Bihar – Society and Culture

I try to explore, what makes me feel Bihari !!

Bihar – the write thing ! (8) – Health Services

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At our district civil hospital a dead body wrapped in grass and polyethylene was carried. At the Bihar government hospitals most doctors used to be absent during the duty hours but busy in the private clinic practices. In the present President’s rule they are forced to be there on duty. So the dead body was laid on the bench and by the resident surgeon the necessary check ups were going on before the postpartum with the ready sharp knives. What he found that the dead body’s pulse was still vibrating. The so called dead body waked up after necessary saline and medication.

Imagine how many live bodies might have been killed in absence of qualified medical professional and postpartum used to be mere a paper work and dissection only. Long live president’s rule in Bihar!

Believe it or not but it’s a fact.

Previous posts in this series .

Bihar – the write thing! – (6) – Hanging democracy. (A Hindi post)
Bihar – the write thing! – (5) – Tea Production
Bihar – the write thing! – (4) – Common man and Media.
Bihar – the write thing! – (3) – Democracy
Bihar – the write thing! – (2) – Common Life
Bihar – the write thing! – (1) – Origin as a State

26 January in Captivity

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You must have seen the flag hoisting at the offices, homes and of course Lal Kila. Today I would like to tell about the Flag hoisting inside a Jail, the feared and neglected building of our society.
In Jails there is a flag at the entry which is hoisted daily as done in our Parliament House and Rastrapati Bhawan. On 26th January and 15th August, the Jail superintendent hoists the flag there. The prisoners can’t see the proceedings but once hoisted they can see the height where the National Flag flares. Inside the Jails, there are more flags to be hoisted there. Indian Jails were mostly built in British period, with red bricks thick high walls. On this day the inside roads of the jail are coloured with various coloured lime. The prisoners seem to give red carpet welcome to the Republic Day. The cleanliness is exemplary like our corporate offices to one’s surprise. The flower gardens bloom and the flag is ready to be hoisted inside the garden or the open place for the main prison place. Every morning, the prisoners are out of their barracks until they had their meals. So at the flag hoisting time they gather at one place. Unlike movies not all jails have white dresses and caps. They wear normal dress as we do.The prisoners don’t form queues there, they surround the flag. Some of the prisoner’s are well versed with the national anthem, but most are not. Why should they be expected to be so? After all they are the part of our society which forms the majority of such people who don’t know the full national anthem. Any festival inside the jail is a matter of big rejoices. Once the flowers from the flag fall on the earth they clap big hands. Might their faces become more hopeful for a better and civilized world. Some of the prisoners are smart enough to lead the social activities there. Be sure that the national anthem will never be synchronized among them. If one side of the crowd finish the anthem and the other side will still be singing “Gahe tab jaya gatha…..” . But some prisoners, who know the partial anthem, will be humming in between. Wait for sweets, distributing sweets is not an easy thing there. The so called miscreants are always challenge taking people. It’s our society and the circumstances who could not utilize their potentials or they them selves couldn’t feel the capacities lying within them. So devoid of joys, relatives, own soil’s smell they will surely enjoy the festival sweets distribution and may some conflict arise then. So the sweet distribution is done afterwards all the hoisting are over in a disciplined manner.

Once finished the celebrations at main place inside the jail the superintendent goes to the inner women cell which is a more secured jail inside the jail. Before entering the women’s cell the guard shouts “Hosiyaar” 3 times and the officials enter there. The prisoners who are fathers can’t keep their kids with them but mothers can keep the kids with them. This is one of the situations when I tell that the gender equality will never exist in the world.
The female prisoners are more nicely dressed using their limited resources compared to their male counterparts. And they too stand near the flag. And most of them despite sweet voice don’t know the anthem. But on this day inside the forbidden four walls, with officials and a tricolor cloth flying, lime decorations in the floor, and colorful flower petals spread over the floor the women’s cell may feel the festivity. Might the festivity be the mirage of home festival front of their eyes.
And as soon as the hoisting is over, the mirage again gets captivated behind the closed the doors. Almost every prisoner in the red brick wall must be dreaming in their hopeful eyes that some day they will be able to hoist the national flag with us in the open air. The parent prisoners might be hoping that they will be able to buy a small tricolor for Rs. 1/-, for their kids, who may be running today around the schools and offices for few Bundiyas or Jelebis and celebrating 26 January today.

