RURAL ECONOMIC DETERIORATION AND MASS MIGRATION: A CASE STUDY OF THE

STATE OF BIHARKumar Deepak

(Environmentalist)

I am working on a project on “Rural Economic Deterioration and Mass Migration: A case Study of The State of Bihar”. The objective of my project is to elaborate the relationship between diminishing rural economy and mass migration. Ironically, we are enforced to use the term “Mass”, because here I am discussing the various classes of rural inhabitants, those were originated during the period of post economic reforms to till now-

(a) Literate Farmer (b) Illiterate Farmer (c) Students (d) Literate with no land holdings (e) Illiterate with no land holdings

INTRODUCTION

Here, it is very important to discuss the development of mass migrant’s classes. There is a very little difference between the ‘Literate farmer category’ and ‘Illiterate farmer category’. Literate farmer category is well known for their product management. They extract maximum output of their agricultural crops. They bring their products directly into the market. They are aware of the high-yielding varieties of genetically modified hybrid and pioneered seeds and their timely use as well. This category is extracting maximum out-put. On the other hand, Illiterate farmers have all facilities, but lacking the concept of product management. They are still being exploited by the middle man and brochures. Literate with no land holdings are finding various occupations, such as teaching, employee in public or private sector, taking land on ‘NAGADI’, ‘BATAIYA’, CHAUTHAIYA’ etc to involve themselves into agriculture.Illiterate with no land holdings category are mostly group of laborers.

Now what has been happening in the State of Bihar since fifteen years or more, the aforementioned categories of literate and illiterate were deliberately targeted by the State Government’s machinery; on account of establishing so called so called Social Justice. They were accused of spreading “Fascism”, so called “SAMANTI PEOPLE”. When the whole country were resisting the development process in aftermath scenario of post economic reforms era of Liberalization, Globalization and Privatization, The State of Bihar were deliberately drawing the line of partition across their people on the name of cast and feudalism. Deferred Bihar Land Reforms Act ignited the mind of the people and they started resisting the farmer classes in the rural areas. Capturing of crops and lands were the part and parcel of the Government’s sponsored movement of social justice. Where the two-third population is still uneducated, the State Government worked like a stimulant to send wrong massages among the 89% rural people. Where there should have been an approach to strengthen the education system, the State Government acted like a separatist group.

Paralyzed administrative system developed cast based ‘Naxalism’ in Central Bihar. A parallel administration headed by Private Senas, M.C.C, and P.W.G etc started running in this State. Unfortunately the State Government was providing bases to such Naxal Organizations. Every political party was shaking bread and butter and bringing the State on a verge of new political dilemma. The political nexus to such naxal outfits heavily ruined the rural economy. On account of social justice, thousands of innocent people have lost their lives in serial massacre and acres of green lands were enforced to leave unirrigated. This created a huge vacuum in the rural economy generation of the State. The cultivation of naxalism on the most fertile land of Bihar ruined the rural economy. Those created cast based naxal organizations deteriorated the very peace and harmony based social configuration of the State. Consequently there initiated a series of migration. They were widely dispersed into various cities of India for their livelihoods.

Increasing population, vulnerability to consequent natural disasters viz, floods and droughts, limited utilization of resources, short grain opportunistic political alliances, paralyzed political administrative planning, poor coordination among the various organs of the Government, environment of fear and threat among industrialist and business classes, lesser employment opportunity, cast based society etc. transformed into a “hub” of migrant people. Post economic reforms era was bringing significant changes in the rural in the rural economy of other states of the country. Huge amount of investment either from within or abroad were in process in each and every sector of economy, whereas the State of Bihar had no distant objective. Even the Government had nothing to do with the economic reforms. This would more or less reduce the chances of employment opportunity in the State. Large scale migration started occurring after 1995. Rural Economic Deterioration pushed lakhs of people to get dispersed into the various cities of country. In this project work, whatsoever question I have raised does not match to even my opinion? I asked various questions to the people residing in major cities- Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Surat, Ahmadabad, Amritsar etc.

This project is not meant to criticize the functioning of the Government, but the question remains stagnant.Why the people particularly from rural origin in masses have migrated? Did the State Government try to take any preventive measures to reduce the intensity of migration?Did the Government assure the people to provide to provide a guaranteed rural employment? Did the Government emphasis more on infrastructural development, rather them to strengthen the “Vote Bank” equation? What is the state of education in this State?

I am a rural inhabitant. I did my education in a complete rural environment. My very purpose is to admit myself with this Programme of Rural Development, because I believe that rural development that the rural development is an inherent aspect of our country’s all-round development. My State Bihar is an historic, cultural and diverse part of our country. Once, Magadha Empire expanded her region up to Afghanistan, whose capital was Patliputra. Nalanda University kept the foundation of the concept of Global Education. This is a land where God Buddha got enlightens under the Bodhi tree in Bodh-Gaya. Jain’s 24th Trithankars God Mahavira died of near Pawapuri. Sershah, an Afghan ruler from Sasaram kept the foundation of Suri dynasty in India, defeating Mughal Humayun. Bihar was the work-land for Mahatma Gandhi. Mahatma Gandhi started the Champaran Movement against the tyrannical policies of British Government against the farmers of the region in 1917. It is the Land of Great Babu Virkunwar Singh who led the 1857 Revolt. Bihar played a significant role in the development of this country. They lost their lives in fighting against the British to access independence. My State has a long tradition to produce great leaders like Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Jay Prakash Narayan, etc. Rastrakavi Ramdhari Singh Dinkar provided new dimensions to our modern Hindi literature. Vidhyapati, Maulana Mazaharul, Fanishwar Nath Renu etc were the true academic ambassadors of my State. I am reminding the history, because these people from complete rural background. At a time when the rural people when the rural people were playing eminent role to strengthen the economy of our country and now they are migrating to other parts of the country for their livelihoods.

