Mr. Belly(Bihar) grow your feet to walk, and Mr. Feet(Maha) kindly manage your own food!

I was born in Bihar, spent my childhood in Nagaland, Assam, West Bengal. I spent my teenage days in Bihar, and after that in Maharashtra, UP, Delhi! Am based in Delhi since then! I have very fond memories of the NE states, culinary memories of WB, scenic memories of Maharashtra, green memories of UP, and am living in Delhi. Delhi has around 50% of population from UP, 12% of people from Haryana, 10% from Bihar, around 6% from Rajasthan, while PUNJAB, WB, and MP people comprise 10%, and the rest 10% from other states. And this city gives me a feel of cosmopolitan city, in truest nature!  Whenever anyone asks me if I am a Bihari or Assamese, my reply is Indian! Because I feel attached to my country the most!

Backdrop:

On August 11th, 2012 few Muslim youths in Mumbai took to vandalism, desecrated 'Amar Jawan' memorial of which pictures were taken by media, to protest against atrocities on Rongiya Muslims in Myanmar. Many policeman were hurt in the riots that ensued, while attempting to stop them. No doubt it was one of the dastardly acts being committed by fundamentalist, and their brainwashed hogs. And what Maharashtra Police did was commendable, infact, they should not have had allowed them for protest itself. India is not Myanmar, and neither should there be any vandalism on account of anything happening in that country. One of the person involved, Abdul Qadir Mohammed Younus Ansari, in desecrating Amar Jawan memorial was found in Indo-Nepal bordering Sitamarhi district in Bihar. Maharashtra Police went and arrested him from there, and brought him to Mumbai. Chief secretary of Bihar then writes a letter to the DGP of Mumbai Police asking Maharashtra Police to follow protocol, else a legal action could be initiated next time it happens. Now what is the protocol? If and when, if any state police has to go and arrest criminal from other state they have to inform their counterpart, in that state. So that, police of other state have information about the alleged criminal. This comes in handy when alleged criminal make hue and cry of being kidnapped in public, and police, who then resort to manhandling the other state police. Secondly, if any family member or any other person complains about missing of the alleged criminal, action can be taken accordingly. However, since this was a national issue of a person harming national property, state could have overlooked, instead of talking about legal action. On its part, Maharashtra government could have completed the protocol later.

 

Aftermath:

Raj Thackerey, the chief of MNS, and nephew of Bal Thackerey terms all Biharis in Maharashtra as infiltrators. And warn that all Biharis would be sent back. Nitish Kumar, the CM of Bihar, calls him no better than an insane person, and in process forgets nationalism. Uddhav Thackerey talks of giving permits to Bihari for entering in Maharastra. Social media is abuzz with people being divided on the issue. Some supporting Thackerey, and a few supporting freedom of Bihar. While the rest advocating and suggesting that Bihar should start working for its development, and stop living off Marathi people's resources. And how Biharis are being a drain on the resources of that state!

 The very idea of India is under grave threat from all quarters. Congress seems to be busy making its hay by doing nothing against Raj Thackerey, and thus dreaming of Hindu and Marathi votes being split between Shiv Sena, BJP and MNS, so that it can make its victory easy. This is how petty we have got. Repeated lies becomes a truth, and this is what seems to have happened to people who keep on hearing Raj Thackerey and getting fascinated with the idea of Maharashtra for Marathi. Few people have even went to the extent of saying because of the culprit of Amar Jawan vandal that Biharis are criminal. By that standard who are Dawood Ibrahim, Gawli, Chhota Sakeel etc, who have declared perpetual war on India! Are they sage? Common both are criminals, has got to do nothing at all with being a part of state. But I would want to present certain fact for such brow beating people, who seem to be hell bent on dividing India, and most importantly Indians.

