Mr Vinod Dua
I take strong exception to your facebook comment about Bihar. Your exact words: "why the present state of Bihar be funded by the Indian taxpayer...." is extreme in provocation. My angst comes first from being Indian as your statement hits at my very Indianness, and we have always thought ourselves as Indian first. However, for once I would ignore that and write like a Bihari. Who knows you may be belonging to the category who take patriotism as the last of resort of scoundrels and insult my nationalism further.
Can you Mr Dua give a single instance of Bihar getting more than what is due to it from the centre? You are a journalist and expected to be well aware that funds to a state are given under Gadgil formula and other provisions of the constitution. Can you provide proof of a single paisa of funds being given which is more than what is constitutionally due to Bihar? I dare you to counter me with concrete facts.
Now let me give you some hard facts: In every five year plan since independence, Bihar's per capita share has been the lowest. And this is not by a small margin but by HUGE margins. There have been plans where the difference was five to six times between what Bihar got per capita compared to what states like Punjab got. I will be happy to refer you to the website of planning commission of India to look for yourself the facts and figures.
Have you ever noticed that the most comprehensive irrigation system of Bihar is pre independence era British built the Son Command area? Yes, an agricultural state like Bihar has not got a single large irrigation project post independence. Rather - funds were diverted to projects like Bhakra Nangal. Like an Indian, Biharis took pride in those projects, but guys like you perhaps thought we were foolish to think like Indians first!
Let me give few concrete instances of gross injustice to Bihar:
1. The fine PUSA institute built by the American philanthropist Phillip of USA at Samastipur was shifted to Delhi since Bihar was deemed earth quake prone. Pray what was shifted out of Delhi after the earth quake there?
2. At the time of independence, 25% of sugar produced in India was in Bihar. In fact, the first Sugar mill in India was built at Marhaura in Bihar in 1902. Thanks to back breaking central policies which completely neutralized the locational advantage of Bihar, that percent is a pathetic 2% today.
3. Freight Equalization was introduced by some Bihar hater which broke the back of heavy industry in Bihar and surrounding states. Thousand of crores of rupees was looted from Biharis to subsidize the coal and steel consumption of say rich Delhi. Has there been a compensation for that?
4. Journalists like you paint Bihar as the perpetually flood prone state. Do you know that the flood prone area at the time of independence was 24 Lakh hectare and today, thanks to some completely hare brained scheme drawn up by Central Water Commission in spite of protests by the Irrigation Department of Bihar, is now 69 Lakh hectare or three times more. The idiocy of these central planners goes totally unchallenged.
5. In education, three of the four ancient Indian universities were in Bihar: Nalanda, Vikramshila and Odantpuri. In modern day India, Bihar does not have a single central university, IIM, IARI centre or ICSR lab. Even teh NIT given to Bihar is a fraud job which converted the British built Bihar College of Engineering to an NIT to deny it the central funds. Only a single IIT was allocated to Patna after a long struggle. And the visionary attempt to restart Nalanda University dreamt by APJ Abul Kalam, taken up in right earnest by Government of Bihar by providing land and guided by an international panel has already been usurped by Delhi by opening the first department of the proposed University at Delhi. And then some Shiela Dikshit will say that Biharis make Delhi dirty?
6. We have the modern day highways of India: the Golden Quadrilateral and the East West corridor. Does it occur to you that it treats Bihar and Jharkhand as enemy country locations, inevitably, they pass through Bihar and Jharkhand, but just to cross over and not to serve the population centres: Patna, Ranchi, Gaya, Hazaribagh, Dhanbad, Darbhanga, Arrah, ................I can go on and on. Let me tell you, Muzaffarpur is the only exception to prove the rule that these were designed to deny Biharis and Jharkhandis the advantage of these highways.
7. Delhi has more than two dozen bridges for 45 km of Yamuna but Bihar has just three and a half bridges for 445 km of Ganga. And each one built by the funds of the state, not centre. In fact, centre denied the funds for the Ganga bridge at Patna in 70's saying it is economically unviable. Well, the toll collection was so high that the Rs 42 crore bridge had a payback of six years against the norm of 20 years or more for such infrastructure projects. Was the planner at Delhi held accountable for his folly?