In this project I would try to emphasis on the larger issues like “Roti- Kapra aur Makan”, education, roads, power, water, sanitation, hygiene, administration, disaster management, function of Panchayati Raj Institutions, coordination among the rural inhabitants and the State Administrative Institutions, Role of Public Representatives, National and State owned Rural programmes, Agriculture etc.After Green Revolution, Food could not be the primary necessity for the rural people. In spite of having minimum literacy rate, this State has been producing a bunch of extraordinary talents. Significant numbers of rural students have cracked the most prestigious examination of our country, viz civil services, IITs, IIMs, medical services, medical entrance etc. there was a time, when Patna University, Bihar University etc were known for known producing great amount of intelligence. Particularly Patna University is one of the renowned glories of our country. This University has produced so many famous doctors, engineers, civil servants, public servants, academicians, and politicians etc. but since last 15 years or more, this university has lost her glory and history. The only rays of hopes for the poor rural students have also been collapsed. There was a peak, when Mr. Lalu Prasad Yadav, Mr. Nitish Kumar, and Mr. Sushil Kumar Modi etc the three spearhead of present Bihar politics were studying in this University. It is very unfortunate, when those aforementioned respectable names get their credentials and powers to manage this State. This University has so far traveled a journey from peak to ground zero. Delayed sessions of various courses, lack of faculties members, mismanagement, wide spread political environment in the colleges, lack of able teachers etc are the major problems of higher education in Bihar. It is a period of trauma in higher education, because there are hardly any institutions looking to provide a standard education. The structure of basic education has been disastrous condition.

I do not think that such structures of education would compete to the other parts of country. The question would be necessarily raised,“Why is it happening in this State?”Through this project, I tried to find out a proportionate relation of Education as a revenue resource and the EconomyThe disastrous education culture in this State developed extreme amount of disappointment and desperation among the rural students. Because the Urban students in spite of low standard public basic institutions, preferred to get education from private schools, as their total per capita income allow. In contrast, the low per capita income of the rural students does not allow moving towards private system of education. Government reluctance made the education worst than worsen. Wrong planning, least investment, and lack of political will power have pushed the education as a low priority subject. The State government has never utilized “Education” as a revenue resource. Lakhs of students are occupying various degrees from various centers of India. Huge amount of revenue is being transferred from Bihar to other parts of the country. Why is it happening? We could not develop infrastructure of that standard. We could not list the education as resource. The State Government allowed the managers of education to access degrees through theft and corruption. Various cases of fake degrees have found in the universities. This made the education standard very low.

I do not think that such structures of education would compete to the other parts of country. The question would be necessarily raised,“Why is it happening in this State?”Through this project, I tried to find out a proportionate relation of Education as a revenue resource and the EconomyThe disastrous education culture in this State developed extreme amount of disappointment and desperation among the rural students. Because the Urban students in spite of low standard public basic institutions, preferred to get education from private schools, as their total per capita income allow. In contrast, the low per capita income of the rural students does not allow moving towards private system of education. Government reluctance made the education worst than worsen. Wrong planning, least investment, and lack of political will power have pushed the education as a low priority subject. The State government has never utilized “Education” as a revenue resource. Lakhs of students are occupying various degrees from various centers of India. Huge amount of revenue is being transferred from Bihar to other parts of the country. Why is it happening? We could not develop infrastructure of that standard. We could not list the education as resource. The State Government allowed the managers of education to access degrees through theft and corruption. Various cases of fake degrees have found in the universities. This made the education standard very low.

This is the reason why a large number of students are studying at various centers of India. Even two-third of rural students’ population of BIHAR is getting higher degrees from various centers of the country. After completion of their degrees, they better prefer to contribute there rather than to their State again the question raises,“What is the State Government trying to prevent the rural Brain-Wash”?Huge amount of migrants are of this categories are being invested to accommodate their study. How the drain of such amount of wealth could be prevented?

I interviewed to more than 100 students who are studying in the various centers of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Lucknow, Allahabad, Ahmadabad etc.Brief amount of questionnaire based evidences would be provided in complete project.

