Most of you must be aware of the recent furor that has been created because of our PM’s remark on DNA, to quote- “something wrong in the political DNA” of the incumbent CM of Bihar, Mr. Nitish Kumar. The reaction has been a mix of hilarious and aggressive, considering that remark an insult to the DNA of all Biharis. With TOI giving an article on ‘JD (U) sends PMO 1L DNA samples’, this is a part of the campaign launched by the party i.e. ‘Shabd Wapsi’. Seriously, a collection of 1 lakh hairs and nails! Don’t these people have any other topic to talk about ahead of the Bihar elections? Has the mighty state of Bihar come down to such practices?
PAST: A land which was home to the great intellectuals like Buddha, Chanakya, Aryabhatta, Panini, and the list are endless. It was the seat of Mauryan empire, ruling the entire Indian subcontinent led by the great ruler Ashoka. It had world class places of research and studies such as Nalanda and Vikramshila universities. These places were equivalent to today’s Harvard, Yale, Cambridge, Oxford and Stanford. Large number of students from China, Indonesia, Korea and Sri Lanka used to gain knowledge from here. But, ironically, most of its luster was lost after independence.
PRESENT: But, Bihar is Bihar. Can it ever stop being intelligent and Hard-Working? I guess, the answer is NO. To name a few famous people of our country, 1st President of India – Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Shehnai maestro – Ustad Bismillah Khan, Great actors- Shatrughan Sinha, Manoj Bajpai and today’s heartthrob Sushant Singh Rajput, they are all gems produced by Bihar.
Bihar and U.P. produces most number of IAS, IPS, IFS officers. Besides, current IB head -Dineshwar Sharma and CBI director- Anil Kumar Sinha, almost every district of India has a DM or SP, who hails from Bihar. It is also among top 5 states of our countries to produce IIT and IIM graduates. Why? Because, living under the environment full of corruption and crimes, people think that only POWER and POSITION can offer all the happiness to them. The parents spend all their savings on the education of their kids or their marriage. The kids of Bihar are brought up with this never-say-die attitude.
I am sure many of you might have had Bihari friends in your college. Yes, those, never give up attitude ones, fun-loving ones, their peculiar, but funny accent ones, close to their family ones, and necessarily serious about their career ones.
Now, consider this. All of that is achievable in spite of the bad teacher absence rate – 37.8%, oor infrastructure, non-performing successive governments resulting in frequent strikes, higher crime rate, gaining it the title of BIMARU state. Just think, if Biharis can perform even in such harsh conditions, what can be their true potential?
Anup Lal Gupta, Masters from IISc, Bangalore and currently a software engineer talks about his views on this, “Bihar lack the most essential resource for organizing development i.e., HR, because of migration of brightest talent. This migration accelerated in the duration of the rule of Lalu Prasad Yadav, and the reason was extortion from good earning people and murders if they refuse. Also, the Healthcare in Bihar is at its bottom. ”
As we can see, unfortunately all the intelligence and hard-work of these people is not helping their own state. Because of the present condition of Bihar, no parents want their kid to return to such hell. They want a happy life for them away from home. According to Bihar Industries Association – about 1/4th of the population has already shifted outside. Mumbai hosts most percentage of the labor class from Bihar.
And this cycle of poverty continues because those who study and work outside return a very minor fraction of their state in any form – A huge economic loss to the state. Many of these don’t even want to return, leaving their luxurious life, and even if some wants, it is a big hurdle for them.
When asked whether you would want to return to your state in the future,
Tanya Rathore, a software engineer from Patna says, “Yes, for sure, I would love to go back and help the state in the establishment of more and more industries.”
Whereas, Anshu Jaiswal, Tech Lead living in Hyderabad says, “I wish I could go back and contribute to Bihar’s success, but I guess we departed long back and wound has recovered, would not like to risk and make it painful again. I know it sounds pessimist and selfish, but I am fine with it”.
Now, when the political class of Bihar makes DNA remark – election propaganda, it only reflects how low they have bent. So many years these people have remained in power, if anyhow they want to win elections, they should talk about their achievements, all the good they have done for the people of their state. OOPs NO! they haven’t, maybe a little part of what they should have, but not much apart from doing their own good.
What good does the intelligence and hard-work of Biharis do to their state, if the people in power cannot do anything to retain these IAS, IIT and IIM and many others to serve their own state making it the best in the country? And, what comes to the mind of any other Indian, Bihar is an amalgamation of:
- Lalu Prasad Yadav – the one who knows how to make his audience laugh. Yes, that “Modi-Modi-Modi”, “50-60-70cr” mimicry must be fresh in your minds.
- Poverty
- Gangs of Wasseypur,
- and, that Kamariya song, perhaps
Hope, the future Governments keeps their focus on reviving the ‘old and true’ Bihar and realizes true potentials of Biharis, making them proud of their DNA.