8. The poorest state of India, Bihar is a net exporter of capital. The CD ratio for Bihar hovers around 30%. Which means 70% of the savings of Biharis in Bihar gets exported as capital. Wonder what Mahatma Gandhi would have done if he were alive to see this loot.
9. Journalists like you shouted at the top of your voice when Bihar had a few extra ministers at centre under Vajpayee. Do you even notice that there is not even ONE minister, cabinet or junior, in the ministry of Manmohan Singh?
And you say that Bihar gets more than what it deserves?
Mr Dua, in light of the above facts and figures, I would expect you to either counter me with facts and figures or apologize for spreading misinformation. I hope you will be man enough.
Thakur Vikas Sinha
The views expressed by the author are personal.
comments...
Dear vindo dua,
Our noble friend Thakur Vikas Sinha despises you for currying favor with the center in denying the Biharis their due. Fair enough! I have a different point of view.People take revenge.Jai Prakash Narayen of Bihar overturned the Indira regime through JP andolan and made eternal enmity with the congress.The same congress ruling at the center will do everything possible not to let another JP Narayen born in Bihar.They know what Biharies can do if empowered.There is another reason to keep them away from power at the center, and that is to please their ally Mr.Raj Thakrey who commits open crimes against Biharis in broad day light. All this at the behest of congress.I know Mr.Dua you are an experienced journalist and are paid for every sentence you speak.The news and views are all pre-paid and you are doing your business. I do not mind you infecting misinformation to the ignorant who believe you the same way as Bal Thakrey propagates his nonsense through his vulturous mouthpiece SAMNA.But there are enough intellectuals in Bihar to counter your salvo and to resist and ultimately defeat the enemies of Bihar.Turn around and see the sea of Bihari bureaucrats, technocrats and intelligentsia around you, we shall soon overcome,bide for the time my friend.
Wishing you Luck
ARSHAD MOHSIN
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The thoughts expressed by the so called prominent & reponsible journalist like Mr.Vinod dua are not acceptable, disturbing & provoking. These kind of remarks against a Indian state will create hatred among one another. I would ask who is Vinod Dua to comment on the funds allocation to the state of Bihar as it is an integral part of India not a alien or foreign land.
Bihar becomes important when there is election else rest of the time nobody bothers about Bihar. The state meets step mother treatment from the centre. Mr.Vinod Dua doesnot understand the fact that the labours of Bihar are driving forces of the wheels of the industry and agriculture not only in Bihar but through out India and if 2morow the state of Bihar gets developed some of the developed states will have to worship the state of Bihar as their economy will come to almost stand still. There are many bureaucrats from Bihar who are managing the day to day affairs of the country.
He should made to stand next to Arundhati Roy and duly rewarded by the people of India.
Let the voice be raised against this kind unwanted comments against the state of Bihar.
Anil Kumar Giri
Pondicherry - India
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If this is the level of journalism, and if this is the level of senior journalist in India, then God can only save the Indian media.
Indian media is hi-jacking the society, this is known to all. And, moreover, Paid news system has changed everything what is
Aired or published through Indian media. Try to ignore it buddy. This journalist need to revisit Constitutions of India
once again before commenting state as a whole.
Anup Kumar.
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Dear Mr. Thakur Vikas Sinha,
Kindly try to ignore such messages also. Today’s journalism is based on paid news, and such journalist have made huge money thru paid news. A journalist who claim himself as senior one, should feel shame on his comment. And he should first study Constitutions of India before commenting on state as a whole that "why the present state of Bihar be funded by the Indian taxpayer”. The very question raises his ability as a journalist.
Anup Kumar
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Thought provoking, Vinod Dua's comments have infuriated me. Bihari works are driving the wheels of industry and agriculture in states like Punjab, Maharashtra, Gujarat and elsewhere. Bihari minerals are driving many a industry all over the country. Bihar born and educated bureaucrats are running the administration of this country.
Vinod Dua is another Arundhati Roy in the making. Probably the free oily food that he keeps eating has diminished his ability to think properly.
Mr.TV Sinha has written a good note on this issue and needs to be applauded.
Pradeep Sinha-CEO
Inditech International
Mumbai
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