Agricultural collapse due to the consequent disaster vulnerability, irregular and discontinuous rainfall rain fall, disastrous power availability, poor land reforms policy, least accessibility to bank credits and complex terms and conditions in facilitating loans, high oil prices, no proper product management and marketing skills etc enforced the farmers to migrate other parts of the country for their livelihoods. This created a large scale migration of farmers and labors class rural inhabitants. They migrated to various parts of Punjab and Haryana. They brought the two States the highest yielding States in terms of per capita production of crop. Their efforts and hard labor have put the two States top in the list of economic growth. Now, Punjab and Haryana are adopting high technology based agricultural method. This creates a threat of livelihoods among the migrants that more use of technologies would make them again unemployed. They are again being pushed from there to adopt the occupation of Guards and Labors par below than their dignity in the National Capital Region. They did their labor hard, brought the States of Punjab and Haryana on a figure of a very healthy Gross Domestic productivity. But they are still in the same condition from where they started their journey of life. What can they do? In spite of maximum representation in the Council of Ministers in each and every established Government, their public representatives still could not do anything more for their developments.

Agricultural melt down impacts heavily on agro based industries. All sugar mills in Bihar almost died of or listed in Sick Industries. Large scale labor moved across various regions to access employment. Those migrated laborers participated heavily in the process of industrialization and infrastructural development of such regions. Where they started contributing in terms of work potential, the regions could develop into a modern shape. They are available on cheap cost. This raised eyebrow among local laborers of those regions became the reason of rift between the migrants and the local laborers. Politicians of such regions utilized the increasing confrontations and transformed its color into regional and linguistic basis. Heavy violence turned across the country against those migrant laborers. Again they were deceived. I would discuss the problem of such laborers in my complete project. I interviewed to as many as hundred of migrants labor families across Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Surat etc.

Another strong reason of mass migration is the failure of the Government of India and the State to control the consequent flood. Entire North Bihar is vulnerable to consequent floods and droughts. This region is occupied by some of the most dangerous rivers of our country, viz Kosi, Kamla- Balan, Baghmati, Budhi Gandak etc. since Independence; the Government could not have formulated a plan to reach at a permanent solution. Flood management is a necessity of this State. The Government of India could not even succeed to reach at a consensus with the Nepalese Government to construct a dam across river Kosi. This results into heavy amount of damage of State property every year. This is the reason why most of the rural inhabitants turned into migrants across various parts of the country. This flood happened due to the change of course of course of river kosi; one of the most dreaded flood in the history of this country. I moved across the relief camps, talked to the flood affected people. I will present their opinion in my complete project work. Since 2000, the State of Jharkhand has been established by bi-furcating the State of Bihar. Our all natural resources and resource based industries have been shifted. This creates a great financial crisis in this State. Even the Government of India could not pay the compensation to the State which was estimated to be RS.40000 crores. Greater representation in the Council of Ministers could not able to compel the Government of India to even provide benefits in terms of compensation to the people of this State. However this could have a least impact of migration, because more than 70% of population of Jharkhand still belongs to the people of Bihar origin.

Poor infrastructural development and huge power crisis left the various well known cities in an endangered phase. Only Patna could stand herself as a known city because of her capital status. Patna is an executive city. There are no other means of occupation, as such as in industrialized cities. However this could provide various options of occupations. Rest of the cities like Bhagalpur, Darbhanga, Mokama, Samastipur, Muzaffarpur, Gaya, Nalanda, Sasaram, Purina etc have continuously been loosing their historical glories. These cities could not provide employment opportunity to the larger masses of fringe areas. This is also a major reason of mass migration.

I started this project after an eye witnessing to a real event that could enforce a citizen of this country to think and rethink at once the levels of misconduct, misgovernence, and corruption. This event belongs to my village Chhoti Nawada. A very poor rural inhabitant belongs to a Scheduled Class (paswan), named Jitan Paswan. He has four daughters and two small sons, living with his wife in the village. He is a rickshaw puller. As my village is near about 28 Kms east of Patna, he used to travel daily pulling rickshaw during day time, and returned back to home in night. Khusrupur is my village’s block. Once, Jitan was suffering from Kalazar, a very common disease in the Gangetic Plain of Bihar, caused by biting of Sand Fly, Carrying a Protozoan parasite Leishmania. As he belongs to a Scheduled class, some people said him to move into the Block under the National Rural Health Mission programme. As Jitan was the alone working male in his family, and he was suffering from deadly Leishmaniasis, the family income depends on his wife; she often used to work in the field and a milking buffalo. Jitan’s wife Mangri moved to meet the Block Development Officer, who was Ram Chandra Paswan. Before moving to the Block, she lends money from local money lenders at Rs 10/100/month. She lends Rs 200; and moved to meet B.D.O. On the very first day, a local road brand leader took her into his confidence that a he would provide the medical relief to her husband. Innocent illiterate lady came into his talks and gave him Rs 50 as per the leader demanded. On that day B.D.O was not in his office, he was absent on that day. On the very next day, the so called leader brought the lady to the peon. The peon demanded Rs 50 to provide an opportunity to meet the B.D.O. On that day, the B.D.O left the office in the early hours of his duty. She could not able to meet even on the second day.

