Special Category Status and common people of Bihar

The issue of special status to Bihar has come once again in the fore. The ruling Janta Dal (United) government called Bihar bandh on 2^nd of March in protest of the ignoring of the special status to the state by the centre.  Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has been repeatedly appealing the people of the state in party's sankalp rallies to give him support and vote to elect their candidates to all 40 Lok Sabha seats in the state for realising the demand of special category status.  

The BJP, the former ally of JD (U) in the state is not legging behind. The BJP had also called Rail Roko on 28^th February. Interestingly, the so-called communist parties the CPI and the CPI(M), who had long been opposing the anti people policies of former ruling BJP-JD(U) alliance government and present JD(U) government changed their stand overnight and supported the Bandh called by the JD (U) on March 2.  

Such an environment is being created that Bihar is progressing rapidly. If something is lacking that is the special status. It seems that all the problems and distresses of the people of Bihar would be addressed by getting special status. “If we get special status, we will contribute more to the country’s growth rate. And that day won’t be far when India will beat China," says Nitish Kumar. (Rediff.Com, March 18, 2013).

What does “special category status” mean?

In 1969 while devising formula for sharing central assistance among states, the Fifth Finance Commission acting in line to the Gadgil formula, named after the then Vice Chairman of Planning Commission Dr. D. R. Gadgil had accorded special status to three states, namely Assam, Jammu & Kashmir and Nagaland on the basis of harsh terrain, backwardness and social problems prevailing in these states.  National Development Council, set up on August 6, 1952, approved this.Thereafter number of such states has increased to 11. These are: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura and Uttarakhand. As per Gadgil formula a special category state gets preferential treatment in federal assistance and tax breaks. The special-category states get significant excise duty concessions. Thus these states can attract some industrial units. Because, apart from investment of private capital and excise duty concessions some more factors viz. easy availability of raw material, transport facility, easy and sufficient availability of electricity, nearness from the market are necessary to establish industrial units. In the case of special-category states, 90% of Plan assistance was given as grants, and only 10% as loans. Earlier, 70% of the Plan assistance given to the states was loans and the balance 30%, grants.  

Logics in favour of Special Status

Those who are in favour of special status to Bihar hold that Bihar has been neglected since British rule. Even after independence the governments installed at centre deliberately neglected the state and followed the policy of discrimination. They say after the separation of Jharkhand three fourth recourses went to Jharkhand. 46 percent land went to Jharkhand while three fourth populations remained in rest Bihar. They argue the state has the second highest incidence of rural poverty in India. Moreover, Bihar has the poorest record of human development in India. They hold that despite tremendous population pressure, the railway infrastructure in Bihar is again the weakest in the country except some of the north-eastern states, union territories, and Jammu & Kashmir. They term Bihar as primarily a subsistence agrarian economy with the highest population density in the country.

All staking claims of fighting for special status

Is Nitish Kumar is the first, who raised the demand of special status to Bihar? Dr. Jagannath Mishra, three times Chief Minister of Bihar from Congress claimed that he had raised that demand right in 1976. RJD Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav is claiming that in 2000, after the formation of Jharkhand he had demanded for the first time for the special status to Bihar. The same claim has been stalked by the Lok Janashakti Party Chief Ram Vilas Paswan. Further Bihar Legislative Assembly passed a resolution on April 4, 2006 to accord special status to Bihar and it was sent to Prime Minister on June 3, 2006. A separate resolution was passed by the Bihar Legislative Council on March 31. 2010 and it was sent to Prime Minister on May 12. 2010. Now, it is clear that all the parties in power or in opposition are in favour of the special status to the state.

How much their claim is honest?

Now, let us see how much the claims of fighting for special status to the state is honest? It is known to all that such parties or the combination of parties has been in power of the state, who has been running governments in central or they were important partners of those governments. At first, take the case of Congress, which proclaims the oldest and the biggest party of the country. Congress ruled the country for a long time and in Bihar also. But what steps it took in order to eradicate the backwardness of Bihar?