Billu and His Bride

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The friend got married, and our share of love and affection did not get divided. Our golden days still exists today, still I find my friends same cordial and jovial as they used to be 10 years ago.
On Friday I went to see Rajeev’s (We call him Billu) bride, at Thakurganj when they have returned after 5 days long marriage ceremony at the bride’s home. From Siliguri I had brought a bouquet of orchid flowers to present his bride. I had not seen Rajeev’s house at Thakurganj so I was enquiring about his home in his colony. It was around 8 pm in night and I found several guys chatting on the roadside in his colony. In colonies, the road standing guys, grocery shop owners, the barbers have enough information about the events in the colony. I asked that guy about Rajeev who got married. He knew Rajeev and to my surprise he also informed me that they had not returned from the bride’s home. But I was informed by Rajeev’s mother on phone to come on friday and if possible one day earlier.
I was thinking about my bouquet which I carried so carefully from Siliguri! Does it look nice to carry a bouquet in a bride less home? I was in a dilemma. Since orchid bouquet remains fresh at least one week, I decided to tell that boy, Munna to keep the bouquet in some known home for a while till I can find out the truth of bride from his home. While he was keeping it to some nearby home, the house owner too confirmed that Rajeev has not returned. Any way I proceeded to his home. I gave my identity to a person and he went inside to tell about me and then a smart guy came out from the room and hugged me so hard, it was my Rajeev. Just keeping me hugged, he asked my reason not coming in Barat and he told me that how much he missed me there. As soon I left the bondage of his arms I told him that I have to come back in just a while. My heart was pounding for my bouquet, I have kept in that home. He kept asking the reason for my sudden return, but I could not wait much time to describe him. Again when I came back with my bouquet and asked about the bride such that I can present it to the couple. But he objected on my presentation that still that day he has not given a single flower to his bride and I was going to give a big bouquet to the new bride. We were laughing. Any way he took me to the room. The bride was sitting on the floor bed with a big ghunghat. Rajeev introduced me to her. I could see her partial face only. I was requested to sit on the same bed where Rajeev’s brothers/sister in laws were sitting. So there started a series jokes and fine humours. Rajeev was still claiming his share of gift. I wonder if Rajeev needs any more gifts than he already got from the Almighty. By the time his mother came in the room and he was complaining about the useless marriage rituals went over at bride’s home. Aunt told him to be prepared for more rituals at his home too. Frustrated Rajeev almost revolted about such useless marriage customs. To make him understand aunt told us a story
“These was Big Yagya performed at the rich man’s house in olden times, the pujas were going smoothly, by the time a cat wandered near to the Yagya place. Instead of chasing the cat some one tied it to a nearby a small pole. Any person who were coming to see the big yagya saw the cat tied to a pole at the yagna place. The yagya finishes in time and people went off. Those visitors again when performed the Yagna at there houses did everything in the same way and they get a cat from anywhere and tie it near to the Yagna place. This custom was followed by the coming generations”.
So Rajeev’s maa is also following the traditions and tying the cat. We kept laughing on hearing the story. Rajeev cooled down. And the bride could not stop smiling and the ghunghat was not so down. She was easy now. Might be she thinking that she got a nice mother-in-law. She talked a little with me too. Rajeev could not resist asking me how I liked her. To reply I asked her whether she has a lot of sisters like her for us (My friends, I cared for you too ).She nodded in affirmation and her smile is worth thousands words. And in my eyes she is beautiful.
And in the next hour I was at their kitchen. My few hours spent there did not seem the shift of phase for Rajeev. He is still the same “Billu” for us.
Our all the best wishes for the couple and may their married life have ever lasting blossom.

