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Bihar - a
Hopeless Place?
By Arun Prasad
Verma
Aug. 17, 2008 |
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My teacher
at Patna University when I was a Ph. D student
in 1972 said very sarcastically that nothing can
grow in the soil of Bihar. He had experience of
40 yrs and now I repeat the same version after
almost same lapse of time what my teacher said
long before. Actually this state is sick and
infested with so many maladies, which is
greatest inhibition in the progress. Casteism,
nepotism favoritism, paisa, pairwi and political
excess are the six somnolent which is
obliterating the entire development of the
state.
People of the state were enthusiastic to get a
chief minister like Nitish. He was a very
successful minister in the centre and at his
advent was called as Vikash Purush or Chanakya.
So many exclamations were cited by the people of
the state. I would like to quote one sector -
Magadh University in this state is functionless.
The Vice Chancellor is simply talking about
high–technology implementation in the
university, but in action he is completely zero.
Files takes couple of months to come into
action. Academic and examination sessions of
post graduate classes are late by three years.
Students only took admission and a letter
followed immediately from university to fill-up
their examination forms. Nobody is there to
redress their grievances. This is the greatest
joke with the career of students. Their course
even has not been touched .what we will do in
the departments. There is examination only
except basic needs of the students. Funds even
for most urgent work seems like begging alms.
Government gave plenty of money to college
administration for infrastructural development.
Administration has spent money in modular lab
preparation removing very good wooden working
tables from science laboratories. Now unused
long wooden working table is a big problem for
us. Godrej & Co. was hired for modular lab
preparation in different faculties but
department does not know anything about the
money spent.
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Comments: |
I
understand there remains a myriad of
problems facing Bihar, but as an
Anglo-American who has visited Bihar
over 7 times in the past 5 years, I
find a special charm in the State
that has become ingrained as part of
my persona. I’ve traveled throughout
India and I always come back to
Patna as my home away from home. I
feel I have an adopted extended
family there in my close friends.
There are some Indian Nationals who
consider me crazy for traveling to
Patna. To them I say, Bihar has been
given an unwarranted bad name and
they should come and visit before
passing judgment. For those who do
travel to Patna for a visit, it
becomes a positive awakening. There
is nothing hopeless in Bihar other
than those who consider it hopeless.
I’ve seen improvements by Nitish
over the past two years. Yes, there
is a monumental amount that needs to
be done after years of neglect and a
crass lack of concern but finally
there appears to be a government
with a sincere desire to make things
better. First and foremost there has
to be a workable plan for adequate
drainage throughout the State. But
to those living in Bihar I say, from
the outside looking in there is a
great deal of beauty and promise in
the State. Rather than complaining,
everyone should rally to make
progress happen faster. I do not
discount the possibility that I am a
naïve outsider who has not
experienced the worst of Bihar, but
of the young people in Patna I’ve
been exposed to, I feel there is
most definitely a significant
population with the work ethic,
drive and intelligence to make
happen anything one can dream. -
Barry B. Sandrew, Ph.D. - Aug. 31,
2008
I
totally agree with the comments of
Barry. PD Should run a open debate
on this subject.
- Dr Murli Sinha, Pleck Health
Centre, 16 Oxford Street, Walsall,
WS2 9HY - Sept. 8, 2008 |
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