Thought
for the day
Bihar - where all references lose their meaning
"Small aim is a crime; have
great aim."
—A. P. J. Abdul Kalam (Indian,
1931-2015)
Word for the day
Scuttlebutt (n)
Rumor or gossip.
(Source: Dictionary.com)
Malice towards
none
The feeling "Nitish for PM in 2019" is already taking roots
in Bihar.
In case, Nitish wins this election - the victory speech will resonate
what we heard in Ahmadabad in 2012.
Bihar could be an
excellent place for the student of history to understand how the caste system
operates in oppressing the poor, and how the religion is used to make the poor
accept their oppression and suffering as their fate.
No wonder, in the land of
Buddha and Mahavira, superstitions and meaningless rituals dominate the day to
day life of the "socially oppressed" and "economically
redundant".
The references
"Poor" and "Backward" as used in common parlance may not
apply to a significant number of Bihari populace.
Bihar - where all references lose their meaning
If your body's internal immune system is very strong, a journey
through Bihar is strongly advised. It is an once in lifetime experience.
The State and her people are full of countless contradictions.
From 35,000 feet you may not see much social or economic disharmony in the
State. However, a little deeper dive tells you the tale you may perhaps not get
to hear anywhere else.
At every kilometer in your journey you feel as if Bihar is a
massive puzzle with many pieces missing and many unrelated pieces that perhaps
got exchanged with the other puzzles. It is therefore almost impossible to
solve this puzzle.
Poverty, gender equality, religion, spirituality, nationalism,
urbanization, feudalism - all these references lose their standard meaning in
the context of Bihar.
Someone sitting in Delhi and Mumbai could never imagine what
poverty could actually mean. How Rs32/day income could be a luxury. How 10-15
construction laborers we see cramped in a 10x10 tin roofed room in Delhi's
heat/cold may actually be living a rather luxurious life.
It is also difficult to understand that how Brahmins could wield
fire arms and perpetrate terror on the poor and the helpless.
While the aspiring Indian are talking about taking over the global
giants like Alibaba, Facebook, Samsung, IBM, etc. - the Bihari aspirations are
still stuck in the government jobs.
The Bihari laborers who are building swanky buildings and highways
across the country and could even be key to building smart cities, have
constructed Bihar in most haphazard way. The roads are messy. The new houses
look dilapidated. Even in cities like Patna, the concept of town planning
appears to have been completely ignored.
Land of countless contradictions
You are faced with countless contradictions at each step. The
incongruence appears to be order for the State.
The following examples will make it clear what I am trying to say:
(a) In this land of Buddha and
Mahavira, the entire populace seems to be deeply engaged in superstitions,
religious rituals (कर्मकाण्ड) that might have lost their relevance centuries ago. In fact these
superstitions and religious illiteracy could be traced as one primary reason
for the abysmal poverty and hopelessness in the State.
A lot of local people
do visit Gaya, the place where Buddha received enlightenment, but not to seek
the light of knowledge, but to perform some rituals, which most of them are not
sure why should be performed.
Buddhism here is
synonymous with radicalism and not identified with spirituality. Mahavira is
considered mostly the god of rich Marwari.
(b) To outsiders Bihar
usually means a fragmented society - where poor people prefer caste over
economic development.
I found this to be
little further from the truth. Prima facie, here the caste appears mostly a
feudal weapon of socio-economic suppression. The rich, the landlords and the
powerful of all castes use this weapon for social or economic discrimination
and suppression. The poor, the helpless and the oppressed only use the caste to
unite.
(c) The great Maurya kings
and the legendary seer Chankaya who together achieved the dream of United India
(अखंड भारत) no longer belong here. In two weeks of stay in
the State, we could not find a soul who talks or thinks about the Nation or
Nationalism. Even the extreme right wingers' thoughts are parochial.
(d) The populace which was
in the forefront in the movement for Independence from British rule and
movement from independence from the feudal rule of Congress Party is struggling
with slavery. Very few raise voice against oppression; and many of those who
raise voice against oppression - do so to become oppressors themselves.
(e) The State leadership
has always put strong emphasis on "Secularism" (सर्वधर्म सदभाव). However, as we could see, religion as a political factor is
relevant only for the "upper caste" voters. The poor and backward
people have almost no inclinations towards religious divide.
(f) An average Bihari
youth still aspires to be a government officer - mostly civil servant, law
officer or police officer. The children from affluent families are opting for
management and technical studies. But these are few and mostly leave Bihar for
good once they get good job outside Bihar.
The paradox is that
the populace which aspires to be administrative, legal or police officer does
not come across as the one having much faith in legal and constitutional
framework.
Non-compliance is the
norm. Compliance is considered a sign of weakness and reason for ridicule and
rejection equally by poor and rich.
(e) Despite large scale
male emigration from rural areas, the sex ratio is adverse in most parts of the
State.
Both urban as well as
rural areas have adverse sex ratio. The areas bordering Nepal, the birthplace
of Mother Sita, have the worst Sex ratio (appx 880 female for 1000 male).
I have not heard this
in any political discourse or economic package.
(f) Also, no one has
raised this point to my knowledge, a very conventional Bihari society perhaps
comprises the largest LGBT community. Incest is not only widely in practice but
also an integral part of folklores.
(g) Humor is an essential
ingredient of the Bihari folk arts (music, drama, songs, literature etc.) But
an average Bihari today has a very stiff upper lip. They are silent and
stressed. They look much older than their age.
(h) The incidence of deadly
diseases like cancer is rising disproportionately in the Gangatic plains of the
State. Ganga Jal is no longer Amrut. It is in fact poison for poor Biharis.
Nature is certainly not on Bihar's side.
Is someone listening?
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