Run ! Boy Run !!

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Yesterday morning, in my hotel room in Kolkata, as I switched the TV on, the coverage of Mumbai Marathon was being telecasted. Around 25 thousands of participants were there and some of them were to participate in 42 kms. of full marathon. Others were to participate in other partial categories of the marathon. The disabled persons, children as well as senior citizens everyone were participating. The professional runners were rhythmic in their running steps, sweating and running like machines. Some of the slow runners were encouraged by the clapping of the onlookers. As I see people clapping and runners getting faster due to encouragement, my eyes started fainting on the TV screen and a vast green playgrounds of a school started appearing before my eyes and a slim boy running uncounted times around it.A serious Joke:
14 years ago there lived a boy in the Navodaya school hostel. The mornings were as usual as every day. As soon the boys were ready wearing the P.E.T. dress and they have tied their shoe strings firmly, a long whistle was heard coming from the foggy playgrounds. Everyone ran towards the whistle for the morning Physical Education Trainings (P.E.T.) and whoever was left in rooms used to reach at the grounds by the third whistle. In those cold months, the temperature was enough low to put the hands inside the pant pocket. But unwillingly no one could do that because of the fear of being poked fun by the P.E.T. sir, Mr. Amarendra Singh. It was mandatory to run a full round of the playground before physical exercises. Some girls never completed the full round and of course there were some boys too fall in the same category. But most of the students used to complete the round. This boy also used to run one round and occasionally two rounds. That day as soon the physical exercises finished there was an announcement by the P.E.T. sir. It was about the inter school sports meet among the Navodaya Vidylayas of the nearby districts which is popularly known as cluster meet. So the football team and volleyball team member were enthusiastic about the event. This boy could not get selected for any of the school games team. Despite having a strong will power and deprived of the participation in any event this slim boy was searching for the possibilities near to him. So sir was today going to try the athletics team member. There were events of 100m to 800 meters in running category.

After short races trials were completed formally, there came the event of 800 meter trials. The willing participants stood in the starting line. A running of 800 meters were the two rounds of the 400 track made around the playground. Jokingly this boy stood 15 meters ahead of the other participants J . Naturally everyone resisted his position of starting. But the considerate P.E.T. sir asked the boy if he really want to race and he got a positive reply. But sir did not resist his position of starting and he convinced the other runners that let him allow running from his position and he will not be counted in the result of the race. So everybody was ready to run.

On your marks! Get Set! Go!!
The race started, and the boy also ran. He has got a false feeling of being ahead of others and he was enjoying this feeling while running. In long race 15 meters gap is a big difference. He was trying hard to maintain the distance and he maintained it in the first lap. As the first lap was going to finish and second was going to start, everyone reached the point where the race have started and where all the students were standing clapping the hands , few friends of the boy and P.E.T. sir encouraged the boy to keep it up. But running the 400 meters at such a high speed was his first experience, he has lost most of his energy but still a second lap was there. The clapping and encouragement revitalized the remaining energy. He continued the second lap and as he was in the midway of the second lap the leg muscles were aching badly, mouth was wide open gasping air, a peculiar pain in the chest and stomach started and throat became completely dry. And the lead he got from the last gap was going to disappear. In the last remaining 25 meters of the race Anil Hembrum, the tribal big guy was going to overtake him. Anil’s big strong leaps succeeded to overtake him. Seeing Anil running he tried to run parallel to him. He did not thought of the other star runners of the school behind him. His legs were out of his control while running now. He can see jumping and encouraging guys at the finishing line. He was trying more than his capacity but by the time another guy, Rabbani again crossed him before reaching the finish line.
He stood third but useless! His labour went in vain! It was the precondition before that race that his position will not be counted. He did not claim any thing but he was almost collapsed with tired, aching legs and a pain in stomach. But the day envisaged the rise of an athlete. He had tasted something and this sweet taste of the false success eased out the pain in his body.

