Hamra Bihar- why people from Bihar need to do some introspection

The glory of the Bihar that was

The Bihar that is beautiful

The Bihar that is changing

Then why the hell are the below issues still relevant and why do people still have certain perceptions?????.......................

This question, about Bihar and its identity, with its fair and unfair share of "Bihari" - bashing,  has popped up on several social media fora, especially Quora.com. Let me try to answer this in the right perspective. I will keep it relevant and non-hyperbolic, as factual as possible.

I am a Bengali who has studied, worked and stayed at Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mangalore, Delhi, Pune, Chennai and now Ranchi, Jharkhand (which culturally speaking still has a “Bihari” identity, more so after Raghuvar Das’s government). Did my schooling at Kendriya Vidyalaya, UG and PG at Mangalore and  Hyderabad respectively. I have had more friends and significant others from outside the Bengali community than inside.So I hope I am unbiased enough in my views after having seen all Indian communities. I am the last one to stereotype a person or a community unless there is a modicum of truth to it, and unless its based on facts, not fiction or emotions.

Ranchi, where I live, has a large flavour of Bihar, with a very large “Bihari” population, and more than its fair share of bumpkins and also enlightened, cultured people. And culturally, a fair proportion of “Jharkhandis” are actually “ Biharis”. Though I find the “tribals”  (derided by many outsiders) slightly less manipulative.They love to drink their handia (local drink), but not at your expense.

But I will talk about the good and moderate points first:

I have been to Patna once as a kid and once for work in 2015, and passed through it numerous times on my train journeys. It never looked very impressive back then, thirty years ago. Today, it still looks rustic and dirty in many places ( but so does Kolkata, my home city); nevertheless has improved- it might be enjoyable if one stays long, I don’t know but I have no intention of trying. The weather is unremarkable. The new flyovers and roads are a plus, but the airport definitely needs to upgrade. I have seen all the airports in India, never seen a rickshaw ferrying passengers from the airport like I saw here.

Whatever, Bihar has been developing under Nitish Kumar, or so I hear.

I do love Litti Chokha, the staple snack of Bihar. It’s tasty, healthy, better than any burger-pizza, easy on the pocket and widely available. And yes, Chhath is colorful and pious ; I love attending it, and  catching it on my camera each year. Ram Navami is raucous and rustic, but worth a peek if you can keep yourself safe .Durga Puja is bit crude and rustic compared to the aesthetical show in  Bengal and Orissa, but worth a dekko all the same. These are my viewpoints, I agree, and people may choose to differ. But I will stick to my viewpoints, since I write based on observations and not emotions.

I had many friends here in Ranchi till last year, when I finally chose to be selective. I still have a few friends, though the list has diminished.Why ? Let me explain below,  which now brings us to the not-so –good points:

Ø  Rough language and MCBC slangs: Even I got to doing it, before I thought it necessary to purge myself of this obnoxious language. Mind you, it was tough even in Delhi, though it  was not this bad for me because I lived in a pretty cosmopolitan and cultured circle.

Ø  Public spitting: Performed gleefully with gay abandon like a favourite sport by people, even highly-educated ones (CEOs/ Doctors/ General Managers/ Professors !!!)In other Indian cities, which I have seen at least fifteen of and lived in six of ( which should be a fairly large sample size) ,people do not have this bad habit to this obnoxious extent,and though I haven't seen Patna much, I presume it would be no different. I haven’t seen a CEO spitting publicly elsewhere. Which brings us to the next point- is education / qualification divorced from culture or civic attitudes?

Ø  Disregard for education (no,not degrees- these can be easily bought in Bihar and Jharkhand I know, but it's genuine education I am talking of). I don’t know of too many Punjabis or Maharashtrians or Bengalis or Tamilians or Telugus or Kannadigas or others who have bought fake degrees. Imagine a potential bride being grilled on technical aspects by her to-be husband’s family to check the authenticity of the B.Pharm degree- yes, it was the same husband- to-be who proudly told me that this is an endemic problem in Bihar. Even the recent CBSE examination paper scam had its distant echo only in Bihar other than Delhi.

Ø  Disregard for law and order: Need I write about the complete lack of regard for all rules ( favourite dismissive dialogue being “ Maa c……. "), including violation of traffic rules? Even the out-of –control   Kolkata traffic is being reined in, so why not here?

Ø  Misplaced egos, disrespect for law and civility: Which I see among a fair share of people around me. Make money by hook or crook, the other person be damned! Politicians we all know, but even among the “middle class.”

Ø  English knowledge and pronunciation in this part of the country are horrible! No , folks, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mangalore, Delhi, Pune, Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai were NOT like this. I have seen them all.