 

TALKING OF MAHARASTRA and BOMBAY

During British rule, portions of the western coast of India under direct British rule were part of the Bombay Presidency. In 1937, the Bombay Presidency became a province of British India. After Indian independence in 1947, many former princely states, including the Gujarat states and the Deccan states, were merged with the former Bombay province, which was renamed the State of Bombay. The State of Bombay was significantly enlarged on November 1, 1956, expanding eastward to incorporate the Marathi-speaking Marathwada region of Hyderabad State, the Marathi-speaking Vidarbha region of southern Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarati-speaking Saurashtra and Kutch. The southernmost, Kannada-speaking portion of the state became part of the new linguistic state of Karnataka (then, Mysore State). The Bombay state was being referred to by the local inhabitants as Maha Dwibhashi Rajya, literally, the great bilingual state. The state was home to both Marathi and Gujarati linguistic movements, both seeking to create separate linguistic states. The Mahagujarat movement in Gujarat was led by Shri Indubhai Yagnik (popularly known as Indu Chacha). On May 1, 1960, after a movement for a separate Marathi state turned violent, the State of Bombay was partitioned into the States of Gujarat and Maharashtra. (source~ wikipedia)

When it comes to Bombay, on what basis Marathis talk of ownership? Bombay was basically a land of fishermen, and not Marathi ones. So who owns Bombay? Raj Thackerey who comes from Vidharba of Madhya Pradesh? Or a person from Punjab, Bihar? And what does the word cosmopolitan mean, when we are referring to Bombay as Cosmopolitan? Just for Marathis? Or just for Gujaratis, who really made Bombay what it is today? Or Bihari and UP'ite who contributed in every infrastructure building in Bombay? I hear now people voicing that Biharis are a huge drain on the resources of Mumbai! Ohh, really?

So, the Britishers shouldn't have had given birth to India, but Bombay Presidency, Bihar, United Province, Central Province etc etc. Because as per few, there is nothing which binds us, we are a liability on each other! But wait....tell me a few things!

• Isn't Udhav's call to let in Biharis in Mumbai only against permits preposterous? If this was applied it would spell the disintegration of India as a nation. Udhav too is playing to the gallery to reassure his vote bank. The irony is that Mumbai as a city owes a debt to the British. Having received 7 islands inhabited only by fishermen, as a dowry from the Portuguese to Charles II of England, the British built "Bombay" and demonstrated the ability to make it the urbs prima of their Indian empire.The development of Mumbai is due to the hard work and entrepreneurship of a multitude of people from all parts of India. It is pertinent that the earliest settlers in the British city were Parsees, Memons and others from Gujarat. The Armenians too were among the earlier ones. The Maharashtrians even from neighbouring Pune or Konkan came later chiefly to work in the mills. To now demand that this melting pot and throughly cosmopolitan city should impose on curbs on North Indians is churlish.
• Imagine India as your body, Stomach as Bihar, and Mumbai as legs. If you gain a potbelly, is the belly taking away resources of feet, as it can only walk with a smaller belly? Why have I compared Mumbai with feet? World over, across countries, only those cities become the Economical hub which are by the sea! There might be a few aberration esp in land locked countries, but otherwise it holds true! And it is so to encourage trade between different countries, and making the area more prosperous. In the process, the area utilizes resources of other states, people of other states, assimilates culture of other states and thus reflect a cosmopolitan character. And this is so the case with countries and cities across the globe! Most importantly, the manufacturing hubs are located near the shore, thus making the original inhabitants feel the tangible asset. But they tend to forget a number of things. That being near the saline sea, they do not have much fertile soil, and thus depend on other areas for the basic necessity like food! And raw materials as well are transported from other states.

In this scenario, if one has read the primary school geography well, they might be able to locate the hub of mineral resources. Bihar, Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh. Ironical, that these have become the poorest state in current times. Those shouting about using up resources should think about it. States like Bihar has one of the most fertile soil in the country, had lots of mineral resources, could set up factories over there. IT could just transport the final product to Nava Sheva port, or Mazgaon dock for export! But why didn't it happen?

