A journey to the heart of India :Rupa Jha

[prasad1]

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Patna is the city of my birth. Every time I return there I get this slight rush of excitement and anticipation over what might have changed – and I always hope it will be for the better.

I left the city almost two and a half decades ago in search of better opportunities – similar to most educated people of my generation. Years later, they still seem to be doing the same. I feel comfortable when I come home, but I do not feel comfortable about the images most people seem to have – of corruption, bureaucratic red-tape, rotten infrastructure and poverty. These days I travel all over India and hear plenty of people talking about “shining India” or “Incredible India” but, when I look at my home state, I see a place that simply has to deliver a better quality of life for its citizens if any of these positive images are to take hold.

Rupa Jha in Patna recording "Living India" for the BBC World Service
During my most recent trip, making the three-part Living India documentary for the BBC World Service, I took a year long journey in the company of four fellow Biharis. The idea was to find a small group from a mixture of backgrounds, so we could tell a global audience what it is like to live in India today as an ordinary person, trying to make your way in life.
This is not the India of our political elites, nor of the captains of industry based in our megacities. Neither is this the India that often graces the world’s media; that of natural disasters, crime or crisis. This is day-to-day India, a place that most people outside India have no image of.

A journey to the heart of India - The Hindu

I know in the wake of another BBC documentary, people in India do not want another BBC report.
But covering your eyes and ears does not stop the information.

I suppose I can safely quote:

I was left with a sense of wonderment that they continue to put up with the daily difficulties. How many people outside India would understand the extreme difficulties of commuting to work every day over that decrepit Bridge. I remember, as a child, going to see the “longest bridge in Asia” as tourists. It was a monument of pride for us, but now it’s a source of embarrassment – a symbol of the sorry state of infrastructure in Bihar.

Not many Biharis would read this post, and others would care less.

 

[krish44]

what does the world gain looking at the abject poverty and helplessness of people of bihar who have seen no

development. most are forced to migrate elsewhere in india for education and make a living

their lands ,home get flooded every year. the govt is corrupt , apathetic towards their plight.

Agencies like BBC finds deljght in portraying the gutters in this country.

Govt would be better off driving out these filmmakers, foreign missionaries whose motives are suspect.

 

[prasad1]

what does the world gain looking at the abject poverty and helplessness of people of bihar who have seen no

development. most are forced to migrate elsewhere in india for education and make a living

their lands ,home get flooded every year. the govt is corrupt , apathetic towards their plight.

Agencies like BBC finds deljght in portraying the gutters in this country.

Govt would be better off driving out these filmmakers, foreign missionaries whose motives are suspect.

Krishji,
I wish you would read the entire article before jumping on the ignorant rant wagon.
In India we never want to see a mirror as we are afraid of what it might show.
We should be proud of who we are. The article is not all negative.
The point is if we see ourself in proper spirit we can improve on it, but if we just hide our face there is no hope. Please don't join the ignorance is bliss brigade.

 

[V.Balasubramani]

Krishji,
I wish you would read the entire article before jumping on the ignorant rant wagon.
In India we never want to see a mirror as we are afraid of what it might show.
We should be proud of who we are. The article is not all negative.
The point is if we see ourself in proper spirit we can improve on it, but if we just hide our face there is no hope. Please don't join the ignorance is bliss brigade.

Well said Sir

Nice article by the author – she has tried to give a clear picture of how Bihar is slowly on the road of progress by each one’s contribution. Every one has an inbuilt mission. The words of Sunil that “education is the only thing I have to fight my poverty" shows the maturity. We have more Sunils, Atul and Jayashree and Anithas to contribute their mite for the growth of the State.

I did some research work on the subject and found the real picture is this:

It is a turnaround for Bihar which is in fact becoming a fastest growing State of India.

According to the Indian Planning Commission’s data for 2001-2005 period, Bihar was the slowest growing State with a poor GDP of 2.9%

On the other hand, Gujarat was the fastest growing State between the period from 2001-2005 with a figure of 11%

But during the period from 2006-2010, things seems to have changed drastically and Bihar grew at 10.9 percent well ahead of Gujarat dipping to 9.3 %

This is the fact.

This State’s achievement was just complimented by Montek Singh Ahluwalia, who happens to be the Deputy Chairman of India’s Planning Commission.

In fact Patna in particular, is marching on the road of development in all its activities.

It is considered one of safest of cities in terms of investment in real estate.

One should experience the teeming restaurants or cheek-by-jowl shoppers in Patna.

While things are changing positively, some don’t seems to change their negative mindset.

One Member comes here and has left his usual negative mindset ‘pulambal’.

 

[krish44]

Krishji,
I wish you would read the entire article before jumping on the ignorant rant wagon.
In India we never want to see a mirror as we are afraid of what it might show.
We should be proud of who we are. The article is not all negative.
The point is if we see ourself in proper spirit we can improve on it, but if we just hide our face there is no hope. Please don't join the ignorance is bliss brigade.

I have read the complete article.

