Bihar is a land locked state immediately to the west of the east of India. Its eastern border touches West Bengal and western with Uttar Pradesh. To its south is Jharkhand state and north is Nepal. When we talk about Bihar, two very opposite image emerges. One takes us to the ancient Indian history whose achievements every Indian is proud off. The other is synonym with inaction, crime, corruption, casteist politics, and a picture of a poor governed state. No one wants to own this Bihar; no one wants to think how to turn it around and made partners in the national development.
This paper tries to nuance the complexities of Bihar. It begins with the fact sheet of contemporary Bihar and describes the historical neglect to the state. It then lists out the reasons for its underdevelopment. It switches on to give the contemporary account of Bihar. It highlights the numerous challenges the state faces. How these challenges are being tackled today is reported here. It also mentions President Kalam’s prescription to develop Bihar. In the end a few positives of Bihar is mentioned to erase its negative image.
Fact Sheet
Bihar covers a total area of 94,164 kilometer and ranks 12th in terms of area in the country. Bihar is ranked third in population with eighty two million people (2001 census). While all-India decadal growth rate of population between 1991-2001 was 21.34 %, Bihar’s population rose by 28.43%. The state’s density of population is 880 persons per square kilometer. The sex ratio has gone up from 907 in 1991 to 921 (2001 census). A total of 42.6% live below the poverty line against India's average of 26.1%. The state has the lowest literacy rate (47.53%). Male literacy is 60.32 %, female’s is 33.57 %. There has been an increase of 10.04% in the literacy rate since 1991 in Bihar. The per capita income of the state is $94 a year against India's average of $255.
Bihar is among the least developed states of India. It has only fifteen per cent of its area being urbanized. State’s economy is mainly agricultural but investment in irrigation and other farming activities are grossly inadequate. There have been some attempts to industrialize the state but have not been sustained. The state lacks basic infrastructure for industrial development and only fiver percent of state is industrialized. The state has a bicameral legislature with 243 MLA's and 96 MLC's. It sends 40 MPs to Lok Sabha.
History of Bihar
Bihar maintained its ascendance on Indian history from 500 BC to 1200 AD. The focus after that shifted to north of India and Bihar lost its importance. After the decline of Mughal rule, Bihar passed under the control of the Nawabs of Bengal. After the Battle of Buxar in 1765, the British East India Company obtained the rights to administer and collect revenue of Bihar, Bengal and Orissa. Bihar remained a part the Bengal Presidency till 1912. It was bifurcated 1912 and a separate province of Bihar and Orissa was created. Certain areas of Bihar were reorganized in 1935 to form Orissa state. In 2000, 18 administrative districts of Bihar were taken out to create Jharkhand state.
The British rule in India saw the linking of the localities into districts and districts to the province to create a modicum of governing structure on which the development of the states rest. When British left India, Bihar was ranked among the ten best-governed state.
Sri Krishan Sinha, the first Chief Minister of Bihar (1946-61) tried to steer the progress of the state. One has to bear in mind that India at that point of time was not as prosperous as today, so the central financial support to the states were limited. The unfortunate thing about Bihar is that the successive governments since 1960s have not been able to push the states developmental graph, rather mutely presided over its downfall. As a result the state is at the bottom of the developmental index of the country.
Political Instability and Underdevelopment
Political instability in Bihar since 1960 is the main reason for its underdevelopment. If we look at the list of its Chief Ministers, only two, Sri Krishan Sinha 1946- 61 and Laloo- Rabri from 1990 – 2005 have ruled the state for fifteen years each. More than twenty Chief Minister came and left from 1961 to 1990 without completing their term in office.
The main reason for the political instability was the Congress politics at the national level. Most of the time from 1946-90, Bihar was under the Congress rule. Congress considered Bihar as its pocket borough and changed its Chief Ministers at will. The non-Congress government could not hold on due to the toppling game played by the Congress, pushing the state into continuous political instability.
Caste Key to Political Stability
The political instability in Bihar has also to do with the complex social matrix of the state. One needs to know the caste equations to understand its social and political dynamics. Bihar politics since its inception has been based on the representational power of its caste categories.
The four forward castes– Brahmins 6.5 %, Rajput 5 %, Bhumihar 5 % and Kaystas 1.5 % form 18 % of the population. If we compare to the backward castes; Yadav 13 %, Kurmis 4.5 %, Kories 5 %, Teli’s, 3.5 %, Banias 1 % and schedule caste 5.5 %, make 33 % of the state population.
