major earthquakes in Bihar…the same helpful and otherwise proud nation loving ..Indians ….switch channels ..rubbish the news as being perennial …and shrug their shoulders as yet another problem from the third world …..that when an Indian ..gets ill treated in Canada or UK on racist grounds ..the whole country feels offended …but when a rogue politician ..demands ..to oust Bihari workers from his ‘adopted’ state…not a word is heard from the same enlightened and helpful souls ….have we ..the people of Bihar ..ever wondered ..why ??
Why is that the outside world knows Biharis as only porters, rickshaw pullers or anyone else who would not think twice before doing for money ? Why does the same outside world not think of Dr. Rajendra Prasad but immediately knows everything about Lalu Prasad ? Why is it that the other states who have leaders worse than Lalu – Rabri duo …still manage to generate a laugh at us but not on their own state leaders ???
I am no scholar on the subject but I feel that unless the Biharis take pride in their mother land and culture , no outsider will. It is true that Bihar has slipped into the gut of medieval times where it will take enormous efforts to pull itself out of the rut and take to the fore front but then somebody ..somewhere will have to take the first step…even the great ROME was not built in a day !
This comment is not meant to offend anyone but to appeal all the cool net savvy Biharis out there who are reading this piece now to do something …in some way to contribute for the development of our state. It’s easy to scoff and leave things ..but then we are the descendants of greats like Ashok and Chankya..lets help Bihar regain its lost glory !
I sincerely hope I am not alone in my thoughts.
I am a non resident PROUD BIHARI and hope to contribute my bit in my own way as soon as I am done with my studies.
bhak, budbak sab, khali bhachar bhachar karte rehta hai blog bana kar, karega dharega kuch nahi
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