[B] INSPIRATION FOR THE PROJECT:

She almost lost her Rs 100. This loss was loss to life for her, but optimism also enlightens as a ray of hope that the Sarkar or Malik (B.D.O) will do something for her. With such hopes and optimism, she moved to meet B.D.O again on the consecutive third day. There was another peon this time, he demanded Rs 50 again, but when she said, “she has already paid to the other peon yesterday”. The peon got little liberal and said o.k. pay me Rs 30; I would immediately bring to you to the B.D.O Sahib (sir). She paid the demanded amount. The peon brought her to the B.D.O. The lady was standing before the B.D.O for five minutes, because B.D.O was talking to somebody on his mobile. After the call off, he asked her name and whereabouts. When she told her reason of appearance, the B.D.O in this language stated, “khairat ka hai, sab bbhikmange aa jate ho mangne ke leye. Sarkar ka free me bantti hai paisa main apne paise se ilaz Kara dun” (is it free? You all beggars come here to demand money. Does Government distribute money freely? Do I give you money for yours husband’s treatment?) The lady said, “The Government is giving medical relief to the schedule classes”. The B.D.O said, o.k. submit a written application for the relief, I would send it forward. Deemag mat khao (don’t eat my brain), now get lost. Mangari came out of the office. She requested the Bada babu to write her application. The Badababu demanded RS 100 to write and submit the application. She said, “I have only Rs 70, how can I pay you Rs 100, Bada Babu?” everyone here demands money, how can we people pay? She remarked. The Bada Babu said,” does not talk like this, this is a fixed charge, and 50% share would be transferred to the B.D.O Sahib. Finally the Bada Babu agreed to write and submit the application at Rs 70. He received the application and gave her the receiving’s of the application. She was returning back to home with a bankrupt hand, tears from her eyes, desperate and disappointing face, because if the submission of application is so lengthy then she received the relief or not, it was a question of huge consideration; perhaps not. I was coming from Patna to my village. I identified her and asked her well beings. She told everything what happened to her. I went to her home and told some villagers to bring Jitan to Nalanda Medical and College Hospital and admit him there. Under National Kalazar Eradication Programme, the Government facilitates free treatment to a kalazar’s patient and provides food to the one of the attendants’. Now he is o.k.

My purpose is not to write a story, but this raises billion questions. The question would again finger towards the Government. Block Development Officer is the first line of administrative authority, which administers and fund distribution. There should be a transparent line of communication and coordination between him and the people. Thousands of cases of corruption and mis-governence are being registered everyday against the employee and the officers of the Government. Perhaps this kind environment in my state has been widespread and on saturation. The question remains static, what would happen next? This aforementioned event was not of accessing good grades for the Programme of Rural Development. I discussed it because Schedule classes were given prior privileges in our constitution of India and if an officer appointed on the post by getting the benefits of reservations very much as a privileges under the constitution of India should work in the field of development and upliftment of the schedule class. The rude and unmannered behavior of the B.D.O showed that the officer had nothing to do with privileges which he himself received under the constitution of India. This question can be raised on broader spectrum, is the bureaucracy in this State of Bihar providing a transparent means of administration to the poor people? B.D.O is supposed to the first line of officer for the rural inhabitants.

A proper administration can only run when they are people friendly and they are civil servants in true sense. Bureaucracy is the strongest pillar of the Government. They have been given the responsibility to implement the laws and plan properly on the ground. They have been given the duty to communicate to the people from time to time and provide directions in connection with the mobilization and utilization of the resources through such public programmes. They are public officers and their duties are assigned to co-operate the people by and large through proper responsibility and accountability. Their duty is to minimize the corruption at the lower level, so that the funds could be reached properly to the lower tiers of the society.The Government shall work on a scheme to produce an officer of quality of managing resources at the rural level. The officers could feel the emotions of the people. The profit is not reaching at the public in this State. Once, when you have limited resources to utilize and mobilize, you often be more dependent on the Government’s relief. When the relief is not reaching at you properly, the desperation develops in the mindset up by and large masses; and an obvious they turned into migrants.This is a theme of my project. In this Dissertation Proposal, I tried to draw a relationship between rural economic disintegration and the migration. In the complete project, I would try to discuss the state of the family of such migrants like their health, hygiene, sanitation and safe drinking water conditions. Anyhow those rural migrants could participate in the process of development of the country. They played a significant role in strengthening the economic development of our country. Recent violence in North East, Maharashtra, and Punjab etc against such migrants raised a wide debate, whether those people who participated very much in the process of the development of such cities and States, could be thrown out as an exile after the completion of the development or would be given prior disrespect and dishonor? I can not answer such questions, but my project will reveal the rural economic deterioration after such huge mass migration. Those migrants could solve their problems of livelihoods or not, I do not know, my State has almost lost the economic supremacy; the poorest in the list of all States except Orissa. Rural Brain Drain, Rural work potential Drain combined created rural economic deterioration. Who will pay the price? Still I do not know.

The post economic reforms era of Liberalization, Globalization and Privatization started during the Congress Government lead by P.V Narshinga Rao. Then Finance Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh opened the gateway of great economic changes in India. During this period Bihar was passing through a phase of new socio-political transformation. There was evolving a new political configuration for the establishment of social justice in the State of Bihar.Justice of social, political and economic nature has been an integral part of our basic infrastructure of the constitution of India. Caste based political orientation has been a part and parcel of modern and British political strategy. But during British period such divisive political mechanism was termed as “Divide and Rule”. Current phase of political dogmatism is highly alarming for the largest democratic country of the world.Economic reforms in India transforms the traditional parameters developmental Index. Tertiary sectors of economy starts contributing major role in the Gross Domestic Productivity, which is supposed to be an economic optimism in terms of economic growth of the country wide economic changes started occurring primarily in the Coastal states of India. India is developing into an Information Technological hub, with its capital at Hyderabad, Bangluru, Chennai. There have been started the process of disinvestment in this country. There was a separate establishment of Department of Disinvestment during the National Democratic Alliance Ministry, lead by Mr. (Hon’ble) Atal Bihari Bajpai. The Government of India stated opening bids to the loss making Industrial Unit for the Private Investors. The Government of India started attracting Foreign Investors through attractive packages. Special Economic Zones (SEZs) have been developed to promote trade.