The tussle between the backward and forward castes is an ongoing phenomenon of Bihar since the independence of the country. The backward caste, led by the socialist leaders like Mahamaya Prasad Sinha and Karpoori Thakur wrested power of the state, but was unable to hold on to it because of thin political majority. All the time from 1960 – 1990, Congress party succeeded in breaking the non-congress political consensus and cobbled its own majority.
Muslims are the decisive factor is Bihar politics. They constitute 17 percent of the state population. Muslims went along the upper caste bandwagon of the Congress and help it rule the state till 1990. However, realizing that successive Congress rule have done little for their betterment, Muslims turned their backs to the Congress. The Ayodhya politics of the eighties too made them realize consider options to align with other political formations.
It was Muslims decision to join the 13 percent Yadav community that was being mobilized by its leader Laloo Parsad Yadav that threw up an invincible combination of 30 percent in state in 1990. This combination was the key to the one party rule from 1990 to 2005 in Bihar.
The present Chief Minister Nitish Kumar enjoys the support of the same combination, minus Yadavs, the gap being filled up by the support from the BJP that has upper caste base.
Other Factors of Underdevelopment
Apart from social and political factors, there are other factors that has contributed to the under development of Bihar. Lack of vision of the political class, inadequate investments in agriculture, infrastructure and education, caste-dominated politics, rampant corruption and misrule.
In every Union government there have been sizeable ministers from Bihar but none did anything significant to develop the state. Bihar used to send 54 MPs till the creation of Jharkhand in 2000 and now 40 MPs but none have shown any great inclination to develop their constituencies. The gross neglect by its own elected representatives has contributed to the under development of Bihar.
The state lacks a sub national identity common to most Indian states. The people of Bihar think they are Indians first and Biharis next. There is no commonality among the people of Bihar that binds them together. They are divided into different languages, (Bhojpuri, Magahi and Maithili) different regions (north- south). The absence of regional identity has allowed successive central government to take Bihar for granted and get away with its neglect.
A Reality Check of Bihar
A reality check at Bihar’s grassroots would suggest that there is a dominant influence of caste on the politics of the state. At the same time there is a tremendous rise in social awareness among the backward and the marginalized sections of the society. Now, it is not possible to oppress Dalits and OBCs in the name of caste. The upper caste rural elites are defensive in many places. All this happened mainly due to the changed power structure on the political surface. Today any political formation in Bihar has to acknowledge the caste based political power of the Dalits, OBCs and the minorities. No political stability is possible without accommodating them in the power structure of the state.
However, as far as leadership is concerned, the person who occupies the top position, socially, economically and educationally is the one who actually dominate the politics of Bihar. The village scene reflects the traditional leadership role of the landed class. Elites among the backward castes have been recognized as leaders of their castes and communities, so are the Harijans who have made social advances.
Bihar politics even after sixty years of democratic experience remains totally vitiated due to lack of social and political stability. A large chunk of electorate is deprived of exercising their franchise because of the influence of the power of money, muscle, caste wielded in every election. The situation is gradually changing with the appearance of voluntary organizations. With the active and encouraging efforts of these agencies, the assertive capability of the downtrodden has increased. This is clearly reflected in the Panchayati Raj elections that’s considered to be more prestigious than the Assembly or the Parliamentary elections.
As far as the Panchayati Raj system is concerned, it is still in the take off stage. There is inadequate allocation of resources to this institution and its finances are in a bad shape. Its elections are also an irregular feature. However, new avenues of Panchayati Raj system has opened up after the provisions made in the State Finance Commission and the enhancement of its financial powers through the 73rd Amendment of the constitution. Now there is greater participation of the village people in the planning and implementation of the developmental schemes in their area. These measures are expected to facilitate the process of social mobilization and help bringing social justice and political stability to the state.
With regard to land reforms, it can be said that ruling political elite in Bihar have been banking on such sections of the community that are not in favor of agrarian reforms. The land reform is possible only when the power is completely shifted from the landed class to the marginalized section of the society. As of now, it’s a tall order.
The latest thing about Bihar is the Mobile telephony. It has done wonders to the state. Remote villages that remain cut off from rest of the world due to lack of roads, are today accessed through mobile phones. People who use to travel a small distance in a very long time due to lack of menace of transport, can bridge the distance through phones. While mobile phone gives connectivity, the radio gives all the information and the two big playing a big role to change the face of Bihar.