Real Race:
Once an experimenter gets the taste of the narcotics first time as trial basis, next time he will not try to experimental basis, he will try to get the same taste seriously at any cost. False winning may be the similar kind of pleasure for him. Next day at the test trials he stood in the same line along with the other participants and P.E.T. sir was surprised to see his courage and appreciated the effort.
Stand on marks! Get Set! Go!!
So this time it was a difficult startup. So today’s result was that he was second from the last. This was his real position in school 800 meters team! But dissatisfied he wanted to get the same position as he got the previous day.
Unlike today, his physique was too slim to compete in such races. He had a burning desire to win. And from that day evening the running tracks were his companion .He used to take 6 to 10 rounds of the ground in evening and 4 or more in morning. His aching calf muscles were not paining any more now but despite being thin, the calf and thighs were getting stronger after daily practice. His diet has increased and in classrooms too some planning were done by his head about the track. He still used to take part in the daily trials and one day he stood third again but now he was real third. So his belief in himself was getting stronger.

The school team:
Being a participant of the cluster meet meant availing facilities like relaxation in attending classes, double protein diet in mess and extraordinary participant feelings among the other friends and many management works.
So on the final selection day as the race started and there were more participants than the other normal days of trials. Some of them really did good practice along with him. So as the final selection race started, he again made his favorite leading gap and maintained it until last 100 meters. Although the runner’s feet don’t remain in his/her own control in the times of running the last moments. The strong will power, confidence and tricks of bending body forward works out. For him too it worked out and he came second and Rabbani third by a difference of one second. So he was feeling much happy now with heavy breathing and still jogging. The P.E.T. sir was the happiest person like the other friends of the J.P.House to which he belonged. He was the part of the school athletics team now, which he dreamt 15 days ago.

Practice! Sleep and Diet!

Text books were given rest until the clusters meet finish.

Clusters meet Day:
His school was the hosts of the clusters meet this time, so he already had various tasks other than practicing like to arranging various things for the participating guest schools. On the day of his event in morning he participated less in the management works and took a normal breakfast. But he could not sleep well in the night, he saw himself running and flying on the ground in dream. He became little annoyed with this dream. An unknown fear had entered his mind.

The event of 800 meters started around 10’o clock. Selection of tracks are done after lottery and he was given the last track which one have to run for the first 400 meters only then only everyone can come to the first common lap. No problem! He was calm and he swallowed water and started off to his track. The whole school is there and the event’s guest is Sengar Sir, his favorite teacher.
The participants from other schools were bigger and stronger than him and some of them looking fierce too, some had already started jogging and some were doing exercise and some were wearing nice spiky shoes and he did not had such shoes. Any way he had to run today.

On your marks! Get Set! GO!! And Firing was done concurrently.
He has started with a better speed today. The last lap has some psychological disadvantages of going wider laps. But he was covering the track as soon as he can complete. But as soon the second lap started a boy from some other school was coming first with amazing speed. But Anil, the best runner of his school took over that other guest runner. On seeing Anil overtaking that guest runner he also overtook him. To succeed is hard and maintaining success is harder. It was more difficult to maintain the speed above the guest runner. The friends were shouting loudly which can be heard. The juniors’ class students were shouting “Bhaiya – Bhaiya” and surely they might be praying to God. His heavy breaths seemed to collapse the lungs and jaws stuck wide open and the last leap fall on the finishing line but alas the guest boy have already put his leap just before him. And result was Anil first, the guest boy second and he third. So host school won two medals in the same event. The winners were carried on shoulders by the friends and he was feeling stronger than all the big boys participated there. Incidentally the place where the medal giving ceremony was organized was the same place where he jokingly started the race ahead 15 meters of others! Accolades started pouring in. Sengar sir was happy like P.E.T. sir .He was so surprised and complemented “Hey you can run I am very much happy today”. He was putting the bronze medal of sports meet 800 meter event around the neck of his favorite scientific model making boy. Now the boy was feeling more confident among his friends.
And in the next house elections he was selected as he vice captain of the house. And participation in the state level event was the next milestone he reached in the same year.

