Opinion Bihar deserves better than more of the same

There are broadly two Bihar stories. The first, embodied in the manifestos of the NDA and Mahagathbandhan, is about politics as usual — a series of humdrum promises that seek to tap into established grievances and identities. In themselves, jobs and social security schemes targeted at historically marginalised sections or those aimed at the youth are unexceptionable. However, they are also — as with Tejashwi Yadav’s promise of a government job for every household — fiscally untenable. The second story that needs to be told as the state heads into an important election is one that recognises the possibilities of Bihar, and acknowledges that it needs to leapfrog to the next stage.

Bihar’s tallest leaders, including Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar, have changed the grammar of politics. The former focused on social injustice and representation of backward castes in a state of raging inequalities. The RJD’s fall came by not building on the social coalitions it mobilised, by presiding over de-institutionalisation and inattention to governance. Its failure on the law-and-order front continues to haunt the party. Under Nitish Kumar, social justice was vitally linked to governance, schemes such as providing cycles for girl students were targeted interventions with outsize benefits. Bihar is growing. But is it growing fast enough, and at the same pace for everyone?

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Out-migration, at its current scale, is a symptom of a lack of opportunity. But it can also be an asset. Rather than lament the current state of affairs, the political class must frame palayan as a form of diasporism that can benefit the state. The young, ambitious, aspirational Bihari is present in almost every part of the country and on every rung of the value chain. The student at IIT, the professor at an Ivy League university — each should have a stake in the state. How can the remittances, talents and networks of the 7.4-million diaspora be used to take Bihar forward? New player Prashant Kishor’s appeal to the voter to cast her ballot for her children’s future may be idealistic or just a clever turn of phrase. But it must serve as a wake-up call for established political players. Bihar’s people deserve better than more of the same.