Challenges to Development
Bihar is a nightmare for the developmental economist. The social and political instability has forced the successive governments to sit over the development and watch the decadence of each and every institutions of growth. Today the state is in such a sorry state of affair that no one knows from where to start the rebuilding process. All the issues are important and each needs immediate attention. I am just listing just ten of them here.
1.Naxal Problem: Bihar has 37 districts and of them 12 is seriously naxalite affected. These districts are in west, central and southern Bihar. Naxal problem has to be seen in two parts. One to do with the control of law and order, and the second with the economic condition of the state and linked to the land reform. The law and order can come with better governance but improvement of economic condition land reform depends on the political will.
2.Floods and Draughts: Bihar's plain is divided into two unequal halves by the river Ganga that flows through the middle from the west to the east into the Bay of Bengal. The topography of the state slopes from north to the south and the monsoon rains flood all the eight rivers of the north Bihar that flows down from Nepal to meet the Ganges in the south. As a result 15 districts in north and central Bihar remains water logged. The floods affect about 56.5 per cent people of the state every year. If North Bihar remains under the grip of floods, south and central Bihar falls under the rain shadow area. There are 10-12 districts that face draught like situation due to inadequate rains. The draught and rain creates water management challenges and needs to be addressed for agricultural development of the state.
3.Education: Bihar was well known for its educational standards even a decade after the independence. There were several schools and colleges of repute that produced some very bright minds for the country. However, today educational standard of Bihar abysmally low. There is a massive migration of the student community to outside state for educational needs. There are no national institutes like IIT, IIM and AIIMS in Bihar. The educational infrastructure is grossly inadequate for the rising population. Building modern educational infrastructure is a big challenge for the state.
4.Health care: Health care is another area that has been neglected for long and has been allowed to crumble down. Hospitals are in a bad shape. Most of the primary health centers are non-functional. Government doctors are busy with their private practice and are negligent towards their duties. To streamline the health care facilities of the state is a daunting task.
5.Roads: Many villages in Bihar are still not connected with the road. There are vast areas of marshy lands along the Ganges River with pockets of population that are unmotrable. The exciting roads are in a bad shape. The politicians siphon off the money that’s supposed to be spent for road building. Criminals had prevented major road construction companies from operating in Bihar. It is impossible to imagine the development of Bihar without any road connectivity.
6. Power: Power is the main engine of growth. Without it neither agriculture nor industrial activity can take place. Unfortunately, power situation in Bihar is pathetic. Without even capital Patna being any exception, almost all the districts of Bihar have severe power cuts. The rural areas remain in complete darkness. Bihar has an installed capacity of around 3000 M.W but its generating only 559.2 MW of electricity as per BSEB, official records.
7.Law and Order: Maintaining law and order and containing crime is a major issue in the state. Criminals move freely, dacoity, kidnapping, ransoms and murders are commonplace. There is palpable fear among the citizens after the sunset. All has happened because of the criminilasation of the state’s politics. Many persons with criminal records are members of the state legislature. Politicians, and criminals together have ganged up to make crime an industry. The business of kidnapping alone fetches 40 crore annually. Bihar state police is totally ill equipped to handle the large number of crime rate. It is still carrying World War I rifles. The police force requires undergoing massive modernization to stop the unlawful activities in the state.
8.Administration: Bihar’s administration has become synonymous with corruption. Decision-making is centralized and bureaucrats do not take any decision due to political fear. There are also examples of bureaucrats and politician working in tandem to make money. This nexus has become very deep that no file can move without greasing the palm from the bottom to top. How to make the administrative structure work in Bihar is the challenge for the state.
9.Employment Generation: Employment avenues have remained frozen for a long time in Bihar. Since private sector is almost nonexistent, state government is the only institution that provides employment to its citizens. However, with rampant corruption in the state, such opportunities come to a few and that too with a price. In wake of lack of employment opportunities people are migrating out of the state. Employment generation is another challenge for the state.
10.Changing Bihar's image: Bihar suffers from negative image buildup. Its unnecessarily being made to top the list of negatives, though many other states are much higher in the graph chart. In terms of extortion, Mumbai tops; there is more rape and murder in Delhi and Haryana than in Bihar. In spite of poverty, there is no starvation death in Bihar. However, the prevailing image of Bihar has made it a slur on India's face. The challenge before the state is how to erase this negative image and replace with the developing image of Bihar.
