I wish Amartya Sen would not have gone for remarks on Gujarat and Narendra Modi. It is known to all Indians that the politicians of the two states are almost battling about its growth models. Why shouldn’t a person such as Nobel laureate Amartya Sen remain aloof? On Sunday Sen backed Bihar’s growth strategy,though Bihar had only managed to reduce the proportion of people below the poverty line from 54.4% in 2004-05 to 53.5% in 2009-10, according to the Planning Commission.

Sen further stated that without education and proper health facilities, it was difficult to achieve balanced growth. “Educated labour force is the biggest guarantor… Education and healthy labour force is able to produce everything from IT to auto parts.”

Bihar has performed very poorly even in Nitish era for providing good education. Neither the government schools are effective in educating the students nor the private sector has participated in education sector as it has done in other states. While the education in primary, middle and high schools are non-existent with no interest shown by the teachers and its so called working committees, most of the young persons are to move to other states for higher education at higher cost. Students from the poorer families canot even dream of that. Facilities for professional education is lagging badly and are of very poor standard. Unfortunately, the present government has hardly done anything for it.

Healthcare is in dismal condition as much as I know. My own village or panchayat with all the effort and the villages that I have relationship of some sorts could not get even a primary healthcare in last so many years. Bihar Model which is one built over the years Nitish has ruled is only much better than what it happened before him, but certainly it is nowhere near those of the other states and I mean it can hardly be compared even with other Bimaru states.

It is unfortunate that the impressions about Bihar is being built by the ratings of those sitting comfortably in cosy conditions far away from Bihar.

Amartya’s opinion expressing his views against Narendra Modi as the prime minister was not expected out of him. Jagdish Bhagwati never expressed his views in favour of Narendra Modi or otherwise. India is a democracy of 1.2 billion Indians. Hardly few of the voters will even know about Amartya’s views unless he goes on the digital media and campaign against Narendra Modi.

I think there is difference between Gujarat and other states historically too. How can the sensitive people of the state forget the seventeen invasions and massacres of Somnath. Amartya surely can’t appreciate that.