Ø  Compromised ethics: The so-called "firm" where I joined as consultant, had no regard for a  qualified doctor- administrator such as me ( I put in more than 8 years of higher education, and no, not “ Bihar Board” , but from good institutes). I ran from one medical camp to another with my bad health and got to meet callous politicians who organize these camps for self-publicity and hapless patients who suffer . No refreshments even after seeing 40 patients, which is a huge work load. I have not been paid by the firm till date, even after giving my best in spite of bad health and personal problems ,despite false promises and quit in disgust after one month. All ridiculous excuses and lies were given, including lack of funds (despite meeting other expenditures). And the less said about the arrogance and lying attitude of these people, the better; the so-called highly “ educated” BTechs, MBAs, MPTs and one actually  a gwala ( milkseller); I don’t denigrate a gwala, but would not exactly think  him  to be technically qualified enough to run a healthcare firm, but in these parts, only money and not qualifications/ experience, speak ! And even about certain " qualified people", there are sordid stories. Like the Ayurved " doctor" who made me run about in the hot sun from one ATM to another for paying the bill in spite of my health state ( i had no intentions to default) . I had the misfortune of being an inpatient at his "Panchakarma Centre" , and the less said about it , the better. I have seen Panchakarma treatment at Bangalore, and can discriminate wheat from chaff.He had no idea of what he was doing. I had this experience at two local " Panchakarma centres" including his. Even the third centre, Kotakkal Medical Centre in Jamshedpur ( a branch of the famous Kerala hospital) was way below the standard expected , especially in view of the steep charges. Local effect, I guess!!
Ø  Deficit of trustworthiness and dependability: Even the guy I considered my best friend and brother,and his family as my own, who had worked outside Bihar/ Jharkhand and had several  admirable attributes, let me down and that too after my father’s death and my financial crisis during my lack of a job. It took him more than 6 months  to return a Rs.10,000 loan, while he went on a buying spree of expensive durables. Another "friend" took more than six months to return a larger amount of money even when my Dad was dying of cancer.Another one (who was a small guy barely subsisting in Delhi when I knew him, but projects rather large airs here), once heckled my ailing father, who saw him as his son. An Ola driver, brother of my close friend, abandoning my aged mother inside  Ranchi railway station.A more recent event- I help out my neighbours after an unfortunate demise, only to have my house and car bounded off ,without notice, by the shraddh ceremony pandal put up  by his sons three days later. Can you really trust / depend on people in these parts without any ifs and buts? I guess, no !

Ø  Religious raucousness: Most prominently seen during the Ram Navami “celebrations”, which lead to Hindu-Muslim clashes every year, most prominently in these parts. None of the sophistication associated with religious rites in Tamil Nadu,Maharashtra , Karnataka , Andhra or  Bengal- it’s all very much  boisterous, raucous, showy and “ in your face" . As described by an elderly gentleman ( who himself is no epitome of virtue , the situation is so different from his childhood days, when Ram Navami was about religion and not goondaism !I don’t venture out much during Ram Navami/ Durga Puja (local version) any more except to take some pictures as an observer and not as  a participant like in earlier years- the lawlessness puts me off.I prefer domestic ceremonies if I am invited.

And if it is this bad in Jharkhand, how worse would it be in Bihar? I shudder to think!!

The natural question- doesn't this happen in all places? Well,my Sardarji neighbour in Delhi got drunk with his son-in-law and bashed me up over a parking issue ( I had to call the police). A few sporadic comments about "localites" in Mangalore and Chennai. Autodrivers' autocracy in my ol' dear Kolkata. Exploitative businessmen in Hyderabad. Mumbai is not really the cleanest of cities. Office politics in Pune. Ola driver misbehaviour in Bangalore. But an amalgamation of so many factors that I described, in one place? Sorry, I have toured most of Hindustan and not seen this elsewhere. Even in Chennai, which is considered to be way off the radar for many Indians, I felt at home with the Tamilian culture. And Pune, Hyderabad and Bangalore were like second homes for me because of the warmth and progressive mentality. Kolkata is of course well known for its hospitality.

My reaction to all this I see and face around me? I have isolated myself against all this, and mix with people selectively.Because, are all people here like this? No way!! My Yoga teacher, who is originally from Aurangabad(Bihar) is a most cultured and moderate person. My doctor , Dr. SB (medical administrator and general physician), my highly-educated uncle Dr. DB (who worked as a psychologist in the United States) and my friends & teachers at the Art of living Foundation and my Classical Music Class are definitely not like this.They are educated, cultured, reasonable people (educated, but definitely not “Bihar Board” type – this is true education I am speaking of). In Dr. DB’s own words, the cultural downfall of Ranchi began after the influx of “Biharis” in the 1950s and 60s.I have no reason to doubt him- he is a localite, a generous, non-bigoted person whom I respect immensely. Some of my neighbours are fine, and I mix with them. My cousin sister and her family, who have settled here since ages. Selected colleagues. Our electrician and my barber (yes!) are from Bihar, but rather decent chaps; I am comfortable with them. Our sabji wali is a good lady, with rather fond memories of my father. And then there are the local Cheshire Homes people, and my sister’s family.