How Challenges are being Tackled
The new government of Bihar that came to power in 2006 has made some concerted efforts to tackle the challenges faced by the state. It's too early to judge whether they have been able to move Bihar forward.
1.Law and Order: Bihar Police force is more pro-active now after constitution of State Army Police. The SAP as its called comprises of ex army men from outside the state. This has led to a significant drop in the crime rate. For example, there were 411 kidnappings in 2004; it is down to 150 in 2006. Courts have convicted over 5000 criminals in Bihar in 2006.
2.Administration: Its for the first time attempts are made to nab corrupt officials. Every day newspaper is filled with reports about complaints being registered against corrupt officials and some being arrested and jailed. Retired Central Investigation Officers have been appointed to vacant posts in the Vigilance Department and this move is making an impact.
3.Power: The new government has allotted Rs 650 crore to the NTPC to revive the Barauni and Kanti thermal power plants. There are proposals for new thermal power projects that could generate 5,750 megawatts on an investment of Rs. 23,350 crore. A nuclear power project is also being considered. Private players are being wooed for investment for power generation and distribution, electrical repairs, billing and collection.
4.Roads: It is announced that over 7,500 km of new roads would be constructed and villages even with less than 1000 people will be connected with roads. The state government has allocated as much as Rs. 3,000 crores for construction of the new roads and for the repair of the existing roads.
5.Health Care: The new government has already spent Rs.200 crore for the construction and upgradation of health care facilities. Private parties are also invited to help improve health care service in Bihar.
11.Education: The new government has hired over 2,36,000 elementary and secondary school teachers. Even though their salaries remain the same, they are getting them on time. The surprise checks are making teachers accountable towards their job. Attempts are being made to set up more professional and technical institutions in the state. Talk is on to revive the glorious Nalanda University with the Japanese help.
President’s Prescription of Development
President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was invited to address a joint session of the bicameral legislature in March 2005. He suggested some ideas how to improve the situation in Bihar.
1.Agriculture: Exploit the state’s core competence of agriculture. Increase rice production from 5.5 million tones to 15 million tones in four years.
2.Sugar Cooperatives: Create sugar cooperatives that will have 10 sugar mills to make optimum use of the state’s production of 100,00,000 metric tones of sugarcane.
3.Milk Cooperatives: Build milk cooperatives in all the districts helping 7,50,000 families to find new earning potential.
4.Education: Raise the literacy percentage to 75 per cent by 2010. Create numerous educational institutions to cater to developing skills create research scholars and leaders.
5.Health: Each Bihari should donate Rs. 3 per month to the government, which also puts in Rs. 3 making a health corpus of Rs. 576 crore annually to boost healthcare.
6.Tourism: Make Bihar a tourist destination. It has Bodh Gaya, which can draw tourists. Tourism has the potential to create four million jobs and earn revenue of $10 million annually.
7.Infrastructure: Provide urban amenities in rural areas like roads, electronic connectivity through telecommunication, knowledge connectivity through education and vocational training of farmers, artisans and entrepreneurs.
A Few Positives about Bihar:
I may like to conclude my presentation by giving few examples that may help blur the negative image of Bihar.
1.Cost-effective sanitation: The United Nations Centre for Human Settlements has recognized Bihar's Sulabh Public Toilet and Bath Centre, as cost-effective sanitation system in the world. The Economic and Social Council of the United Nations has granted the Special Consultative Status to Sulabh in recognition of its ‘outstanding service to mankind’. To Sulabh’s credit is also building the largest toilet complex in the world at Shridi.
2.Patna Corporation: The United Nations has lauded the model of property tax collection adopted by Patna Corporation. This model has been adopted by eight states in the country including Tamil Nadu and Karnatka. Several Afro- Asian countries including Sri Lanka have shown interest in this model.
3.Rice and Fruits: Bihar supplies rice to thirteen states in India and unofficially its rice are being smuggled to Bangladesh and Bhutan. Bihar is also famous for exports of Leechis and Mangoes all over the country.
4.Sudha Dairy: Its milk cooperative called Sudha Dairy is profit making public undertaking and can be compared with Amul of Gujarat.
5.Remittances: Bihar tops the remittances chart with 700- 800 crore rupees coming every year into the sate. Patna has replaced Hyderabad in terms of receiving remittances with 200 crore flowing annually.
6.Students: The representation of the students from Bihar in institutions like IITs, IIMs and AIIMS is significant. In the Indian civil services exams, students from Bihar are pocketing over 10 per cent of 700 jobs annually.
