Plight of Bihar & Biharis
Posted by Agast Anand on December 1, 2008 at 2:09pm
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All the pictures splashed across all the newspapers and television channels
of Biharis getting bashed up ruthlessly has become a common feature and no
longer evokes a shock or a feeling of disbelief. Yes, it raises a lot of
questions. And all the questions coagulate towards a single question and that
is "WHY BIHAR"? (including Jharkhand)
In the 1950s, Sir Paul Appleby visited India. He was an expert in public
administration and came to India on an invitation by Pandit Nehru. He went on
record to say, "Bihar is the best administered state in India and in the time
to come it will become an example for other states". Alas! Bihar lost
out midway. It is high time to give it a thought and evaluate, why and where
did we lose our way?
We gave the first president to India and that doomed us. Since then, we
started considering ourselves as "INDIANS" and not "BIHARIS" or "JHARKHANDIS".
But the "REST OF INDIA" did not think the same way. For them, we were and
continue to be only Biharis, very different from the rest of Indians.
Out if the feeling of the same "INDIANNESS", we gave for free our rich
mineral wealth to the rest of India so that their industries can run. It was
like giving our family gold or milk-giving cow to them because we thought that
they were our brothers. They took all the minerals and despised us
hated us
more and more as the time passed.
Had we sold these minerals directly to European countries or China ,
we would have been richer than Kuwait or any other country in the world and the
rest of India would have come to Bihar seeking work. The constant and
unrestricted drain of minerals is like allowing the parasites to suck our
blood... to let the traitors rape our women and helplessly watch them having
the last laugh. This was "Freight Equalization" Policy which cheated us of our
wealth and left us high and dry.
Whenever it came to regional development, some states held the country on
ransom. They threatened and blackmailed India of secession and in turn made the
centre bow down before them and fulfill their demands. They therefore, got the
maximum benefits. Perhaps, they have always been lucky to have powerful
regional leaders which unfortunately, Bihar has always lacked.
Punjab dangled the same threat in the 50s and the dam which was to be built
on river "Kosi" went to them as "Bhakra Nangal" project. Biharis again
sacrificed for the sake of India
for their Punjabi brothers. But this
sacrifice was not honored. The terrorists killed innocent, defenseless and
hapless Biharis in 80s who had gone to Punjab to eke out a living for
themselves.
The land of North Bihar is so fertile that we would have become the "Rice
Bowl" of the world. The "Green Revolution" which should have happened in Bihar
happened in Haryana and Punjab.
Has any state valued our sacrifices?
We kept dying of HUNGER, POVERTY, FAMINE and FLOODS but still voted on caste
lines. For us, the most important issue was being a Rajput, Bhumihar, Yadav,
Muslim, etc. But remember, the world always thought of us as "DISPICABLE
BIHARIS" who need to be wiped out of the map of India.
Out of caste considerations, we kept on giving leaders like Laloos, Rabris,
Pappus, and Shahabbuddins and ensured that we disappear from the radar of
development.
The rest of India was too happy to see all this because out of our
destitution, we provided them very cheap labor which could run their mills,
build their homes, work in their fields, look after their cattles, carry them
on cycle rickshaws or rickshaws pulled by human beings, and still tolerate
their ill-treatment which they have always meted out to Biharis. It started
with "BIHARI" becoming an ABUSE and this kind of treatment meted out to Biharis
gradually started giving rest of India a "PERVERSE PLEASURE"
Suddenly now, this despicable Bihari who was best fit to be at his feet has
started giving "COMPETITION" to the rest of India . Years of struggle has
hardened a Bihari and made him very competitive. This has unnerved everybody.
The violence which we now see against the Biharis is a "NERVOUS REPRESENTATION"
of the rest of India because somewhere in their heart of hearts they know that
they cannot compete.
We always gave preference to "CASTE" while electing our leaders who have
always lacked "VISION". They have empowered themselves rather than empowering
the people of ill-fated Bihar. We have always lacked a good regional leader of
stature who could defend the needs of Bihar . Had the then politicians
put their foot down on the issues like Kosi river or freight equilisation
policy, Biharis would have never migrated to other parts of the country to seek
jobs. We now need leaders who can not only restore our wealth but also our
"PRIDE".
It is important for every Bihari to realize that unless and until we build
our own home (Bihar ), we will never have our pride anywhere outside.
Dear Biharis, it has been enough now. We have suffered a lot
we have been
exploited a lot
we have tolerated all forms of atrocities in the past sixty
years. Our pride is at stake. Now, the time has come to stand up and intensify
our struggle to regain the respect and dignity which we deserve in India. Let
us start making our efforts very much in the positive direction to build a new
Bihar.
Let us create a people's movement to bring about a change... Let us
act now for the resurgence of Bihar .
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