Also Read " Letter to Editor, Outlook Hindi"
What type of nationalism are Mr. Bal Thackrey’s Sainiks preaching? Nationalism of regionalism or regionalism of nationalism? Recent upsurge of anger against Biharis in Assam and Maharashtra is certainly not showing a good sign of national integration. The national disintegration starts on the background of alienation. This alienation was so much felt when I was shocked while listening All India Radio news at 9 p.m. dated 24th November; news reader commenting ‘Bihar Again!’ while talking to Alok Mehta, Editor, Hindi Outlook in the context of CAT paper leakage case. This simple comment shows as if previous day Assam-Bihar conflicts were based on the corruption and only Bihar were a corrupt state! The attitude and tone of the news reader reminds me of a jubilant child who have caught his mate doing wrong things while ignoring the misdeeds of his other mates like Telgi in Maharastra and various other mates in Punjab and other parts of India.
Even public, especially in Delhi, are used to gossip about corruption only when it involves Bihar or a Bihari. They seldom discuss when more serious corruption cases occur in other parts of India. Even worse, in the IIM paper leakage case, the responsible persons are from Patna while forgetting it was the management that should be considered more responsible for this type of happening. And certainly, the management or organizing board was outside of Bihar. The main focus of the debate was “persons belong to Bihar” rather than leakage of CAT paper itself. This type of attitude among matured personalities and intellectuals could be seen or felt as much more usual. This is a ‘Nation in Making’ !
Also Read " Letter to Editor, Outlook Hindi"
Even media, especially electronic media and some particular newspapers leave no stones unturned in reporting, even sometimes unimportant, incidents as if to show only the bad side of Bihar : So, murders occur only in Bihar!, Rapes take place only in Bihar!, Even road accidents occur only in Bihar! Every wrong thing is happening only in Bihar! I have been a regular reader of main English newspapers for almost 18 years, and have found, in many instances, media is hell bent on damaging the reputation of Bihar. I have rarely found any state news being given so much prominence when something wrong has occurred in that state vis-à-vis Bihar. Thanks God, Munish Dalal (of Nisha Sharma’s Dowry case) was not from Bihar as media reports suggest!
Some one says that this upsurge of anger against Biharis is taking place because Bihar, I mean Bihar Government is not doing any Development works in the state? Is underdevelopment or development a criterion to support the view of restricting one person to go to other states? Punjab, Gujarat and some other states are developed. But why do the people from these states come and settle in Delhi? Many central institutes are opened by the Government of India, but not in Bihar. The reasons may be anything. “It is Bihar Government’s failure” echo Central Government and other non-Bihari common people. Is Bihar outside of India or is it independent country? As a part of union of India, is the central government not responsible for the making of Bihar? The students from Bihar go to other states for the better education merely because so many good institutes of central government are in other states. There is no a single Central University or IIT in Bihar! While so many distinguished lecturers and professors from Bihar are teaching in the Institutes of other states, they hardly find any good ones in their own state. Even proposed National Institute of Science does not cover the state of Bihar. I could not see the logic of Central Government to choose Orissa as one of the proposed National Institute of Science while ignoring the more prestigious college , Science College, Patna. Is it wrong if Bihari students go to other states? A few years back, Delhi Government had tried to impose restriction for outsiders (read Biharis) forgetting that Delhi University is a Central University!
Also Read " Letter to Editor, Outlook Hindi"
It is commonly understood that politicians, everywhere talk more during the election time, and work less during the ruling time. This phenomenon is prevalent almost in every political party and state. Is central or national leadership not responsible for this? The poor have no jobs in Bihar. They go to Assam, Punjab, Maharashtra and some other states for earning their livelihood. They are not going to another country ‘Assam’ or ‘Maharashtra’. Is Maharashtra only for Marathis? Dear sir- Hon’ble President of India and Chief Justice of India- are you aware of this? Please adjudicate the matter asap.
(Note: This
article is written by Pawan Kumar Jha on November 28, 2003. Reproducing this article without
permission of author is illegal. The author can be contacted by E-mail: pawankumarjha@yahoo.co.uk
)
Date: 4 December, 2003
Mr. Alok Mehta
Editor
Outlook (Hindi) Saptahik
AB-6, Safdarjung Enclave
New
Delhi-110029
Subject: Objections
regarding Bihar related reports in the 8 December, 2003 Issue of Outlook
Saptahik
Dear Mr. Mehta,
This
letter is in regard to some objectionable reports about the people of Bihar in
the 8 December 2003 Issue of Outlook Saptahik.