[C] POST ECONOMIC REFORMS AND BIHAR:

The major objectives of this New Economic Reforms Policy of India was to make production units more efficient and highly productive as well as to increase the competitiveness of our production units and make use of the global resources for the progress and development. Other major objective was to make Indian economy structurally strong and viable. A number of changes have been introduced and initiated since 1991. Industrial Licensing System has been abolished and no license is required from the Government for setting up a new units and expansion and diversification of existing production units. The Economy has been opened for private capital. Exclusive reservations for public sector have been cut down to only safety security and environmental areas. The Monopoly Restrictive Trade Practices/ MRTP Act have been liberalized and only those activities will be controlled under this Act which is against the interest of the consumers. Incentives are being given to Private Sectors to make investment in infrastructural industries.

The policy of Liberalization refers to give Greater Freedom and Liberty to Economic Agents for Economic Decision Making. It basically refers to give greater role to private capital and Enterprises in the functioning of the economy that is the private capital will be utilized more and more in the process of productive activity and creation of infrastructure. Use of receipts from disinvestment has been employed in the expenditure on social sectors, restructuring the public sectors Employs and Redemption of public debts. The major objectives behind the process of Disinvestments were: The Government withdrawal from non strategic areas. To bring about improvements in the performance and profitability through

diversification of ownerships. Reducing the physical burden of The Government on account of losses of Public

Sector Units. Increasing the resources of the Government.

This has lead to increasing integration between different economies of the world that is it is process of opening the economy for free trade and investment among the countries. Globalization was one of the ways through which “International Division of Labour” will be achieved and every country has to pay its “Door and Windows” open for International trade. With the advent of globalization in Indian economy, each and every country will specialize in manufacturing of those items which it can manufacture most effectively, efficiently at lower cost in any of the countries at a low price.Significant developments started taking place in the various States of India. But the wind of economic reforms could not be blown at its magnificent pace in the State of Bihar. What is observed during the era economic reforms in the State of Bihar is one of the serious developmental crises that raises billion dollar questions on the planning and management. Large scale social disparities are being observed at all sectors of development in this State.

The State of Bihar faced two phases of challenges after the Economic Reforms Era. The first phase was from 1991-2000. In the year 2000, the State of Bihar was portioned and as a consequent a new State of Jharkhand was established. This leads to a great economic loss, because the entire mineral resources and resource based industries have shifted to the State of Jharkhand. Forest resources as well as some techno-based educational institutes have also shifted to the sister state. The region which could be utilized after the advent of the economic reforms has also been separated as a separate State. Establishment of Jharkhand was not only a great loss to the state of Bihar, but it mutually affects the people of there also. Economic reforms changes could not change the mind set up of the political makers, and even the people of this State could not feel the wind of economic shift of this country of this country. It is not a hidden fact that how much investment from the private sectors has been recorded in the State of Bihar. This is a dreadful reality that the State has lost her control in terms of economic dominance. The condition of education, health, hygiene and sanitation etc might predict the quality of life in this State. Agro-based industries particularly the sugar mills experienced significant collapse during the period of economic reforms. Even this era could not bring a better solution to survive against the vulnerability of natural disaster. Still 80% people of this State are vulnerable to natural disaster. The vicious cycle of consequent flood and drought makes our agriculture as an occupation of endless crisis. Significant yield of per capita productions have been recorded from Punjab, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamilnadu, West Bengal, Utter Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh etc. The farmers of there are the employment giver, and the Farmers of the State of Bihar are supposed to be employment seeker. The collapse of agriculture sector is not only due to the adversity of natural climate, but also due to the plan expenditure of the Government. Floods and Droughts are relevant the Northern Bihar area, but the fertile zone of Middle Bihar is still unaffected. The State could not apply according to the acceptability of the applied economic reforms. The State could not create an environment of corporate culture in this State. Poor administration and governance is no environment in Bihar for Private investors. Within the period of post economic era up to 2005, Bihar faced a single Government, supposedly under the guidance of a very charismatic leader Mr. Lalu Prasad Yadav.