I have been to bihar so many times

To an extent I know the ground realities.

the state has abdicated its rspnsibilities.

people have to look after themselves.

men and women do so by running out of the state to state capitals such as NCR ,mumbai and they have to be looked

after by other states of the country for education and jobs

delhi has sizeable numbers to constitute a huge vote bank. manoj tiwari , a bhojpuri star got elected from delhi to

lok sabha.most in menial jobs as domestics and cooks in bengal are biharis. mumbai taxi drivers are from backward areas of UP and bihar.

tamilnadu construction workers are also from bihar. one of them even got shot for robbing an ATM of bank near my flat in chennai.

if citizens of a state are reduced to this level, no reports from BBC is of any relevance except it might get some eyeball

fof the people in western countries who might only conclude that we are a nation of beggars and nothing more.

perhaps some missionaries will land up to convert some mahadalits of bihar.or a bill gates may throw a few pennies

where does this take the state or the people of bihar?

 

[V.Balasubramani]

Every State has an elected Government performing seriously to fulfill their Election Manifesto and I mean their promises made to the public.

As for Bihar, there were black days for Bihar, but today Bihar is changing. There are lot of agencies making all out efforts and concentrate for the social and economic development of State, and one among such Agencies is The Bihar Minorities Financial Corporation Limited, which is established way back during the year 1984 with the sole aim of elevating the economic and social conditions of the downtrodden minorities (Muslin, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Parsis) by implementing welfare schemes like Education Loan to poor students, vocational Training, Mahila Smridhi Yojana, etc

In the fields of Education, Road Infrastructure, Women Empowerment, Health. etc considerable progress is being made. For instance nearly 1,00,000 teachers were recruited and are on job with the result even parents who have lost faith over education of their wards are now themselves sending their children to schools.

There are lot of achievements and success stories in respect Bihar State.

One should remember that ‘Rome was not built in a day’. It can take time to implement welfare schemes and to ensure that these schemes reach the poor masses.

That way we have a long way to go and our country which got independence only in 1947 cannot be compared with another country which have got long history of development after post-Independence period running to centuries.

A few years back even the USA and European countries faced deep recession. It is all due to the decisions taken by the politicians, bureaucrats, and business tycoons who are living in the lap of luxury and who have their lion share of say in the governance of their respective countries.

Despite all hurdles we are marching ahead and showing progress in toto and Bihar will sure rise to glory.

 

[krish44]

Great to feel optimistic about another state as long one is not affected.

the girl BBC has got hold off from bihar will become another malala for the west to trumpet about living conditions in

india. and making her a heroine of sorts.

these types will say what the west wants to

hear about india.

One of my grand nieces with masters in public health in india got an international award for working on post natal

care in jharkand. the money she got as award was to further work on her project. at the end of it when she wrote her report , they wanted it to be modified that it does not hurt their sensibilities.

now she has sworn not to accept any awards in future.

no one likes unflattering references or reports which which do not reflect their fixed mindsets.

ultimately there is nothing like a free lunch .there are strings attached to everything



i

 

[V.Balasubramani]

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar unveiled a 20-km free Wi-Fi zone at a function called e-Bihar summit in Patna last year, which happens to be the world longest Wi FI Zone.

Of course, how can a member whose own Union Territory is already suffering with various shortcomings and multiple problems, especially with fast deteriorating air quality ( it is reported that at least 23 people die on an average due to respiratory diseases at Delhi), not to speak about the sky rocketing prices of essential commodities, unending and long power cuts and rising Electricity and Water Bills, will accept or at least appreciate the tangible developments taking place in and around other States? And such an act requires a broad mind.

Let the Delhiites first experience the development of their own UT with the New Government which has made lot of promises. This Government is already facing internal problems. Let us wait and see the outcome.
.

 

[krish44]

honorable member can try living for sometime in bihar and it will be a trip of discovery on how biharis live.....

 

[sarang]

In his first meet with the secretaries (all IAS, IPS) modi asked them to visit their birth village/town to see first hand their today's state and suggest improvements. There are pockets of affluence and areas with no change in all states.

 

[V.Balasubramani]

honorable member can try living for sometime in bihar and it will be a trip of discovery on how biharis live.....

If it is God willing, I love to live anywhere under the sun with human inhabitance .lol

 

[krish44]

why bring God into it. It requires personal will to enjoy squalor and dirt

 

[V.Balasubramani]

why bring God into it. It requires personal will to enjoy squalor and dirt

The personal will differ to each individual. One man's elixir is other man's poison. lol

 

[prasad1]

honorable member can try living for sometime in bihar and it will be a trip of discovery on how biharis live.....

I have lived in Bihar for a long time. It has its own set of problems. People cope with it, and after sometime know to work around it. No place on earth is paradise, unless you know to work around the problems, you will be miserable.

 

[V.Balasubramani]

I have lived in Bihar for a long time. It has its own set of problems. People cope with it, and after sometime know to work around it. No place on earth is paradise, unless you know to work around the problems, you will be miserable.

:clap2: