It must be year 2002, my dad who has retired sometime earlier, withdrew a handsome amount of cash from his account at a bank branch in Patna. His destination was PMCH, where a person from our extended family has been undergoing treatment and was due for a surgery. However, he was unaware that he was being accosted by some people right from the bank branch itself. Person following him pointed out that someone has spitted out betel on him and took advantage of his divided attention to vanish with the cash he has been carrying. Matter was reported to police. Police advised do not follow up as the people involved in this slight were having backing of the people who mattered most in Bihar then. We accepted the same as fait accompli, given the state in which Bihar was then. This was the time when Jungle Raj Part I was playing in Bihar. Well, my family was not alone as this was the time when even the family of top notch bureaucrats in our friend circle preferred to dispose of their home and hearth to abndon Bihar.
Cut back to year 2014. My old Mom and Dad alighted from a Rickshaw in front of our own house after visiting someone from our extended village relations nearby. Two boys appeared on bike, stopped, and before my bewildered parents could realize the chain she was wearing was gone. Unfortunately, hardly any young shoulder is left in extended neighborhood to respond to the ensuing commotion. I rang up a senior police officer of concerned jurisdiction on his mobile. Response was matter of a fact statement to send a written complaint. Did so. Needless to say that no action was taken thereafter. Thought of soliciting help of our friends in bureaucracy and police administration but soon had to abandon this idea after considering various pros and cons. Dropped the idea of pursuing it further lest my parents get harassed or come in way of some harm in our absentia. Gentlemen, this has been the Return of Jungle Raj or Jungle Raj Part II, now playing in the theaters of absurdities that is My Dear Bihar today.
Bihar has indeed changed over years. More and more people have moved out of Bihar. Brains, which could have championed the cause of this state, have mostly abandoned the state. More people from rural Bihar have been now leaving for menial jobs in Middle East. This is an improvement over earlier trend of going to Western and Southern parts of India. More and more students are now leaving for technical and professional education to institutes outside Bihar than has been the trend earlier. This shows people’s determination to find way out of morass in which Bihar is in today. Still, there is something which has not changed in the last 25 years. That is, constant sense offear for safety of self and near and dear ones and security of property. This is the least common denominator anyone would expect out of their rulers.
No hope till now. I have some reason to be hopeful given the means and tools available in hand of general masses. Wish people of my state would also use the vast number of tools and technologies available to shape the political and governance discourse at the center and in the state, rather than allow the artless political leaders take it the wrong way. These means and tools can be employed effectively while still staying completely in background.