** Syed Ali Mujtaba Ph.D is author, political commentator, filmmaker and journalist based in Chennai, India. He hails from Bihar and recently toured his native state for vacations. After his return, he presented this paper at the Observer Research Foundation.
This paper tries to nuance the complexities of Bihar. It begins with the fact sheet of contemporary Bihar and describes the historical neglect to the state. It then lists out the reasons for its underdevelopment. It switches on to give the contemporary account of Bihar. It highlights the numerous challenges the state faces. How these challenges are being tackled today is reported here. It also mentions President Kalam’s prescription to develop Bihar. In the end a few positives of Bihar is mentioned to erase its negative image.
Fact Sheet
Bihar covers a total area of 94,164 kilometer and ranks 12th in terms of area in the country. Bihar is ranked third in population with eighty two million people (2001 census). While all-India decadal growth rate of population between 1991-2001 was 21.34 %, Bihar’s population rose by 28.43%. The state’s density of population is 880 persons per square kilometer. The sex ratio has gone up from 907 in 1991 to 921 (2001 census). A total of 42.6% live below the poverty line against India's average of 26.1%. The state has the lowest literacy rate (47.53%). Male literacy is 60.32 %, female’s is 33.57 %. There has been an increase of 10.04% in the literacy rate since 1991 in Bihar. The per capita income of the state is $94 a year against India's average of $255.
Bihar is among the least developed states of India. It has only fifteen per cent of its area being urbanized. State’s economy is mainly agricultural but investment in irrigation and other farming activities are grossly inadequate. There have been some attempts to industrialize the state but have not been sustained. The state lacks basic infrastructure for industrial development and only fiver percent of state is industrialized. The state has a bicameral legislature with 243 MLA's and 96 MLC's. It sends 40 MPs to Lok Sabha.
History of Bihar
Bihar maintained its ascendance on Indian history from 500 BC to 1200 AD. The focus after that shifted to north of India and Bihar lost its importance. After the decline of Mughal rule, Bihar passed under the control of the Nawabs of Bengal. After the Battle of Buxar in 1765, the British East India Company obtained the rights to administer and collect revenue of Bihar, Bengal and Orissa. Bihar remained a part the Bengal Presidency till 1912. It was bifurcated 1912 and a separate province of Bihar and Orissa was created. Certain areas of Bihar were reorganized in 1935 to form Orissa state. In 2000, 18 administrative districts of Bihar were taken out to create Jharkhand state.
The British rule in India saw the linking of the localities into districts and districts to the province to create a modicum of governing structure on which the development of the states rest. When British left India, Bihar was ranked among the ten best-governed state.
Sri Krishan Sinha, the first Chief Minister of Bihar (1946-61) tried to steer the progress of the state. One has to bear in mind that India at that point of time was not as prosperous as today, so the central financial support to the states were limited. The unfortunate thing about Bihar is that the successive governments since 1960s have not been able to push the states developmental graph, rather mutely presided over its downfall. As a result the state is at the bottom of the developmental index of the country.
Political Instability and Underdevelopment
Political instability in Bihar since 1960 is the main reason for its underdevelopment. If we look at the list of its Chief Ministers, only two, Sri Krishan Sinha 1946- 61 and Laloo- Rabri from 1990 – 2005 have ruled the state for fifteen years each. More than twenty Chief Minister came and left from 1961 to 1990 without completing their term in office.
The main reason for the political instability was the Congress politics at the national level. Most of the time from 1946-90, Bihar was under the Congress rule. Congress considered Bihar as its pocket borough and changed its Chief Ministers at will. The non-Congress government could not hold on due to the toppling game played by the Congress, pushing the state into continuous political instability.
Caste Key to Political Stability
The political instability in Bihar has also to do with the complex social matrix of the state. One needs to know the caste equations to understand its social and political dynamics. Bihar politics since its inception has been based on the representational power of its caste categories.
The four forward castes– Brahmins 6.5 %, Rajput 5 %, Bhumihar 5 % and Kaystas 1.5 % form 18 % of the population. If we compare to the backward castes; Yadav 13 %, Kurmis 4.5 %, Kories 5 %, Teli’s, 3.5 %, Banias 1 % and schedule caste 5.5 %, make 33 % of the state population.
The tussle between the backward and forward castes is an ongoing phenomenon of Bihar since the independence of the country. The backward caste, led by the socialist leaders like Mahamaya Prasad Sinha and Karpoori Thakur wrested power of the state, but was unable to hold on to it because of thin political majority. All the time from 1960 – 1990, Congress party succeeded in breaking the non-congress political consensus and cobbled its own majority.
