On the Eve Of Election ..., from Chaupals of Bihar

This story is protected under Google product Licence, first appeared on July 25th, 2015

Every kingdom thrives or survives on the happiness quotient of its subjects. This is more critical than the wealth index, the per capita income and the GDP put together. But are nations or the states of a nation with the best score across these fronts, the happiest or are smaller slices of paradise where people earn less, save less are happy and at peace? A slice of India called Bihar, once was that land of Buddha, till the albatross of development came throttling it.

As the legislators of Bihar prepare for yet another assembly session, an exercise they are compelled to go throught, the only prayer -much less hope-  is that the government will not leave us with another set of assurances and promises, which turn out to be lies, If the Honorable members of the Assembly can have a right to privileges, shouldn't the masters of democracy - the people- have the basic privilege of assurnaces made on the floor of the House, being fulfilled.

While the state's political environment is getting more poisonous by every next day, there has been a complete deviation of discussion. The political circuit is again on the line of casteism and the rippling effect could be witness from the Vidhan Sabha lawn of Patna to chaupals of Nalanda and Bihars' hinterlands.

The present state government in Bihar seems to thrive on fiction, keeping reality in suspended animation. There is so much to be discussed from across the state. From lack of irrigation facilities to disbursement of loans that are yet to be written off in all aspects, to the economy being in a shambles to all round corruption, to issues of bad sewage in cities, removal of wine shops to outside Bihar to corruption and mis-management in infrastructure bodies to corruption in the police ranks. But while outstanding issues is the baggage of every ruling party and government, the shame and dishonour of ignoring assurances given in the highest temple of democracy in a state – the Assembly – will be a permanent black spot on this government which has specialized in making untruth the leitmotif of governance.


Truth is either not spoken or controlled making Bihar look like one of those bohemian South American countries of old. We leave you with a little passage from Salman Rushdie’s tribute the great Latin American novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez on his passing away in 2014. This passage of Rushdie’s was quoted in writer S Prasannarajan’s eulogy to Marquez, in Open Magazine called “ El Realismo Gabo, Forever”- ‘ García Márquez decided that reality in South America had literally ceased to exist: this is the source of his fabulism. The damage to reality was at least as much political as cultural. In Márquez’s experience, truth has been controlled to the point at which it has ceased to be possible to find out what it is. The only truth is that you are being lied to all the time.’ Today's Goa is no different from El Gabo’s Cuba or Columbia, which is why Goa is not happy, a state of mind which could prove dangerous for the future of this government.

Amit Sinha is a bilingual writer and research Journalist. He can be contacted at facebook.amit

Oh Gangaa! Millions livelihood at stake

This story is protected under Google product Licence.

A number of people squat by the side of the National Highway-30 (Patna-Kolkata) selling vegetable. When you drive ahead 15 kms. East of the downtown Patna, the Patna Saheb this is the most common sight these days. People do think of it as a result of overproduction, stops their cars and buy vegetables back home. An idyllic picture? Sure. But no, this is the one part of the business. And it is just an excerpt of the story.

Thousands of houses and effluent from micro industries of the area directly put into the river. This chemical-laden water gets into the fields and the crops and contaminates the groundwater. The vegetables grown here are stinky and the local market and agents having no demand for it. "we are taught not to bother about our dustbin. You don't see ti and it doesn't exist for you", says Guddu Baba, an environment-social activist, who has been fighting in vain for more than a decade through litigation to clean the stretch in Patna/Bihar.  He claims that the entire riverbed has been contaminated.

Similarly, there is a village called Umanath, some 65 Km East of Patna, in the Barh block of Patna district. Feces floats all around the ghats. Sewage of more than 350 homes of this single nondescript village of Bihar empties into the river as untreated waste. Bathing in the river here may relieve you of all your sins, but it is more likely to cause your skin rashes. Take a gulp or two of tits water and an upset stomach is guaranteed. The horrific condition is enough to frustrate the visitors despite it being a ghaat of historic and religious importance. Till the end of 90’s local farmers grew lauki, parwal, melon etc. on the Diara area but now there is strong smell all around.

What the Ganga needs for its rejuvenation is not a riverfront at Patna or Kolkata, But an accurate sewage planning for the towns and clusters along its course. On the basis of a research done by a team of IITians in 2010, almost thirty percent population of rural Bihar is dependent on the Ganga for their livelihood. Therefore, it is not only for those who helped Modi won the Varanasi seat, but this river of faith is the lifeline of the 5 states including Bihar. Therefore, those who voted Modi or not deserves a pristine Ganga.

During the last couple of years large scale construction of houses is witnessed on the squate of lands appeared as the gap between erstwhile bank and its new course widens. Multi-Storey apartment being constructed on the riverbed, illegal of course. The civic authorities has banned the construction and habitation but all this 'on paper only'. Ashish Gupta who resides in a rented flat in speaks about his experience of a stinky riverbed. “ jab pacchuaa(western wind) chalti hai toh 5th floor per mere flat mein badboo bhar jaati hai”, he says.

Furthermore illegal encroachments and haphazard construction, besides illegal dumping and khatals (cow sheds) growing rapidly on the riverbed. At the height of this monsoon when Ganga overflows. For years, tons of city's garbage being dumped daily on the banks by the municipality's dumper every night. From Baans ghats to Balupar one may easily witness the filth. 

Definitely this is doing irreparable damage to its natural course. This dumping along the river bed is not only posing threat to aquatic life, flora and fauna, it is also posing threat to habitation located along the river downstream. 

Amit Sinha is a bilingual writer and research Journalist. He can be contacted at facebook.amit