Because the founders of modern Bharat thought of all round development of the country! And they brought in a policy called 'Freight Equalisation Policy'! Bihar was one of worst victims of certain policies pursued by the government of India after Independence such as the freight equalisation policy and refugee rehabilitation policy. As Minister of Commerce & Industry and Iron & Steel, T.T Krishnamachari took the decision in 1956 to equalise the prices of iron,steel, aluminium, copper, coal etc all over the country and thus neutralised the locational advantage of Bihar and other eastern States. Moreover, freight rate on cotton and oil seeds were not equalised which caused considerable harm to the industries of Bihar related to these products Introduction of freight equalisation policy (1956) was meant to favour other States and discriminate against Bihar and the whole eastern region. Therefore, Bihar had to carry the legacy of being at the service for other States and for the rest of India and the drain of wealth from Bihar continued till date. This was not the case in the pre-independence era when Tatas, Dalmias and others too come and set up industries in these states and most of the engineering industry was set in Bihar. Dalmia Nagar, Rohtas, Jamshedpur, Hatia, Dhanbad, Monghyr were one of the most industrialized towns across India. But freight Equalisation Policy, and constant step-motherly treatment by Union Government caused Bihar's downfall! It took a big blow when JP led movement threw out Indira Gandhi for a shortwhile. She took revenge from Bihar in a dastardly way by halting all projects, and allocating less funds in central assistance. Dalmia Nagar from being the most industrialized town once in India turned into a ghost town! And where did these factories relocate to? Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi, Chennai! So what do you expect the people from those states to do?

 

SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONDITION

Every year Bihar is ravaged by massive floods because of the rivers entering through Nepal, and severe drought all at the same time. 20 districts are suffering because of flood, and the rest are starving because of drought. Imagine the plight of farmer who invest his entire year, all money into farming. At the end of it, his house is inundated with flood waters from another country, his crops gone, livestocks gone, and with no other skill what do you expect him to do? Go to any cosmopolitan town because industries have been moved out of your state by repulsive and biased policies, and since your state is land locked there won't be much industrialisation either way, nature has punished you as well, and you have to act as a man and take care of your family. So go and take up any menial job you get, live in any tiny shack you get, defecate by the road, drink from the pipeline passing by, but think about your family! One more interesting fact, Bihar is not being provided coal linkage for electricity generation, despite letting every industry take it to the shore based state. Ironical! Read about it people! Read, instead of diving the country based on decisive politics.

Irony of the state were already too many to deal with, but added up are the politicians. Be it media hungry Laloo, or media Savvy Nitish. They both have played politics. One by demonstrating his idiocy, and another demonstrating otherwise, but being worse. Nitish has no spine to counter likes of Raj, and take on horns with center. If he wanted he could have arm twisted for coal linkage, forced Mamta not to abandon the Railway projects initiated by Laloo because of his petty politics. He could have sat down with center on issue of proper dam and barrage, and asked them to take on Nepal. But yes, meanwhile........Lets do, what Britishers did. Divide and Rule. Ideally when a guest reaches a host's home he acclimatises to their condition, but why should Biharis acclimatise? They are Bihari first, Indian later! Why should Marathis budge, even if Bombay is not theirs, they are Marathis first, Indian later! We talk about Indians as having no right to live in Kashmir as legitimate people, think what are we doing amongst ourselves.Maharashtra returns all the iron it has, all the industries based on iron and minerals like automobile, cement, aluminium, pipes to BIMARU states. Return even the water pipes, sewer pipes, ceramic tiles, jewellery etc to all the respective states it came from. Stop eating Paav, and wheat based item...you are eating up MP's resources. All Indians should stop having tea, and let only Bengal and Assam enjoy it. Only Karnatka can enjoy coffee and Kerala its spices. All Biharis should stop wearing clothes which are not manufactured in their state. Bengalis should stop eating fish coming from Orissa. We all should stop smoking tobacco because it comes from WB. Apples are only meant from HP &JK. I mean should we really stop using each other resources? If feet has to walk, develop the feet so that it can generate its food! Grow a leg, Mr. belly to walk!



Think why India was great once!