Muslims are the decisive factor is Bihar politics. They constitute 17 percent of the state population. Muslims went along the upper caste bandwagon of the Congress and help it rule the state till 1990. However, realizing that successive Congress rule have done little for their betterment, Muslims turned their backs to the Congress. The Ayodhya politics of the eighties too made them realize consider options to align with other political formations.
It was Muslims decision to join the 13 percent Yadav community that was being mobilized by its leader Laloo Parsad Yadav that threw up an invincible combination of 30 percent in state in 1990. This combination was the key to the one party rule from 1990 to 2005 in Bihar.
The present Chief Minister Nitish Kumar enjoys the support of the same combination, minus Yadavs, the gap being filled up by the support from the BJP that has upper caste base.
Other Factors of Underdevelopment
Apart from social and political factors, there are other factors that has contributed to the under development of Bihar. Lack of vision of the political class, inadequate investments in agriculture, infrastructure and education, caste-dominated politics, rampant corruption and misrule.
In every Union government there have been sizeable ministers from Bihar but none did anything significant to develop the state. Bihar used to send 54 MPs till the creation of Jharkhand in 2000 and now 40 MPs but none have shown any great inclination to develop their constituencies. The gross neglect by its own elected representatives has contributed to the under development of Bihar.
The state lacks a sub national identity common to most Indian states. The people of Bihar think they are Indians first and Biharis next. There is no commonality among the people of Bihar that binds them together. They are divided into different languages, (Bhojpuri, Magahi and Maithili) different regions (north- south). The absence of regional identity has allowed successive central government to take Bihar for granted and get away with its neglect.
A Reality Check of Bihar
A reality check at Bihar’s grassroots would suggest that there is a dominant influence of caste on the politics of the state. At the same time there is a tremendous rise in social awareness among the backward and the marginalized sections of the society. Now, it is not possible to oppress Dalits and OBCs in the name of caste. The upper caste rural elites are defensive in many places. All this happened mainly due to the changed power structure on the political surface. Today any political formation in Bihar has to acknowledge the caste based political power of the Dalits, OBCs and the minorities. No political stability is possible without accommodating them in the power structure of the state.
However, as far as leadership is concerned, the person who occupies the top position, socially, economically and educationally is the one who actually dominate the politics of Bihar. The village scene reflects the traditional leadership role of the landed class. Elites among the backward castes have been recognized as leaders of their castes and communities, so are the Harijans who have made social advances.
Bihar politics even after sixty years of democratic experience remains totally vitiated due to lack of social and political stability. A large chunk of electorate is deprived of exercising their franchise because of the influence of the power of money, muscle, caste wielded in every election. The situation is gradually changing with the appearance of voluntary organizations. With the active and encouraging efforts of these agencies, the assertive capability of the downtrodden has increased. This is clearly reflected in the Panchayati Raj elections that’s considered to be more prestigious than the Assembly or the Parliamentary elections.
As far as the Panchayati Raj system is concerned, it is still in the take off stage. There is inadequate allocation of resources to this institution and its finances are in a bad shape. Its elections are also an irregular feature. However, new avenues of Panchayati Raj system has opened up after the provisions made in the State Finance Commission and the enhancement of its financial powers through the 73rd Amendment of the constitution. Now there is greater participation of the village people in the planning and implementation of the developmental schemes in their area. These measures are expected to facilitate the process of social mobilization and help bringing social justice and political stability to the state.
With regard to land reforms, it can be said that ruling political elite in Bihar have been banking on such sections of the community that are not in favor of agrarian reforms. The land reform is possible only when the power is completely shifted from the landed class to the marginalized section of the society. As of now, it’s a tall order.
The latest thing about Bihar is the Mobile telephony. It has done wonders to the state. Remote villages that remain cut off from rest of the world due to lack of roads, are today accessed through mobile phones. People who use to travel a small distance in a very long time due to lack of menace of transport, can bridge the distance through phones. While mobile phone gives connectivity, the radio gives all the information and the two big playing a big role to change the face of Bihar.
Challenges to Development
Bihar is a nightmare for the developmental economist. The social and political instability has forced the successive governments to sit over the development and watch the decadence of each and every institutions of growth. Today the state is in such a sorry state of affair that no one knows from where to start the rebuilding process. All the issues are important and each needs immediate attention. I am just listing just ten of them here.
