Bihar State - symbol of backwardness, corruption and poverty

In recent years, Indian cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Huderabad have experienced rapid growth and development. Delhi has got a world class Metro rail system. Bangalore is home to offices of large multi-national corportations, as is Delhi.

However, this progress has left Bihar untouched. The village where I was born in Muzaffarpur district had no electricity in 1947 and still it has no electricity. So, even after 60 long years from independence, it has no electricity and no good drinking water!

Some say that you have democracy in Bihar. Democracy is supposed to be a political system where the government is of the people, and for the people.

But if the government belongs to the poeple, then how come people are destitures and powerless to change things? How come the sewer system in most cities in Bihar are uncovered and gives out strong stench of bad smell 24 hours a day?

The reason for this backwardness is that the political leaders and the civil servants who are supposed to work for the people, work only to enrich themselves. Corrpution is rife at every layer of the government, from top to bottom.

It is indeed a matter of great shame for people of Bihar. It is also a serious indictment against the political system called 'democracy'.

It is our hope that the leaders of Bihar will learn from other states like Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and will emulate them so as to create jobs and usher in an era of development and progress.

Failure to do so will certainly give rise to great social unrest and political upheavals, as has happened in neighboring Nepal, which has resulted in stripping the once powerful king of all his powers. (The King is lucky to have escaped execution.)

These upheavals in Bihar will shake the system to its very foundations.