I have the highest admiration and regards for these selected people.I prefer to spend time with them, away from the raucous riff raff. If that makes me a snob, I am extremely glad and proud to be one. I am sad to say, but I don’t have much regards for the others, and that’s the harsh truth .I have no interest or intention whatsoever in going into the reasons why things turned this way ; I am definitely not on a “Bihar-sudharo” campaign, I just want to live and work in peace. So, I have become very selective in my friendship towards local people.Learnt from my bad experiences, so to say.

The stories of railway passengers occupying seats in reserved compartments by force in the exalted land of Bihar are sadly true, and I have seen this in my childhood days when I used to travel by Sleeper class. Yes, it happens sporadically in other states, but the problem is endemic to Bihar. I remember, we used to be on Red Alert when the train used to enter Bihar (yes, even from the  UP  side !)

As an enlightened "Bengali" who has spent countless years outside Bengal, I thought Kolkatans’ resentment towards “Biharis” was rather exaggerated, but after having stayed here for three plus years now, I now feel there is some reason for this. "Bengalis" are, in general, lazier than "Biharis" no doubt, but "Biharis" are cruder (not all, mind you, but a larger proportion in my estimate) by several more times. And it has all to do with attitudes, none whatsoever with economic status.

And many middle-class /upper class people are not exonerated from this. I used to see “Nimki Mukhiya” on  Star Bharat ,courtesy a friend, and used to enjoy it, till last year, till I understood that I was seeing just an action replay of the nonsense I see around me in real life, and stopped viewing it. I am much happier now.

Provocative statements? I have written about what I have faced, the facts that are well known, and stand by it in totality. I am ready to be challenged and will be happy to be proved wrong. I have nothing against “Biharis”, only against the attitudes that I have faced, and as I can see, countless others across the country. Raj Thackerey is a loony guy no doubt, but why does he take on “Biharis” selectively( and UP- which he conveniently amalgamates with Bihar) and not Bengalis, Tamilians, Punjabis  or Telugus who throng Mumbai and Pune in equal numbers (like I did many years back- but not once was I ever targeted as a “Bengali”, but my “Bihari” colleagues were). And leave Thackeray aside, who is known to be bigoted ;why are even people in Delhi (the most cosmopolitan city), Kolkata (very tolerant city), Bangalore and Hyderabad(both very moderate and accommodative cities) and other places getting wary of these people who are migrating in large numbers from their state?  I don’t see their hackles getting raised against people from other states!! This includes not only opportunistic politicians but moderate, peace-loving middle class folk like my friend from Kolkata, who was ranting on this subject recently.

One reason might be, because they are seeing a portion of the lower socioeconomic strata who lead the migrant influx, and drawing conclusions. The chaiwallahs, dhobis ,coolies, rickshaw pullers, labourers, masons .Again , nothing against these people- I have met good ones among them also and I don't look down upon professions but on attitudes. Our " Bihari" Dhobi in Kolkata, whom I know since childhood, is polite, hard working ( much more than any Bengali) and sincere. And there are others like him.But the people in other states see only the lower socioeconomic class, not the IASs, engineers, doctors managers, technocrats and the educated class (genuinely qualified ones, not the Jhumritalaiya types). That’s where “Biharis” need to be more visible and vocal (and may I dare to say, a bit more cultured). That is the challenge for them to understand, and I don’t feel it necessary anymore these days to lecture them. I used to try to make people aware, but now I don’t even try, because it’s futile and counterproductive. All I can say is, this condition has to do something with the way Bihar has been forged out as a lawless, manipulative place  and society.

And then the power cuts, the bad roads, the garbage lying around and the water crisis. The corruption. Need I write about these? Lalu and Rabri are mascots truly worth emulating. So are  the Sorens and Mundas who succeeded them. Endless power cuts, which led to my father’s worsening condition before his death last year (despite having an invertor which simply gave up due to the long hours). I have seen even so-called “posh” areas like Harmu (Ranchi's equivalent of Lutyen’s Delhi’s or Kolkata’s Salt Lake or Hyderabad’s Jubilee Hills or Pune’s Shivajinagar or Bangalore's Basavanagudi or Chennai's OMR) suffer 12 hour power cuts- no, not in summer, but in the cool monsoons when the power load factor is supposed to be lower. Open garbage dumps, overflowing drains. Pigs roaming about in garbage dumps, even in this so-called “posh” locality where MLAs, Ministers ,VIPs, Top bureaucrats , High Court judges live .A Main Road (so-called upmarket commercial district ) that resembles a slum ( es , Kolkata is guilty of this too, and guess what? You find more than the usual share fair of laboring people from these parts in Kolkata, especially in the dilapidated areas). Roads that resemble lunar craters, even long after the rains have passed. Water crisis (two days continuously at times) in a water rich area next to a dam.