1.Naxal Problem: Bihar has 37 districts and of them 12 is seriously naxalite affected. These districts are in west, central and southern Bihar. Naxal problem has to be seen in two parts. One to do with the control of law and order, and the second with the economic condition of the state and linked to the land reform. The law and order can come with better governance but improvement of economic condition land reform depends on the political will.
2.Floods and Draughts: Bihar's plain is divided into two unequal halves by the river Ganga that flows through the middle from the west to the east into the Bay of Bengal. The topography of the state slopes from north to the south and the monsoon rains flood all the eight rivers of the north Bihar that flows down from Nepal to meet the Ganges in the south. As a result 15 districts in north and central Bihar remains water logged. The floods affect about 56.5 per cent people of the state every year. If North Bihar remains under the grip of floods, south and central Bihar falls under the rain shadow area. There are 10-12 districts that face draught like situation due to inadequate rains. The draught and rain creates water management challenges and needs to be addressed for agricultural development of the state.
3.Education: Bihar was well known for its educational standards even a decade after the independence. There were several schools and colleges of repute that produced some very bright minds for the country. However, today educational standard of Bihar abysmally low. There is a massive migration of the student community to outside state for educational needs. There are no national institutes like IIT, IIM and AIIMS in Bihar. The educational infrastructure is grossly inadequate for the rising population. Building modern educational infrastructure is a big challenge for the state.
4.Health care: Health care is another area that has been neglected for long and has been allowed to crumble down. Hospitals are in a bad shape. Most of the primary health centers are non-functional. Government doctors are busy with their private practice and are negligent towards their duties. To streamline the health care facilities of the state is a daunting task.
5.Roads: Many villages in Bihar are still not connected with the road. There are vast areas of marshy lands along the Ganges River with pockets of population that are unmotrable. The exciting roads are in a bad shape. The politicians siphon off the money that’s supposed to be spent for road building. Criminals had prevented major road construction companies from operating in Bihar. It is impossible to imagine the development of Bihar without any road connectivity.
6. Power: Power is the main engine of growth. Without it neither agriculture nor industrial activity can take place. Unfortunately, power situation in Bihar is pathetic. Without even capital Patna being any exception, almost all the districts of Bihar have severe power cuts. The rural areas remain in complete darkness. Bihar has an installed capacity of around 3000 M.W but its generating only 559.2 MW of electricity as per BSEB, official records.
7.Law and Order: Maintaining law and order and containing crime is a major issue in the state. Criminals move freely, dacoity, kidnapping, ransoms and murders are commonplace. There is palpable fear among the citizens after the sunset. All has happened because of the criminilasation of the state’s politics. Many persons with criminal records are members of the state legislature. Politicians, and criminals together have ganged up to make crime an industry. The business of kidnapping alone fetches 40 crore annually. Bihar state police is totally ill equipped to handle the large number of crime rate. It is still carrying World War I rifles. The police force requires undergoing massive modernization to stop the unlawful activities in the state.
8.Administration: Bihar’s administration has become synonymous with corruption. Decision-making is centralized and bureaucrats do not take any decision due to political fear. There are also examples of bureaucrats and politician working in tandem to make money. This nexus has become very deep that no file can move without greasing the palm from the bottom to top. How to make the administrative structure work in Bihar is the challenge for the state.
9.Employment Generation: Employment avenues have remained frozen for a long time in Bihar. Since private sector is almost nonexistent, state government is the only institution that provides employment to its citizens. However, with rampant corruption in the state, such opportunities come to a few and that too with a price. In wake of lack of employment opportunities people are migrating out of the state. Employment generation is another challenge for the state.
10.Changing Bihar's image: Bihar suffers from negative image buildup. Its unnecessarily being made to top the list of negatives, though many other states are much higher in the graph chart. In terms of extortion, Mumbai tops; there is more rape and murder in Delhi and Haryana than in Bihar. In spite of poverty, there is no starvation death in Bihar. However, the prevailing image of Bihar has made it a slur on India's face. The challenge before the state is how to erase this negative image and replace with the developing image of Bihar.
How Challenges are being Tackled
The new government of Bihar that came to power in 2006 has made some concerted efforts to tackle the challenges faced by the state. It's too early to judge whether they have been able to move Bihar forward.
