The situation in Bihar is deteriorating fast. It is worse than that in J&K and N-E states. In J&K and N-E states, at least it’s public knowledge that there are terrorists there and armed forces have accordingly been deployed. Bihar, on the other hand, is enjoying the patronage of the present UPA government as the party that rules is part of it. How can we forget the cold brutal murder of Dr. Agrawal, and the kidnapping of Dr. Nagendra merely for extorting money? And now the news of the kidnapping of NHPC engineers working on road projects only adds to the climate of utter lawlessness. The police has failed to find the culprits. Two political stalwarts are fighting like street dogs with each other while serving the same ministry at the centre. Some are shedding crocodile tears. The state government is announcing huge award to anyone who can provide clues leading to the arrest of the culprits. The central PSU unnecessarily undertook this project knowing fully well that this was not their area of expertise, perhaps because the chairman, who hails from Bihar, wanted to help out his home state. Now it has come forward with additional reward for finding and getting back his employees safe. The Central government is keeping quiet, as it does not want to annoy Laloo Yadav. Meanwhile, the kidnappers continue to have the audacity to call the houses of these kidnapped employees and demand Rs 50 million as ransom money. What disappoints and angers me the most is to see our Central government, which showed so much concern (and rightly so) at the kidnapping of Indian drivers in Iraq, seems unperturbed at these kidnappings inside our own country. Can the officers in Home Ministry imagine the nightmare of the family members of these Engineers?

Now what should be done? NHPC and the employees of Central government must stop working on any and “all” Bihar projects until the Law and Order situation of the state improves. The intellectuals of the country are also sitting quiet. I hate to say this, but there is a part of me which feels that these self-proclaimed intellectuals and pundits seem to take some sort of wierd pleasure in the deteriorating condition of Bihar. Here’s what I think ought to be done:

All Indians should boycott Bihar. No vehicle should feed them their requirements. No work of Bihar government should be entertained by the outsiders. We all know that the rest of India can provide for themselves just fine without inputs from Bihar. Do I like saying this? Do I think I am being too harsh? Yes. Lest you forget, I am a Bihari too and a proud one at that. And it pains me deeply that the State Administration for years have been fleecing the people of the state while the rest of the country continues to turn a blind eye to the problem. Let’s face it: All who can afford are fleeing Bihar. No one wants to settle down in Bihar. And the ruling party is mute watcher of the things. What right does the Bihar government have to be in power? I cannot put it any more succintly:

The state of Bihar is in trouble and needs our help!

Media must wake up and do the thing it does best. Expose the corruption and decay that seems to have permeated through the very fabric of the State. This chaos must end in Bihar. How can any responsible person continue to see this go on and pretend that everything is ok? All the shameless IAS and IPS officers of Bihar must resign or fight it out. The DGP concerned should follow the examples of Gill and Robeiro and get all the bad elements finished in encounters without bothering about their credentials and pedigree, or the relations with political parties. The army should be present in similar number and manner in Bihar as it is being done in other terrorist infested states. And let the message be sent loud and clear to everyone who engages in this lawlessness – Either you abide by law or prepare to be held accountable for your actions. And for God sake, let’s not put local Politics above the humane needs of the people of Bihar.

I still remember the time when the NDA government had putforth a Bill to impose President’s rule in Bihar. At that time I had written personal letters to all the Senior leaders of Congress party including Sonia Gandhi and Man Mohan Singh to support this Bill and save Bihar. But the Congress party chose to oppose the move at that time. As much as I would love to see them take some bold moves in the wake of this spurt of lawlessness in Bihar, I am too old to know that nothing will be done this time either. I guess it’s time for the “good” people of Bihar to stand up for their most fundamental rights – a right to live a dignified and decent life where there are honest State-run institutions for improving education and law and order, to say the least.

I request my readers to push this case more vehemently.