BIHAR DIARY

BIHAR DIARY
By Sudarshan Chhotray

Vikash Purush

Bihar to me was like a failed state in Indian federal structure, but my past perception on Bihar changed now, the state now slowly but surely poised ahead with a lot of development works- construction of roads, bridges, school buildings are going on everywhere. During my recent visit to the state, I found people are heaving a sigh of relief. At least, they could get a test of development whatsoever in terms of Nitish’s pledge to turn Bihar in among the developed states of the country. The grapevine , says, Nitish  has gone ahead with, Atalji’s  image of  ‘Vikash purush’ to facelift the immage  of Bihar all over, only speaks about “development’’ in all public appearances, Even though he has been continuing with his ‘Thanks Giving Yatra’’ to voters of Bihar, for the landslide victory  of NDA in the recent Loksabha elections.
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Thanks God, Lalu is not there

A passerby in a village of Saharsa district in North Bihar when I interacted with him said, “Sir we can live with empty stomach, but with peace now”. Why, he said so, when I asked, to another gentleman in the village, his reply was that the entire Bihar is now with peace and without any criminal disturbances’’.
When I gathered informations from various sources, I found, At least, 917 criminals with heinous and record breaking criminal acts inside the Jail and others left in oblivion or hiding. As the first and foremost task of Nitish Kumar government was to put the criminals in Jail or to eliminate them .And Bihar is now refreshing in these streets. Laloo had really patronized these criminals who in turn were capturing booths for him. I visited these areas strangely known for Pappu Yadavs, Pinto Yadavs, Lovely Anands and Pappu Dev (who is now in Nepal Jail).

 I travelled a lot in forenoon, in the evenings and nights but without any, such happening on my way. But, yes, I found vehicle lifting, snatching and murder cases are reported in local newspapers, but are very few in numbers like stray incidents.

Nitish’s Four Point Programme

What I found in my several interactions and meeting with people of the state is-the 4- point programme Nitish had prioritized and really fetched the results is crime control, Pucca Sadaks to main routes, Strengthening Health centers and developing Middle school system. But BSP-Bijile, Sadak and Panni factor is still haunting him as always like the previous government. load shedding is there always, Bijile not connected properly, many well placed villages have no electricity, Panni-Water supply is a distant dream for many but yes Kuccha Sadaks are being  converted to pucca but not rural roads yet.
                  Somebody was saying; from Saharasa to Patna earlier the travel was so tedious, was even taking 24 hrs, now on, we can reach within 6 hours. People are turning in large numbers to rural and urban health centers now. And, yes, criminals have forgotten their past addresses. All Middle schools are provided with two pucca upstairs buildings. One bone of contention is the appointment of 2 Lakh Para teachers on grade division and reservation basis, without any interview with a salary of Rs. 4000|- per month. Many educated Biharis’ have, in fact, criticized the way the govt. moves on education front. The state is lacking adequate number of Engineering and Medical colleges, even higher education aspirants have to go other states and cities for degree in professional courses.

Goonj….Goonj…Goonj…

As I had travelled across thousand miles in North Bihar to see the flood ravaged areas of Kosi….I came across many villages where reconstruction/re-building/re-modeling the village infrastructure had the utmost priority for the villagers. Goonj-a Delhi based NGO has helped them in their time of need. In almost hundred villages spread over four districts, Goonj had reached to evacuate the marooned villagers, making them essential medicines available, arranging boats, providing warm clothes and above all helping them to construct bamboo makeshift Bridges, Houses, School buildings etc. Goonj’s Chahak School has really been proved to be an alternative development model during the time of disaster/conflict/crisis.

Not only these as a follow up for immediate relief and rehabilitation; Goonj has supported rural wage earners, artisans, farmers and women-folk in providing them materials/instruments/kits (which contains all items required for a artisan to carry out his/her traditional profession) to make them active again in their work, to activate village life, to ensure their livelihood restoration and to earn more money. Similarly Goonj’s women engagement programme has really yielded results in providing work to the house wives, empowering them in the community and earning by making use of old/rejected clothes.

For many in Kosi river banks-Goonj is the savior, a true guide to re-build their lost hopes and aspirations, a friend who has shown them the ways and means for their life, livelihood and homes restored and reconstructed.

(Sudarshan Chhotoray is a Bhubaneswar based Journalist, Documentary Filmmaker and an Independent Researcher)