1.Law and Order: Bihar Police force is more pro-active now after constitution of State Army Police. The SAP as its called comprises of ex army men from outside the state. This has led to a significant drop in the crime rate. For example, there were 411 kidnappings in 2004; it is down to 150 in 2006. Courts have convicted over 5000 criminals in Bihar in 2006.
2.Administration: Its for the first time attempts are made to nab corrupt officials. Every day newspaper is filled with reports about complaints being registered against corrupt officials and some being arrested and jailed. Retired Central Investigation Officers have been appointed to vacant posts in the Vigilance Department and this move is making an impact.
3.Power: The new government has allotted Rs 650 crore to the NTPC to revive the Barauni and Kanti thermal power plants. There are proposals for new thermal power projects that could generate 5,750 megawatts on an investment of Rs. 23,350 crore. A nuclear power project is also being considered. Private players are being wooed for investment for power generation and distribution, electrical repairs, billing and collection.
4.Roads: It is announced that over 7,500 km of new roads would be constructed and villages even with less than 1000 people will be connected with roads. The state government has allocated as much as Rs. 3,000 crores for construction of the new roads and for the repair of the existing roads.
5.Health Care: The new government has already spent Rs.200 crore for the construction and upgradation of health care facilities. Private parties are also invited to help improve health care service in Bihar.
11.Education: The new government has hired over 2,36,000 elementary and secondary school teachers. Even though their salaries remain the same, they are getting them on time. The surprise checks are making teachers accountable towards their job. Attempts are being made to set up more professional and technical institutions in the state. Talk is on to revive the glorious Nalanda University with the Japanese help.
President’s Prescription of Development
President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was invited to address a joint session of the bicameral legislature in March 2005. He suggested some ideas how to improve the situation in Bihar.
1.Agriculture: Exploit the state’s core competence of agriculture. Increase rice production from 5.5 million tones to 15 million tones in four years.
2.Sugar Cooperatives: Create sugar cooperatives that will have 10 sugar mills to make optimum use of the state’s production of 100,00,000 metric tones of sugarcane.
3.Milk Cooperatives: Build milk cooperatives in all the districts helping 7,50,000 families to find new earning potential.
4.Education: Raise the literacy percentage to 75 per cent by 2010. Create numerous educational institutions to cater to developing skills create research scholars and leaders.
5.Health: Each Bihari should donate Rs. 3 per month to the government, which also puts in Rs. 3 making a health corpus of Rs. 576 crore annually to boost healthcare.
6.Tourism: Make Bihar a tourist destination. It has Bodh Gaya, which can draw tourists. Tourism has the potential to create four million jobs and earn revenue of $10 million annually.
7.Infrastructure: Provide urban amenities in rural areas like roads, electronic connectivity through telecommunication, knowledge connectivity through education and vocational training of farmers, artisans and entrepreneurs.
A Few Positives about Bihar:
I may like to conclude my presentation by giving few examples that may help blur the negative image of Bihar.
1.Cost-effective sanitation: The United Nations Centre for Human Settlements has recognized Bihar's Sulabh Public Toilet and Bath Centre, as cost-effective sanitation system in the world. The Economic and Social Council of the United Nations has granted the Special Consultative Status to Sulabh in recognition of its ‘outstanding service to mankind’. To Sulabh’s credit is also building the largest toilet complex in the world at Shridi.
2.Patna Corporation: The United Nations has lauded the model of property tax collection adopted by Patna Corporation. This model has been adopted by eight states in the country including Tamil Nadu and Karnatka. Several Afro- Asian countries including Sri Lanka have shown interest in this model.
3.Rice and Fruits: Bihar supplies rice to thirteen states in India and unofficially its rice are being smuggled to Bangladesh and Bhutan. Bihar is also famous for exports of Leechis and Mangoes all over the country.
4.Sudha Dairy: Its milk cooperative called Sudha Dairy is profit making public undertaking and can be compared with Amul of Gujarat.
5.Remittances: Bihar tops the remittances chart with 700- 800 crore rupees coming every year into the sate. Patna has replaced Hyderabad in terms of receiving remittances with 200 crore flowing annually.
6.Students: The representation of the students from Bihar in institutions like IITs, IIMs and AIIMS is significant. In the Indian civil services exams, students from Bihar are pocketing over 10 per cent of 700 jobs annually.
** Syed Ali Mujtaba Ph.D is author, political commentator, filmmaker and journalist based in Chennai, India. He hails from Bihar and recently toured his native state for vacations. After his return, he presented this paper at the Observer Research Foundation.
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