First,
the headline of the front page reads as “Assam se Mumbai tak Pit-te Bihari
aur UP ke Log” . The sentence and photograph is very provocative. This
will inculcate in the young minds of Bihari people a sense of rebellion. In the
time of conflicts, you should preach the one-ness of India rather than fanning
out the passion of certain regions of the country. The media is called the
fourth Pillar of Democracy. Has this pillar no any responsibility towards the
making and unity of the Nation? I was very disturbed when I went through the reports and I have no any doubt that the
reports will create the feeling of disenchantment with the Country as a whole,
at least by Bihari people.
Recently,
only in the states of Assam and Maharashtra, there were reports of
anti-Bihari feelings, but in the reports, the attempt has been made to
include the past and even future trends of
anti-Bihari feelings in various states while giving their own opinions by your
reporters. These reports are written in such a way as to show only one side of
the whole story blaming Biharis and Bihar Government for the state of these
affairs.
It is
true that Bihar is under developed and state government is lax towards the
process of development. But this underdevelopment should not be the criterion to
despise the people of other states if they go to another states for their
livelihood as the reports reflect. Mr. Bal Thackrey calls himself a patriot. But
the patriotism for which- Maharashtra or India? If this happens, it means people
are narrow minded and the people like you and Bal Thackrey encourage this trend
through media. I can not understand Bal Thackrey’s views. Is
Mahrashtra only for Marathis? If it is so as the views of Mr. Thackrey and
the reports in Magazine suggest, then why do not you people suggest the
Parliament to divide the Union of India into so many independent Countries with
provisions of passport and visa? Only then, Thackrey’s soul would be satiated.
Caption
in one of the photographs in the reports is provocative. The reports are
presented in such a way that these clearly reflect the anti-Bihari attitude of
the reporters themselves. In the profession, this type of things should not
happen, otherwise people like me will have a second thought about the goodness
of the Media-Intellectuals. Reports say that even middle class Bihari people go
to Punjab by referring hundred Bihar cadre of IAS or other posts.
I could
not see the logic of your reporters. Is Punjab or any other state a separate
country? If even middle class people go to Punjab through various posts, is it
crime? If it is so, then what is the status of India?
Is it a country? Highlighting these and other reports about Bihar
population in other states only show a tendency of biasedness against Bihari
people. After independence, States were created (read demarcated) only for the
suitability of administration and not for anything else. To
claim some particular regions as their own is very ridiculous.
Does Mr. Bal Thackrey have any sense of nationalism?
In the
aftermath of partition, many people from Pakistan came and settled in Delhi.
That time, there was no any hue and cry. In due course, Delhi has become of
Punjabis! This feeling is reflected in one sentence of the reports- ‘Original
people-Punjabis’, Are Punjabis original Delhiites? If
these people had come and settled and after sometimes began to claim Delhi as
their own- is it not ridiculous? Have Bihari people, by virtue of being
in their own country, no any rights to live and settle in the Capital if the
situations so arise?
The
reports highlighted about the bad condition of Roads, health and other ills of
Mumbai and Delhi due to presence of large number of Biharis. This is only one
side of the concerns. It is true that very large number of Bihari laborers are
in Delhi and Mumbai. But these laborers are engaged in the construction of
houses of Delhiites (read non-Biharis to satiate your soul) and Marathis,
construction of flyovers, roads and other infrastructure of Delhi and Mumbai. So
to blame poor Bihari laborers for the bad civic amenities of the cities reflects
the failure of respective municipalities and state governments towards
discharging their duties. Only Delhi and Mumbai are not populous cities. There
are many more populous cities around the world and the concerned cities should
take lessons from them how to manage and keep the cities clean. So, giving the
arguments by quoting respective leaders of the so called developed states and
highlighting only those views in your reports-does not it smell biasedness?
Through these writings, you people want to encourage so called developed states
to despise the Bihari people which is not a good sign. The
dignity of an individual or a community is more important than selling the
magazines in the market through writing provocative headlines to attract the
customers.
By
highlighting the views of anti-Bihari feelings of particular leaders, you people
are misusing media through your magazine for the intended purposes. You people
are forcing the Bihari people to call themselves ‘Biharians’, not Indians.
Yours
truly,
(Pawan
Kumar Jha)
Foundation
for Innovation and Technology Transfer
(FITT),
Indian
Institute of Technology Delhi
Hauz
Khas, New Delhi-110016
E-mail: pawankumarjha@hotmail.com
(Note: I did not get any response from Mr. Alok Mehta till date.) top