I am not criticizing the very functioning of the Government. But unfortunately there have been a large scale migration recorded during his period. Drastic decline in employment opportunity had been recorded. There has not been any significant development Education Sector. Primary, Middle and High school education recorded rapid decline in quality of education. There have been instances of a single teacher administering the entire business of the school. Two or three teachers are running a High school. Incapability of teachers in terms of quality and their incompetence made our education system worst than worsen. There have been significant decline in the quality of higher education in Bihar. During the period of economic reforms, various States of India were experiencing great revolutionary changes in the methods of education. Other parts of the country particularly the Southern States are developing themselves into a hub of professional education. They established modern and highly equipped education institutions which are attracting the students outside. They maintained the very quality of education. They evolved a model education according to the corporate demands. Because the post economic reforms era utilizes the academic culture as an important tool of economic development. The Economic Globalization brings the education system more pronounced than before. It breaks the orthodox pattern of traditional academic occupation, viz Doctor, Engineers, and Government services. Privatization of economy opens the door for the academic professionals. Huge numbers of management institutions of excellence have been set up in our country. Various management courses are being provided there. Development of Information Technology, large scale demands of IT Experts develop a vibrant stream in engineering courses. Hotel and Tourism develop a new carrier option in Hotel and Tourism Management. Privatization leads to the adoption of a well disciplined outlook to attract the consumers by and large. This leads to development of a new carrier in Design Technologies, like Hair Designing, Fashion Designing and Shoe Designing. Therefore the economic reforms in India break the orthodox concept profession. It brings academician in such profession where this could not be thought that the class of intelligent mind would accept this transformation. This is a transformation of a simple illiterate Barber into a technically equipped “Hair Designer”, an uneducated Tailor into a “Fashion Designer” and an uneducated footpath based untouchable shoe maker into a “Shoe Designer”. Therefore the concept of education has completely been transformed. New carrier options like B.P.O., Pharmaceutical sells and marketing etc. are being generated on the verge of new economic reforms. But unfortunately the State of Bihar could not develop itself to adopt such academic professionalism. We could not attract the private investors to establish colleges in this regard. However there are so many students are adopting various options at the various centers of India from Bihar.

This can not be forgotten that the people of Bihar contributed in all sectors of development during this phase of economic reforms. But when they are contributing in the process of development of other parts of the country, our political system has completely been failed to utilize the policy of economic reforms in this State. The Government failed to attract the private investors to support the agro-based industries, in other words the Government of this State was not interested to provide an environment of good governance, good administration, good infrastructure, good academic institutions, good health and all together a good quality of life.Our political planners were more serious in drawing a line of partition amongst the people on the basis of cast and religion. They are utilizing the uneducated and poor brain as an agricultural baseline for their political crops; and some how despite of the fact that the people of this State are being migrated on large scale to other parts of the country. Due to lack of employment opportunity, they are divided on the line of political ideologies.The Godfather of introducing the concept of “Social Justice” in this State mistranslated the basic definition of social state. In the back stage of dividing the people on the line of cast and religion, the Government applied the mechanism of social engineering to regain the power. The Government of the State draws a discriminatory line between the casts and introducing the concept of Social Justice through uniting against the so called General Categories people, snapped by the their own elected Government as the “Fascist” people. The Government of the State presented the upper cast people as the driving force of fascism. They stared dispersing this poisonous sting of political enmity and hatred in our society. In the backdrop of economic reforms, the State of Bihar was heading towards a political naxalism as well as a social naxalism in Bihar.

In this project work, I would give my attention over the practical reason of migration. Nevertheless I tried to gain a response of over 5000 migrants from the various nature and occupations. I talked to get a response of a poor laborer to a well educated professional. In this way I tried to know the reason of migration. I did not do it to complete my project work. I have been writing on this aspect since last five years or more. I traveled all across the country, but the hotspot migrant’s centers for the people of Bihar are: Delhi, Surat, Mumbai, Kolkatta, Daman, Jalandhar, Chandigarh, Bangluru, Guwahati, Kanpur etc. Migrant categories are from all occupation but the migrants from labor class and academic professional class are in majority. On the basis of my observations:

[D] CAUSES OF MIGRATION:

Chart 1

Chart 1

Percentage of Migrants from Bihar

Chart 2

Chart2

Chart2

Percentage of occupation of migrants

Unemployment in both organized and unorganized sector pushed a large number of migrants to move at various places for their livelihood options. Collapse of agricultural sector and agro-based industries affected the farmer class as well as the labor class equally. Low and middle landholders could not compensate themselves in front of losses they do observe in farming. Agriculture is an expansive occupation, and the agriculture in this particular State is facing serious power crisis. More than 75% of the rural villages are not properly electrified. If there is electrification, there is no continuous supply of power. Even hike in Diesel oil prices as well as enhancing prices of hybrid and pioneered varieties of seeds made the poor farmer to leave this occupation. Even after proper production of crops, there is very least adoptive means of crop management, lack of cold storage and poor skilled marketing management; the farmers could not achieve maximum profit. Therefore, they turned to irrigate on minimum land for their individual necessary requirement, and most of the land are unirrigated. This was, they capitalize their food requirement of their family members, and the farmers moved to other places for employment. This is a huge loss of economy to this State. Because the States of Punjab and Haryana are providing employment to our migrant labor forces through the occupation of agriculture. Collapse in agriculture sector disintegrated our rural economy. This consequently affected the labor class to move away from this State. Dismantled agro-based industries equally affected our farmer class, because most of the sugar mills, rice mills, jute mills etc are listed in sick industries, therefore there is a very best demand of sugar and jute in the market. Farmers have left behind the sugar and jute production. Presently most of the Agro-based industrial corporations are on the verge of losses. The employees are not getting continuous monthly payment. This pushes two-third of rural inhabitants turned into migrants.

