Having been born and brought up in a small village of Bihar has been more of a privilege to me than anything else. If nothing, since I started knowing the world I always knew that I need to do more as I may not be on equal ground. As I grew up, I worked in more than 10 states and 5 countries. I travelled across India and visited more than 20 countries. Still, a travel to back Home (Begusarai District) has always been the journey with more excitement for me. It brought new perspectives, thoughts and fresh enthusiasm in my mind and soul of the complacency. And of course, there were the charm of home food dahi - choora and litti-chokha.
The last travel to home was different however; it was more purposeful, more determined and with sense of purpose. A purpose that has been there ever since someone asked me "Bade hokar kya banoge?" In the world of fierce competition and rat race of finding something, I realized late that "Ab main 28 saal ka ho gaya hoon!". Stoppages in the path have become goals and goals started looking distant. It was a journey of self realization. Thoughts hover around things like "Has something really changed in Bihar, outside Patna and other urban cities?" If yes, do ordinary people, especially from the lower orders, notice these changes?
The experience of being Bihari has taught me not to go by perceived notions and wisdom. Statistics are dodgy, the national media is either deceivable or unfriendly and the local media suffers from an urban mindset. It was obvious I wanted to see things myself.
Changes were visible and at least a part of the answer was clear soon, as the vehicle and its occupants survived the many forays beyond the highways. Earlier expedition from Begusarai to Cheria Bariarpur (My Home Town!), a 24-km stretch, used to take two hours. The roads in Bihar have changed. They may not be the best in the country, but they are way better than what they used to be a few years ago. Does the quality of road make a difference to "Aam Admee – The Mango people"? I asked this question and was promptly silenced by some passengers waiting for a bus to Rosera. It used to take them a full day to transport a critically ill patient to the hospital there. Now it takes two hours.
The improvement in law and order is no less dramatic. Gone are the days of brazen rangadaari, of extortion, loot and kidnappings with open political patronage. These practices have not completely disappeared. Even though it's not completely vanished, yet the contrast with the past is there for everyone to notice. And it matters even to the landless laborer who can now ply his rickshaw without the fear of being dragged for begaar (unpaid labor).
As part of election campaign later, I visited the Musahar tola of a remote village to check if 'development' had reached the last person. Most of the students in the two-room school get books, uniform and a mid-day meal, but perhaps not much education. Elsewhere, people had reported that government doctors have started attending the rural health centers, but there was no hospital around this locality. Yes, every family had a job card under MNREGA, but could not recall the last time anyone got work under that scheme. Migration to Delhi and Punjab by large remains the main source of livelihood. There is still no electricity here. We have gotten cycle, and chawal (Rice), let Nitish come back to power, they said, and this time we will get real electricity, not just the solar lamps.
It was not usual of Bihar and more unusual of a Bihari to talk like this. Changes were reflective and the last person could also notice it. At many places even the opposition party candidate, deep down the heart had praise for Nitish Kumar and the changes that he has brought in last five years. This election is not about vikas (development) or even about bipaas (bijali, paani, sadak). This is really about Vishwas (Trust). Bihar is still a long way to go for the kind of change that could better the life conditions of every person. We are not talking about good governance, just governance. The five years of Nitish Kumar government — his government, neither NDA's, nor JD (U)'s --has earned the trust in Biharis, perhaps after three decades. This trust is shared across the caste and class divide.
Earlier Bihar elections were measured by the cast equations and now people were talking development. It was heartening to see that development work is primary reason for voting decisions for many voters. By all views, it is not caste versus development in this election. It is not as if Bihar has taken off the lens of caste. It is just that the power of this lens has changed, allowing for a better visibility of development and that is a really powerful change.
