Ranchi: Deputy Chairman and Senior Journalist Harivansh Narayn Singh said, from 1990 to 2005, Bihar was in a period of decline. This was the period when political decline, casteism, violence and massacre were at their peak in Bihar. At that time, no one was safe in their home even in broad daylight, leave the night, but the English media, which decides the narrative on any issue, did not describe the condition of Bihar and the suffering of the people of Bihar in English. Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh said these things.
He was addressing the program after releasing the book Broken Promises written by BJP leader Mrityunjay Sharma at Audrey House in Ranchi. He congratulated Mrityunjay for describing the situation of Bihar in English in the book. Harivansh said that he had seen the massacres of the 90s. At that time the houses in the villages were closed during daylight hours. You cannot describe the pain of women. The situation had become so bad that people were leaving their homes and migrating.
Harivansh said that the disease in Bihar had started after independence. In the 70-80s, MPs, MLAs and governments started being formed on the basis of caste. In the 80s, economists across the country and the world started calling Bihar a sick state. Booth capturing started from Begusarai in 1957. Said that after liberalisation, many states of the country changed their fortunes, but Bihar could not change. Now the situation is gradually changing.
He said that the same situation will happen if visionless people are brought to power. Therefore, people should elect only those who have vision. BJP state president and former CM Babulal Marandi said that there is a political reason behind the separation of Bihar from Jharkhand.
Jharkhand in United Bihar was full of minerals and industries, but the people of South Bihar (Jharkhand) had less representation in politics. The politics of Bihar used to revolve only in North Bihar. Minerals of South Bihar were exploited, but development was not taking place.
In such a situation, the demand for a separate Jharkhand state intensified. Movements started and a separate state was formed. Babulal said that for the development of any state, it is necessary that law and order be strong there.
Only when there will be peace and tranquility will there be investment and the state will be prosperous, but due to deteriorating law and order situation in Bihar in the 90s, prosperous people left their homes and migrated. Due to this poverty increased further.
Padmashri Ashok Bhagat said that he has also been a soldier of the JP Movement. Witnessed the situation in Bihar in the 90s. He described Broken Promises as a diary of the exploitation and suffering of Bihar. Said that Bihar has been the land of experimentation of many things including politics, crime, and leftism. At that time the public was not aware.
He was not concerned with politics, politicians or the country or the world. But now there has been a gradual change. People are becoming aware. Now the situation is such that teenagers and youth are ready to manage the booth for five thousand rupees each.
Mrityunjay Sharma, author of Broken Promises, said that in the 90s, he read many books on the condition of Kashmir, but he could not find a single book on the condition of Bihar, only then he wrote this book. There was a tragedy in Bihar in the 90s. More than 60 massacres took place in Bihar and more than 600 people were killed.
He said that the decline of Bihar happened during the rule of Lalu Yadav. In the 70-80s, those people who used to make politicians win elections by robbing booths and looting booths, came into politics in the 90s and started winning elections. Lalu Yadav distributed their areas to such strongmen. I closed my eyes on the jungle king there. Politics started happening on the basis of caste.
Broken Promises is published and edited by Westland Books. Its publisher Meenakshi Thakur said that this book focuses on the jungle raj of Bihar and the disastrous rule of Lalu Prasad Yadav. He said that the word Bihari is still used as an abusive word for the people of Bihar.