Another sector that lists huge number of migration is our education sector. Within 15-20 years the State of Bihar has lost the culture of education. Public sector primary schools, Middle schools and High Schools are not so much infrastructural developed to even stand right behind the private schools. Due to lack of teaching members as well as deficient infrastructure, the public sector schools are not propelling a good quality of education. Lack of modern teaching skills as well as least accessibility of modern technologies deteriorated our basic education. The Government is crying on providing “Social Justice”. But they are very much playing with the poor brain. Poor quality of basic education in public schools is very much alarming for our rural students. In place of providing better quality of education, the education executives are passing through a phase of communicable contamination of corruption. Large scale corruption in our basic education stands this State into a hub of cheaters and fake degree providers. Most of the times the Government fails to organize free and fair High school examination. This is the reason why the poor rural students do not achieve the proper qualifications, so that they are compelled to adopt the occupation of migrant labors. The condition of higher education is equally suffering. This is why a record number of students are moving outside to get the advanced form of modern technologically based education. Recently up to 2005 there has not been any establishment of new colleges or institution of excellence in this State. Patna University, Magadha University, Bihar University, Bhagalpur University etc have lost their credentials. Irregular sessions, lack of faculty teachers, cast based political groups, criminalization of college campus, lack of discipline among teachers and students, corruption amongst the University staffs and officers, deficient University budget, irregular payment of teachers and University executives, lack of responsibility and accountability of faculty members lead to great disaster of education culture. However current education system and social responses to academicians are also responsible for the degradation of culture of education in this State students are least interested in accessing qualitative higher education and their parents also desire the same. In place of quantitative education they are adopting quantitative means of education to deal with the approach of accessing employment. For this purpose large numbers of students are studying those materials that could push him towards the employment accessibility. This is highly alarming for our education system, where a mindset up is developing with a society where an academician who desires to get qualitative education, might turn to adopt the quantitative means of education. This is happening because of the failure of the Government to develop a culture of education. It is very necessary to the planners of the State that we could not generate an institution of excellence in the more than fifty years of Independence. This is an obvious region of migration of students.

Disaster vulnerability is also a major reason of migration. This is very unfortunate for a State of such fertile natural resources could not develop a mechanism of flood mitigation. Flood management could not be precisely adopted after over 60 years of independence. Water management can resolve the poverty of this State and the State will be the most developed. Consequent floods and droughts in North Bihar region with an ultimate low quality of life pushed a huge number of migrants outside. Poor health and hygiene conditions, lack of pure drinking water also adds up pronounced vulnerability to the inhabitants to the disaster of life.After 1990, with the advent of New Economic Reforms there had been the phase of renunciation of naxal ideologies in the region of middle Bihar. Bhojpur, Buxar, Jahanabad, Gaya, Nalanda, Nawada, Sasaram etc districts were the main centers of evolving naxal ideologies. What was different from the orthodox concept of naxalism {one against the Government’s machinery} was that this is a cast based alignment. This was developed due to non implementation of proper Land Reforms Act. Various Naxal organizations started running parallel to the State administration. These Naxal outfits started accessing political support. The state politicians started dragging the support of Naxalite organization for their political interest. This was the time when a land lord based Naxal outfit “Ranvir Sena” was established in 1994. The very establishment of sena was mainly to protest against Maoist Communist Center and the People’s War Groups. Large scale massacres occurred, killing innocent poor people of this State. This developed tremendous amount of fear among the farmers and poor laborers. What happened latter on, such naxal outfits are puppet in the hand of political parties. They became completely politicized. Their parallel conquest to general administration hampered the process of development during the beginning of economic reforms. This parallel encounter between the State administration and the naxal outfits sent complete wrong massages among the masses. The people of this State started developing a sense of insecurity that widely disseminated through out the region. This was against of the environment needed for a private investor. In this phase the general administration was badly hurt, lost its control. This was the time when criminalization of politics at its deepest roots. There also started a nexus between police and criminals, resulted into a cast based criminalization. Kidnapping, cases of violence against women, loot, dacoity, demand of money etc. were the part and parcel pf great changes of terror in the society. This created havoc in the business classes. Large scale migration of business men started during 1995 to 2000. This was the period when the country’s economy was shifting towards a liberalized set of privatization. This was the strongest reason of economic backwardness of this State because it worked as a barrier between economic reforms and private investment. Even there is still no change in the mind set up of the investors. Naxalism completely ruined our agricultural sector in the fertile land of Middle Bihar. This was a complete deterioration of rural economy. Now onwards large scale migration of farmers and laborers recorded.Poor infrastructural development, least industrialization created large scale unemployment in our rural social sector, produced into a large scale migration of rural inhabitants.