He is still running today but on a different track. Run! Boy! Run!!

Bihar – the write thing! -(5) – Tea Production

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Chai – Chai! Garam Chai! The most commonly heard words in north Indian stations used by tea vendors. Next time you may be sipping the Chai produced in Bihar in stations or in home. Chai (tea) is the most common beverage used by Indians. The mostly used variety among different kinds of tea is CTC tea. The reason it is called CTC, comes from the words Crush, Tear and Curl. Crush, Tear, and Curl is a method of processing the tea during production in factory. The tea afer passed through a series of cylindrical rollers with hundreds of small sharp "teeth" that Cut, Tear, and Curl to give it specific taste we enjoy in morning cups. And the Biharis have started producing tea of this type. Adding to your surprise, this variety of tea is as par the Assam CTC and it’s proved by agencies.
And the place where it is being produced is Kishanganj, which is also my home district. Kishanganj is at the down belt of Darjeeling and it have appropriate climate to produce tea, which needs high rainfall and sloppy land. The lands of Kishanganj have produced several crore kgs of green leaves. This is done by more than 10,000 acres of productive gardens. There is an aim to cultivate it on more than 20,000 acres of land and it will be attained very soon. More than 15,000 people are employed in this industry.
Once you come to these tea gardens, it will make you feel the surroundings of the moist green tea gardens of Assam. Here in Kishanganj there are no hills but plenty of small rivers and highlands make the environment tea friendly. Some gardens are near the main town too. If I drive 10 minute from my home, I will reach the green gardens. The gardens are new, they use negligible quantity of the pesticides and the land of Kishanganj is highly fertile .All these together makes the flavour and taste of this tea unique (Unless you have tasted the varieties of different tea you can’t find the difference).Do the local people take the local tea? Due to high cost of production and high demand outside Bihar the price of the locally produced tea is not less than the Assam CTC tea. So local peole buy Assam tea too. Despite the high competions in tea sector and the dominance of Darjeeling and Assam tea the Bihar tea succeeded in making it’s own place. From overall perspective it compares the well known CTC tea in local market and is being sold outside Bihar too. This tea is being exported too. In market if you see a tea with a brand name Kishanbari tea, be sure it’s from Kishanganj. And you can be sure that Biharis are good entrepreneurs ! Chai! Chai! Han Mere Bihari Bhai!
Get a glimpse of the tea garden in Bihar.

