Each of them is larger than any nation in Europe. And in
a free country, people in dire problems are bound to migrate
to other regions in search of livelihoods. The problem of
slums in Mumbai is essentially an offshoot of despair in
rural Bihar and UP.
There are many who think Bihar and UP can be ignored and
the rest of India can get on the bandwagon of growth and
prosperity in the twenty-first century. But the truth is,
if Bihar and UP languish, India fails too. A quarter century
ago, during our civil service training at Mussoorie, when
people talked of UP and Bihar, those of us from the rest
of India used to snigger with an air of superiority. But
experience taught us that in every state of the Union there
is a large part of Bihar. The degree and the manifestation
of the crisis may vary, but corruption, criminalization,
collapse of public goods, failure of rule of law, decline
in the quality of leadership, and perverse public discourse
are endemic to all of India.
In two ways, Bihar crisis is less intractable than it is
made out to be. First, vast multitudes of people in Bihar
are vexed with economic stagnation, politics of identity
sans public good, criminalization and corruption. The recent
political flux has to be viewed in the context of this significant
shift in public perceptions. That people do not have real
alternatives in terms of better governance, and all parties
are victims of the same vicious cycle are a different matter.
The yearning of the people for something better is clearly
evident. Second, if there is a perception of collapse of
governance, it is easier to pick up the pieces and start
with a clean slate. A moderately successful state is harder
to reform, because it is difficult to summon the will to
upset the applecart. But a 'failed' state can offer no argument
or incentive in favour of status-quo. The crisis of Bihar
therefore, could yet be converted into an opportunity.
What then can be done in Bihar realistically? Four major
areas are in desperate need of reform, and rapid change
is possible in all sectors. The most vital priority is restoration
of rule of law. All governance is based on perceptions.
If people see 'might is right', and that no law applies,
then soon all people behave erratically and create a lawless
society. The line between a lawful society and anarchy is
very thin. A series of steps can, and must, be initiated
at low cost to restore rule of law in Bihar. Local courts
for speedy justice as an integral part of independent judiciary
at a low cost can be constituted swiftly. Once simple disputes
are resolved in a credible manner, and petty crime is punished
quickly, a culture of rule of law will soon return. Cleaning
up of subordinate judiciary following the Maharashtra pattern,
identifying and systematically dealing with key visible
symptoms of breakdown of public order ("broken windows"),
and insulation of investigation of serious crimes from political
vagaries - all are politically and economically low cost
and high impact solutions.
Second, delivery of education and health care can be improved
speedily by institutional innovations. Thousands of middle
class Biharis are fleeing the region in search of better
education. Empowerment of parents in schools, an improved
examination system to measure real caliber of students,
and a state testing board to give disaggregated data on
educational outcomes to facilitate interventions to improve
quality are three low cost solutions which can convert the
vicious cycle into a virtuous cycle. Similarly, speedy recruitment
and training of local health workers, supply of drugs in
PHCs, rapid infrastructure improvements to meet the demand
for family planning services, and creation of hospital fund
at local level to reimburse public hospitals for patient
care, with money following the patient are innovations which
are eminently feasible. There is no resource problem, because
the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and National Rural Health Mission
are already in operation with Union support. We need to
make sure that committed and competent civil servants are
placed in charge, and motivated and talented citizens are
attracted on contractual basis to improve and manage delivery
of services.
Third, thanks to the proactive measures of Patna High Court,
the elected local governments are at last in place. At the
local level, there can be greater fusion between authority
and accountability, and people can keep track of the money
spent and benefits realized. And as most state-sponsored
development has come to a grinding halt, the usual resistance
of legislators and bureaucrats to decentralization is likely
to be less virulent.
Finally, Bihar needs a large dose of Union assistance for
infrastructure - especially roads, flood control and bridges
across the many ferocious rivers. A one-time massive package
is both necessary and economical. Improvement in Bihar has
tremendous consequences to the rest of India by way of reducing
population growth and migration. The nation must cheerfully
foot the bill for balanced regional growth. But first Bihar
administration must acquire the capacity to utilize the
resources and deliver results.
Even now, it is not too late to retrieve the situation in
Bihar. It just needs innovation, courage, speedy action
and prudent deployment of resources. Even politicians and
bureaucrats have an incentive to improve things, for what
is there to plunder in a graveyard? We need to address the
crisis of confidence and restore optimism and sense of adventure
that were the hallmarks of governance in Bihar fifty years
ago.
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