Now, let us see how much Nitish Kumar and his party, the ‘campaigner’ of the special status to Bihar, are prompt for the development of Bihar and its inhabitants? The RJD Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav alleged that Nitish Kumar had opposed the demand of special status of Bihar in 2002, only to deny credit to the Rabri Devi government. (The Economic Times, April 2. 2013) LPJ Chief Ram Vilas Paswan opines that there were 34 MPs of NDA from Bihar during 1998-2004. Resolutions were passed twice in Bihar Legislative Assembly and sent to centre to accord the special status to Bihar. Nitish Kumar had been elected the convener of the Committee for raising this demand. Why did he not spell a single word for this at that time? (Tahelka, October15, 2011) Nitish had important ministries at centre. Then, why the campaign for special status could not proceed further that time? The BJP, ally of JD (U) in the state was also in the power of central government. There were seven ministers from the state in Vajpayee led NDA government in Central. But, how much Bihari people benefited? Interestingly, the then BJP ruled Uttrakhand and Himachal Pradesh got special status in the regime of BJP led NDA government in Centre. But, nothing was done for Bihar. Even the BJP leader Yashwant Sinha told in 2000 that Bihar should not get an assistance of single money from the centre. Today the very BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi is demanding special status to the state.

The Lalu- Rabri government ruled Bihar over 15 years. They had good relation with the UPA government in centre also. It was seen that poverty, unemployment and the worse condition of the people of Bihar was not only very much prevalent but was accentuating in that span of time. The state was lagging behind in the affairs of education, health and industry. But Bihar got its significant position in the incidence of abduction, murder, loot, ransom and corruption. Ram Vilas Paswan, the self proclaimed Masiha of Dalits had the ‘key of power’ in Bihar in some occasions. He also had been in important portfolios in union ministry. But what did the people of Bihar get? Therefore, it is clear that all the parliamentary parties right from Congress, BJP to RJD and LJP cheated the people. Being elected by the votes of the common people of Bihar, they have been stabbing on their backs. In this way they have been serving the interest of their masters - the industrialists, capitalists and merchants of the state and nation. The so-called left parties the CPI and CPI(M) had been partners in central power. They did not make any effort in this direction nor they build up pressure or develop mass movement in this direction.

Despite much natural resources United Bihar was a backward state

There were a sizeable number of Industries, factories, mines and forests in erstwhile Bihar encompassing Jharkhand compounded with a vast area of multi crop agricultural land. The southern part of the state was in general full of mines, forests and industries, while crops were grown in plenty in the northern, eastern and rest part of the state. In spite of this the people living in this terrain compelled to migrate in Calcutta, in different parts of Bengal and Assam and in some other parts of the country for their subsistence. It is true that United Bihar was a backward and under developed state despite of the availability of plenty of natural resources and multi crop fertile agricultural land. In such a situation, it is quite natural to have question in mind why this was the plight and what role the parliamentary parties played to improve the situation? Moreover, why this situation was prevailed after 54^th years (in 2000 when Jharkhand was formed) of independence? Today, those who are demanding the special category status to Bihar were not unknown of the fact that backwardness will pounce the rest Bihar. In spite of that all helped directly or indirectly in the formation of Jharkhand. The consequence is being experienced by all of us. Major industrial units went to Jharkhand. The industrial units of Rohtas, Madhaura and Muzaffarpur in rest Bihar were already locked out. The sugar factories of Motipur and Goraul and Ashok Paper Mill of Darbhanga were closed. Now, the agriculture is the only base in Bihar But As we know employment is not available in regular basis in agriculture. Therefore, the Bihari youths compelled to migrate Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Gujarat after facing acute problems of economic worsening condition and unemployment and this migration is still prevalent today. Though, it is found that they are not able to lead a human life there. Thus we find that the erstwhile united Bihar and the rest Bihar after the formation of Jharkhand was backward economically and that situation is quite present even today. Naturally, one may ask frequently the reason behind it.

The ongoing policy of reaping maximum profit and its consequence

We are to pay our attention on the economical and political structure of the country for the proper answer of that question. From the critical analysis of the production system prevailed in the country we find capitalist production system is prevalent on the motive of reaping maximum profit based on owner and worker relationship. Ruthless exploitation by domestic capitalists established in place of colonial exploitation and its rule. The production in this political-economical system is not conducted keeping the view of the necessity of people, but in the motive of earning maximum profit. As a result of this productive process we found that the condition of the toiling people, the majority of the masses of the country became worse, poor became poorer on the one side and the heap of the wealth and capital of a handful of capitalists-industrialists increased, rich became richer on the other. Evidently, no comprehensive planning is formulated for the development of people or regions in this productive system. Likewise no equal and even development of people or regions occur. Not only this, industrial development succeed agricultural development in this production system. This is why some states and regions achieved more advancement while others are lagging behind. The backwardness of the state of Bihar is the outcome of this economic process.