Bihar – the write thing ! (4) – Common man and Media

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Before I continue this series, I would like to make clear about the phenomenon about being Bihari which arose during comments and chats. Here the Bihari means the residents of Bihar, who are proud of many things and at the same time devoid of respect which was available to them in past as a resident of this particular territory.
No doubt they are spread over the whole India doing various odd jobs and also on the responsible posts and there is something which makes us some what different from the average Indian. Be it be the large number of desperate candidates travelling outside the state for competition exams or the red shirt wearing coolies spread over New Delhi station to Lumding station in lower Assam after taking Chura( Bitten Rice) and Gur (Jagery) tied in cloth or Sattu sarbat, strongly determined to face challenges. Be it the representation in ministerial posts in center or the needy voters who take money from ministers for buying sweets or the poor literacy rate or failed population control efforts we Biharis make a difference for sure.
My readers may blame it to media hype or some specific facetious (Cleverly amusing in tone) leaders for making Bihar backward state.
I am not giving the gloomy picture of Bihar but I am trying to find out the circumstances which make the Bihar a backward state. Blaming was never my aim; my effort is to find out the lacuna (A blank gap or missing part) within us as well as the best characteristic dormant within us.
Please don’t blame media; they too don’t have many things to publish here. For them doing here business is more difficult than other state.
I reside near the border of Bihar and West Bengal. The daily newspapers published from West Bengal cost 1.00 Rs. – 2 .50 Rs. and the newspapers published from Bhagalpur and Patna cost 3.50 Rs. or more on weekdays. The reasons can be guessed out; the prominent advertisers come in less number. But it mostly contains local trivial news and many a times missing national and international news. To increase the sale of newspaper they will arrange various contests for local people. For me the headlines in these newspapers are distractive. Some cheap quality magazines are well sold too here which have a large number of young readers. Bihar even though is the birth place of many Hindi scholars, but their readers form only a higher stratum of society.
One thing more in constant demand is competition books and Biharis are specialized in preparing for the railways, banks and Staff selection competitions (Description of preparing for engineering and medical and UPSC can make several blogs again). Biharis are well known for being good at Mathematics and reasoning and a bit weak in English .Their mathematics inclination is strengthened by the fact that the birth place of famous Aaryabhatta, the genius was in Kusumpur (Currently Patna).

Am I am too descriptive about Bihar? May you need change of taste, so wait for the sip of fine CTC tea in next episode in this foggy winter which is being produced in Bihar again.

Bihar – the write thing ! – (3) – Democracy

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I am fortunate enough to visit the centre of first democratic republic of the world, Vaishali, in one of my Navodaya Vidyalaya, Purnea educational excursions. This is situated at 55 km. from Patna across the Ganga. Vaishali also known as Lichhwi and Vajji Sangha set a trend for the world to follow the new concept of democracy. The trend is still in Bihar but the method and values have reversed. One can see the deep malaise in the majority of the vote bank of democracy here. Hopeful citizens will go in form of the hypnotized herd and will stand below the dais to hear their leaders. These speeches of the top leaders are too facetious to be taken seriously by the intellectual class. Even after their term in power, the representatives will hark back the issues raised in the last elections. And we have patience to hear them! After casting the precious vote with a great hope, the common man is paranoid about his security and future generation.
Among the development programs and schemes promulgated, very few will reach the base class of beneficiaries. How much of the amount is sent and how much reaches the needy hands is again a statistics beyond the common man’s capacity of calculation.

I do agree that when most of these issues are prevalent in the other states too then why should Bihar be blamed so much. Yes, we need to be get blamed several times more. We taught everyone the lesson of democracy and we are the biggest sufferer now. Where are those lessons we taught about the power of people for the welfare of people during 600 B.C. in Vaishali? Are those buried or got lost? If those lessons are anywhere in existence ,we need to revise it once more and set a trend again to be followed by others and prove that yes we are Biharis.

Bihar – the write thing ! – (2) – Common Life

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Bihar is the birth place of Lord Buddha and 24 Jain Tirthankars (Monks/Saints) and many more important people. Because of the large number of Buddhist Vihar (temple), it got it’s name “Bihar”. May it be the inherited nature of the common man they are still peace loving and religious in nature. If one visits the the remote basic village of Bihar, he can find out the common man working in the fields wearing a Dhoti upto his knees and a towel on the shoulder. The married women if working in the fields will sure have their head covered with a Ghunghat. The men and women are cool and religious in nature. The atheists rarely exist in Bihar.There are several nice blogs on the festivals of Bihar in my friends blogs. I need not write more in this context.
One thing is quiet prevalent in the villages of Bihar, the sense of pride and prestige.
If any way the prestige is hurt, the gentleman will explore his manhood to save it and the exploration tools may be powerful bombastic words and muscular power and if needed Licensed guns (Unlicensed ones may be manufactured if needed!). The prestige issues are often related to the strong caste system and often catalyzed by the political interference.
The fact of caste system exists almost all over India. Here the situation is more deep in the basic thinking of the people. The caste system is the staple food of the political leaders. We have two main categories: “Agra”( forward caste ) and Pichra ( backward caste). I don’t want to go in detail of classes and subclasses. When two unknown Biharis meet, naturally like any other people they will ask their names too. And soon they will try to sort out from which caste the particular person belong by the surname. The following conversation will depend on the nearness of the caste between both.
Interestingly, people when ask my name they confuse seeing no clue from my surname. Hence unable to find out my caste in my surname they will ask my father’s name. Even after when they try to subcategorize my caste, my answer is that I have red coloured blood like your’s. Then they will not ask anymore. I must admit that many of families have adopted the new pattern of removing the surname from the name.There is a new trend here too to delete the surname from the name which signifies one’s caste. As Pankaj Kumar Singh will write Pankaj Kumar and Puja Kumari Sinha will write Puja Kumari.