This state has all the resources it needs. Mineral resources. Dams. Reservoirs. Forests. Agriculture. Why doesn’t it make use of it? No use blaming it on the tribals or their perceived “laziness” (a favourite allegation among "Biharis")- a non-tribal government , largely supported by "Biharis", has been here since 2014 under the BJP.What has really changed? Can things really change in this  atmosphere unless there is a thorough change of attitudes? Both Raghuvar Das and Nitish Kumar are astute politicians, and I really hope they can change things in this part of the country. To be fair , they are trying, but decades of misrule has corrupted the DNA ; yes, that’s what Modiji talked about during the Bihar assembly elections of 2015, and faced flak for it- but if you introspect, you will know that he was not exaggerating. Didn’t Nitish Kumar, who had attacked Modiji at that time for this comment, come back to the same Modiji, abandoning Lalu Prasad, who was no doubt the champion of misgovernance, along with his then-illiterate wife, dear ol’ Rabri Devi ?

That one incident (Rabri as chief minister) did a lot to dent the “Bihari”identity , along with Lalu’s misgovernance, corruption  and buffoonery.History hasn't forgiven him, as recent events show.

I think people moving back to Bihar and Jharkhand from outside states or abroad, have the most important role in forging the “Bihari” identity to one of admiration from its current state of ridicule. There is no reason why it shouldn't be so; after all, Bihar was the cradle of Indian commerce, culture and civilization in the ancient days. Bihar has had a long, ancient history of model politics, culture and commerce. Patliputra, Bodhgaya, Rajgir, Magadh,  Nalanda, Munger, Darbhanga. Ashoka, Chandragupta Maurya,Samudragupta,Bindusara, Bimbisara ,Chanakya,Ajatasatru. Gautama Buddha.The Darbhanga school of classical music .The Bihar School of Yoga. Gurudwara Patna Sahib. The Sufi  tradition and holy places such as Bihar Sharif.  Madhubani paintings. And in later days, Rajendra Prasad, Jayaprakash Narayan, Babu Jagjivan Ram, and countless other politicians and freedom fighters (unfortunately, succeeded in later years by the equally famous Lalu and Rabri) . Writers and scholars such as Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar', Syed Hasan, Ramvriksh Benipuri,Devaki Nandan Khatri,Syed Hasan, Phanishwar Nath Renu ( we read their works in school, and were they impressive !!), Swami Sahajanand Saraswati, Shiv Khera and countless others. Journalists like MJ Akbar (he has his failings, but is quite articulate all the same).

Which other Indian state can boast of all these credentials? None that I know of !Which other Indian state has brought all this to dust? None that I know of!! Yes, today lewd, crass Bhojpuri films and songs and not the above icons, define "Bihari" culture in popular middle-class perception, which is most unfortunate. But then, these people are themselves to blame. Don't blame Thackeray for this. As you reap, so do you sow.

I asked these very questions to my Yoga teacher, Mr. AK, recently, and he was silent. Probably he knows the truth, as I guess everyone does , but few acknowledge. And I am glad to be associated with him, and the others I wrote about,because they belong to a different mentality.

Whatever happened that caused this sorry state of affairs, and why? I don’t know,and simply don’t care. I am too busy (or rather, “beezy”, as my Biharibabu friend pronounced today) eking out a good and peaceful living, away from the lawlessness and crudity around me .

Probably Bihar and Jharkhand are indeed " developing" if we go by media reports, but if that hasn't brought uninterrupted power and water to our houses (Kolkata is a model in this respect), restored the roads or driven the pigs away from Harmu's open garbage dumps (indeed, clear the garbage so pigs don't loiter) , then what facile and eye-wash " development" are we talking about?

And,even if they do "develop" in the above areas, will we see development with vitality, civility and culture like in the South and West(I stayed in Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Mangalore and for sometime in Bangalore, and have seen a fairly balanced development in this regard) , or will the MCBC-chanting  types still prevail? Let time answer that question. 

I continue to love the weather of this place, the local customs, local cuisine, my selected friends and my workplace. And the lower cost of living in Ranchi is a plus point,which I try not to misuse- for example, I have not exploited our maid by paying her less than her dues, unlike some of the illustrious people I see around who advised me to do the same!

I rest my case here, with malice towards none and peace towards all,“Biharis” or “non-Biharis”. I don’t hate anyone, because that doesn't solve anything, but I am pretty selective these days when it comes to mixing with people in these parts.Based on my past experiences, I prefer to err on the side of caution, so to say.

Jai Bihar!I really hope Bihar (and Jharkhand) develop to their true potential some day.