Today’s Nitish ruled Bihar

It is known to all that the promises of Nitish Kumar made with the people of Bihar are not only unfulfilled, but the situation getting worsen. According to the recent statics of Multi-dimensional Poverty Index the 81.4 per cent of the total population of the Bihar is in poverty. The common people are terror stricken with the incidence of murder, loot, abduction and corruption and bribery at all levels of the administration. The process of privatization is in swing in the name of PPP in sectors like education, health, power, transport and municipal corporations. No recruitments are there in the government departments in regular basis. However, some stray recruitment is seen, they are mostly on contractual basis. The workers and employees are denied of their hard earned service facilities. Bihar electricity Board has been splited into different private companies. The rate of power tariff and holding tax has been increased excessively. Democratic rights of workers and employees are being snatched one after another. Movements of common people on their democratic and legitimate demands and are being suppressed by the police force. Even the teachers sitting on dharnas on their legitimate demands are tortured by batons, bullets and water cannons. It is evident; in spite of parroting the ‘development’ and ‘good governance’ the present government is out and out anti people.

Nitish’s motive behind the demand of special status

While addressing the people gathered in Ramlila Ground in Delhi on March 17 Nitish Kumar, the chief campaigner for the special to the state said,  “Post-2014 elections, the person who sits in power will be the one who gives special status not only to Bihar, but every backward state." He went on saying that no political combination should think of ruling Delhi after the 2014 elections if it ignored Bihar’s rights. (Rediff.Com. March 18. 2013) He made it clear that the issue of ‘special category status to Bihar’ is the issue of getting share in the power of centre and the issue of bargaining from Congress led UPA and BJP led NDA, two major points of power in Indian politics. That is why he did not discuss even a bit in ‘Adhikar Rally’ on the burning problems of price rise, unemployment and corruption, the people of Bihar confronting with. The another question is also very much pertinent, i.e. why the demand being raised by Nitish Kumar and his cohorts and being termed a panacea was not so important when he himself was in central power. 

If Bihar gets special status

Suppose Bihar gets the special status, would the problems and distresses of the people living here be solved? Let us suppose there would be some private invest here, one or two industries would be set up. But we have to understand how many people would get employment by this? The people who have a bit of knowledge regarding the economy, they know now a day the era of monopoly capital and after all the multi-national capital has arrived passing out the phase of free competition. In the name of globalization and liberalization the capital is mercilessly exploiting the toiling people all over the world surpassed the national boundaries. Today in the phase of acute economic crisis prevailing in the entire world those one or two industries are set up, they are of capital intensive nature based on high- technology. So, hope for uninterrupted industrialization and consequently the huge scope for employment in the era of decadent and dying capitalism and thinking that the worsening condition and destitution of the people of Bihar would slow down is nothing but a day dream.

Again, is the position and condition of the states enjoying special status much better? Data and figures say that the people of small states enjoying special status could not achieved required development. According to the recent statics of Multi-dimensional Poverty Index the 57.6 per cent people of North-East states enjoying special status are in poverty. Assam, enjoying special status ranks 16^th in the Human Development Index prepared by the Indian Human Development Report in 2011, while all North-East states, except Assam ranks 6^th and Uttarakhand, falling in same category ranks 14^th.  Anyone can see the acute problem of increasing price rise facing these states despite of enjoying special status. Similarly they suffer from the problem of unemployment and mal nutrition. Is there treatment facility for all living there? Are the people living there free from the problems of cultural and ethical degradation? Are they not experiencing the problem of atrocities on women? Actually, all these problems are present there in their full existence.

Need of the hour

Experiences say that the ruling class has been making false promises to the people of the country. In some times slogans like ‘Socialist pattern of society’, ‘Twenty point programmes’ and ‘Poverty eradication’ are thrown to the people. Then the slogan of ‘Reservation’, ‘Society of equality’ and ‘Development with justice’ was raised. And now, the people of Bihar are being confused with ‘Special Category Status’. Should the common people of Bihar be influenced by these types of falsehoods of the ruling class brought by the political parties.

Actually what the people of Bihar need? They need at least two meals in a day, residence for living, cheap and quality education to his kids, treatment in illness and a healthy social-cultural environment.  It is regrettable but true that the people of Bihar do not have even these.

It was necessary to work out a concrete and a comprehensive plan for united and the rest of Bihar. The ruling class and the parties serving their interest exploited the people of the country and Bihar. Following this process a handful of people developed, their wealth accumulated in heavy heaps on the one hand, the lives of the majority of the people of the nation and Bihar got worsened on the other. This process is on and intensifying continuously. In such a situation it is necessary to develop mass movements on the burning problems of people’s life and compel the government to fulfill all these.