In my office there are two categories of caste here too and interestingly I belong to both categories of people. Actually I don’t like to belong any category, everyone thinks that I belong to their category because I am close to everyone in official work as well as for their personal ventilation of thought. Here in villages, trade unions, politics and in every department this chronic disease exists. Except the basic human affection tablets in regular dose, I don’t see any remedy of it. The elite well literate class is not an exception too.

Looking the ages back, I can see that the birth of Lord Buddha and Mahavira on this land went in vain. Even after centuries when the other countries are following their preaching about the basic human respect and values, It does not buzz in the ears of we Biharis. We are unable to co-operate each other in progress after removing the caste disparities.

Bihar – the Write Thing? -(1) – Origin as a State

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The word “Bihari” is of more important to me and to my identity than my Bengali upbringing as well as traditional values. I accept the fact that many a times I enjoy the dual advantage of being a Bihari as well Bengali. I am born in the territory of Bihar like my parents and have the responsibility of accept the fact of being a “Bihari”.

I am writing this series of blogs to analyze the facts and the fictions behind the degradation of the word Bihari. I had felt this bitter truth for the first time when I went to Chennai 10 years ago. I was searching for a room to stay there along with my Maa. I was not only one from Bihar. There were many students like me from Bihar. There manager of a mess asked us whether we were Bengali. After being tired of seeing many rooms nearby Maa nodded her head in affirmation. I wondered how the manager told so guessed correctly that we are Bengali. Later on I knew that Bengali women’s sari wearing style and Shakhas-Polas (Shakaha – White Bangles made of Conch shells) make their appearance specific. Now the other Biharis also got room but they had to face more difficulties in getting it, there were more enquiries for them, a guarantor, and more security deposit in advance for other students from Bihar. I don’t feel sorry for the acceptance of fact that we felt easier to present our Bengaliness than Bihariness that time, although manager knew that we were from Bihar. But still today many a times we become suspected when we go outside Bihar and tell that we are Bihari.
It’s necessary to trackback the historical lineage of Bihar before discussing more on Bihar and Biharis. It’s a must to know who we are before think why we are so and what can we do.
Bihar became recognized as the administrative unit by Akbar and later on by SherShah Suri. Prior to it there are historical milestones of Bihar. Here is given a brief description (My history knowing readers please point out errors if there are.)
• 544 B.C. The rise of Magadh Empire.
• 528 B.C. Gautam Buddha became Tathagata.
• 498 B.C. Mahavira got the incarnation.
• 455 B.C. Patliputra (Present Patna) became the capital of Magadh Dynasty.
From the period of establishment of Magadh Empire to till death of Ashoka (232 B.C.) the great, the Magadh was the proud and glorified province. There were three Baudha Sangitis (The Buddhists’ Congregation) during this period.

