This article makes you ponder over Bihar's situation, and is really a well organized one. But I could not understand why Dr. Gupta named Amartya Sen out of the context. Everyone's contribution to this society can be at different levels. It depends on how people perceive the word ' contribution' itself. Anyways, people can also argue, how Bihar has had a negative impact on its neighboring states.. especially Bengal.There is no end to it, so its pointless to blame on others when the things are idiosyncratic.
Dr Gupta's article was very enlightening and informative. His studies on Bihar are commendable and it is time that our leaders took notice and made some serious and sincere moves for the development of this naturally rich state.
It is time that my fellow countrymen in Bihar joined hands together to overcome all obstacles to development. The journey will be rough and tough, but a proud Bihari must prevail.
Though Dr Gupta got most of the things right about Bihar, his explanations on the causes for kidnappings and occasional digs at Bengali social structures do not appear realistic. NBFC crashes happened more in South and Western India than in remote villages of Bihar. And if Bengali society is so messed up, why isn't Bengal a Bihar today? I would agree that Bihar is backward due to the lack of political will and 'nationalism', which was the main reason for development of states like Tamil Nadu since 1960s when strong regional parties came in power and AP after 1985 TDP rule. Though RJD is a regional party, it lacks the political will or vision to reach such heights. And so is the case with others
Myself R K Ojha from Bihar, working in Delhi as System Administrator in one of the leading IT Support company of India. A heartful thanks goes to DME for his one of the honest try to enlight darkness of bihar. Specially it seems that Dr Shaibal Gupta has studied Bihar in very depth and has done a fine job by including all those real stuffs whatever is related to Bihar. But I'd like to say that some points those were necessary to mention, has been left out. One of those is related with subnationalism. Its not true that Biharis has not the feeling of subnationalism but its all about having capable of diging the past. The feeling of subnationalism should not be attached with Bengal Presidency partition. Biharis people are very well proud to their past especially in term of "Magadh Samrajya" and the second upcoming factor is that Milions of Bihari residing in other economically forward state, once things will improve from Govt. side, will be back to their place n like to be back there. I think this will not have less impact in improvement of situation in Bihar.
All said and done this interview again ends up as another fact finding mission in support of the deplorable state of the ever degrading Bihar. How can one digest the fact that as the people of a populous state,the Biharis have not been able to contain the downslide of almost everything that exists in their state. The interview seems to suggest that every one else except the Biharis are to blame for the present condition of Bihar. It is totally wrong to say that Govt after Govt. at the centre kept on ignoring Bihar. Only recently the NDA Govt had allocated huge funds for the development of the state, but still nothing happened. The fact of the matter is that the goons of Bihar who now are in total control of the state have only repeatedly and shamelessly raped their mother land. Do the people of Bihar expect others to help them while they all the time work towards creating inhuman conditions. Bihar breeds corruption, crime and absurdity. The leaders of the state only deserve to be brutally eliminated or removed from the scene of action. Ruthless measures are needed to stop this ugly show of absurdity and dangerous comedy.Nothing else will work.
great attempt,amberish, to get to the bottom of things in Bihar- unfortunately, many of the causes of backwardness that Dr Gupta talks about are difficult to believe: Bihar's nearness to Benares, rejection English because of 1857 Mutiny reprisals,lack of industry because banias are part of backward castes, collapse of NBFCs leading the kidnapper culture ...all these sounds more like symptoms or at best pop political economics. Nevertheless , great try ( and one of the few genuine attempts at this ) - keep going!
Your analysis and views shared on Bihar is amazingly true. The fact that a state which was once an example of British Indian Adminstration with decent education levels is now a matter of serious concern for India.