The Period was Mughal Sultan’s reduced the status of Bihar as a province only. In the period of Mughals the province of Bihar enjoyed the peace and stability.
There came the day when a “Bihari” SherShah Suri again took over the throne of Delhi. He founded the present Patna from the Patliputra as the administrative capital of the Bihar province in the year of 1541.
The year of 1764, Battle at Buxar, the English won it. The history started writing a new chapter. The British got the province of Bihar, Bengal and Orissa from Shah Alam II .

The days of slavery were going on. There were several revolts ,among them to name few were farmer revolts (1789), Kol revolt (1830), Bhumij revolt (1832), Santhal revolt (1855).
Of course we can recall the greatness and bravery of Babu Kunwar Singh of Ara and Birsa Munda in these episodes.
There was a constant demand for the Bihar as a separate province. The voice strengthened in the year of 1906. And Yes in the year of 1911 it got declared as a separate province and on 1st April 1912 it got established formally as a province( If you have 1st April syndrome, you may ponder over it). Till the year of 1947 we had many struggles for independence from which some of them turned out as a spark to lead the national fire of revolt. Can we forget the Nil Andolan of Champaran of farmers led by Mahatma Gandhi?

And for good or bad there were two more separations in the year of 1936 for Orissa and the latest 15 November 2000 when the Jharkhand got separated.

These historical perspectives have a lot of thing to tell. If we just don’t blow own trumpet of historical richness or bravery we have something to think over why every time the Bihar become a point of specific identity of separation. Does it have something special or does it don’t have something special to it? More I think about it, more I get entangled within it. Its pity that even after struggling so much for existence we are now condensed as a small Bimaru state. We are still trying to find a ground for existence and a respectable identity.

Makar Sankranti Specials

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Recently I read the blog of Jaya which is a very good cuisine made up of poetry and other food ingredients. I felt responsibility to extend the food blog chain a bit.There comes the opportunity of enjoying Lai’s on the eve of Makar Sankranti which falls on 14th January in North Indian communities. Everyhing is good here except the situation, when someone is guest and served with Big lai on this eve.
That day if one goes to any home home here, there the guest is served with at least two Lai’s in a plate along with other items. Mostly a combination of Moodhee or Chura’s lai with a Til's . It’s easy to eat the til’s lai .But the situation becomes awkward when one is bound to eat the Moodhee or Chura lai sitting in front of many people .There are exclusive two ways to eat them. Either you break it in pieces with your hands or try to bite the part of whole stuff wide opening your mouth  . If one takes first option to break, the lai will break making a cracking sound and to spread some of it’s parts down the plate. For many it becomes difficult to eat the big Lai while talking. And if one takes the second option one can feel some parts of the lai sticking near to mouth. There is no solution available to this problem. No one either serves broken lai or no one likes to get broken lai  . In the next generation I will suggest to prepare miniature lai. If some like to feel the festival more, better go to some village on this eve and have Lai made of roasted rice. It’s so hard to crack that, it’s a real test of Dabur’s Lal Duntmunjan’s effectiveness. While at home one can take lai with the milk which makes it more tasty. Anyway I like lai very much, it becomes a daily ready made breakfast for at least 10 days even after Maker Sankranti. Our Navodaya days are the proof of it when many of the students will get a poly bag full of Lai from their home.
Pirikiya, the all time favorite, is a fast food in a sense of readymade food and it’s preparation is lengthy one. The preparation of inside mixture of Suji, Sugar ,Coconut , Spices , Ghee needs experienced hands and rolling it into a nicely designed maida bread packs is an artistic work. I don’t know to prepare it. Occasionally to please my Mom I can make nice Laddoos of Coconut ( We call this laddoos as “Narkeler Naru”).

There are some excellent cuisines in Bengali community adding to the existing ones and one of them is Pithe / Patisepte. It’s nicely rolled bread (Like bread but not bread) with sweet coconut preparation kept inside. Then it is fried in ghee for a while. It’s soaked in concentrated milk. Allow it to cool. Once cooled completely it becomes ready to serve ……… . 🙂