Recent acts of violence against migrants of Bihar at various centers of India raise billion dolor questions on their contribution in the process of development of the city where they reside. In this project work I will try to explain the ground reality of the laborers and the farmer migrants. When I talked to the farmer class migrants in the State of Punjab and Haryana, I was very much surprised. Most of the migrants of this class moved to the States of Punjab and Haryana for their livelihoods. They left the occupation of agriculture in the State of Bihar and started farming on monthly income of on average Rs 3000 to 4000. This was the period of 1995-2005; both theses States recorded a large number of cheap migrant laborers. Farmer turned migrants actively adapted to the work of farmers. They were given food and lodging accommodations. Cheap laborers availability made agriculture least expansive in both the States. Record high productions of wheat, rice, vegetables etc. have been observed during this phase. Large scale agro based industries were set up. Land lords of Punjab and Haryana adopted a very skilled approach towards the crop management in terms of marketing and sells. Even they developed an advanced storage policies. Chain of public and private cold storages has been set up. Easy and cheap accessibility of migrant laborers helped them in the rearing, cutting and storage of crops as well as make it available to market on time. Development in agriculture sector started large scale development of infrastructure processes. This has brought the two States as a hotspot center of large scale private investment. Large scale mechanization in agriculture has been introduced in the State of Punjab and Haryana. Greater use of technologies in agriculture again created a livelihood crisis among the various migrants. They lost their employment. Again they are enforced to adopt an occupation of private guards and laborers in NCR and its fringe areas. I talked to almost over one thousand of such migrant classes in the States of Punjab and Haryana. However their role in the development of the State of Punjab and Haryana can not be denied, but when they should be rewarded of their honest effort they were left off to adopt other occupations. Now the agriculture of both these States is being operated by the use of heavy machines. What is the worst than changing a settled occupation into a guard? Major problems arose during this transformation. Migrants are facing serious crisis of safe drinking water. Even on an average there are four to five migrants living in a single room. There are very poor conditions of health, hygiene and sanitation. This is the reason why the migrants are suffering from jaundice, typhoid, kalazar, malaria, respiratory ailments, tuberculosis, dengue etc.

[E] CONDITION OF MIGRANTS:

Chart 3Disease Occurrence within 6 months period amongst the

Migrants Groups

Chart 4Graph showing various income slabs of 1000 migrants

Chart 5Cases to the Exploitations of Migrants

Chart 6Percentage water available to the migrants

Chart 7Percentage mode of supply in major cities

Chart 8Percentage availability of pure water

Chart 9percentage availability of sanitation amongst the migrants

Chart 10Percentage Awareness about hygiene in Migrants

Chart 11Percentage area occupied by Migrants for living

Chart 12Percentage involvement of Migrants in illegal activities

Chart 13Percentage of Migrants sending Money to the family

Chart 14Time duration of the percentage of migrants sending money

to their families

Chart 15Age in percentage Groups of Migrants

Chart 16Percentage of marital status of migrants

  This can not be denied of the fact that such migrant laborers are going through a phase of endless problems. They are enforced to live under critical level of quality of life. Such unorganized laborers are facing serious problems of hygiene, sanitation, water etc. But they do not have any option to live other than else where. They are thousand of kilometers away from their family members. Many of them are married; they even make no contacts to their counterpart and their children. I could read the frustration of mind of the migrant laborers, who have been away from their wives since last a long period. The frustration of not having sexual contacts for longer duration, they are enforced to make sexual relations to the prostitutes of the red areas. High amount of prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases is being reported in them. But the major causes of concern are the ongoing data analysis of the prevalence of AIDS. This is a serious threat to the migrant laborers, because they are enforced to have a sexual contact to other women. Such innocent migrant laborers are unaware of the impact of this sexually transmitted disease. Even poor Rickshaw pullers are enforced to donate blood, which also increases the prevalence of diseases. Most of the time there are no significant means for the Government’s Health Department to diagnose the AIDS patients. This is a serious threat to the health and hygiene of this country. Laborers those are HIV positive, might contaminate the virus into his wife and there have been instances of HIV contaminated wife, birth to HIV contaminated children. This is the greatest challenge to our National AIDS Control Programme to trace out the HIV positive migrant laborers.

Recent report of violence against the migrant laborers is a threat to their lives and Wealth. When I tried to find out the reasons behind such recent attacks are very much political. Such migrant laborers work on a cheap cost, and this was not acceptable to local traditional workers and laborers. They raised voices against the intrusion of such migrant forces and deliberately targeted such migrant laborers on the ground of language and regionalism. Many of them have lost their lives and enforced to return back to home. Major issues for such migrant unorganized forces are their security. The respective State Governments could not provide the proper means of security to such laborers, failed to accommodate a plan to dislodge such violence. Such violence Acts against laborers raised a great voice on the socialistic set up of democracy; and the implications on forms of belief in our constitution. If such acts can not be prevented, this will divide our nation on the ground of regionalism and linguistic discrimination. This is against of the sovereign, socialist, secular and democratic structure of the country. This is against of the justice listed in terms of social, economic and political in our constitution.

Another major migrants of the students categories are facing some how similar migratory problems. They are also facing health, hygiene, water and sanitary problems. Even after a payment of lakhs of rupees, the college authority can not able to provide hostel having cross ventilated rooms. There are serious cases of water borne diseases have been reported in the students. I have talked to almost five hundred students, studying in Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Hotel Management and other management institutions. Indian Institutes of technologies and other students who are preparing for civil services and other competitions.

Chart 17% age prevalence of diseases amongst the migrant’s students

Chart 18Sanitary status of migrant’s students on percentage scale

 

Chart 19Migrant’s students utilizing type of water for drinking purpose

in %age

Chart 20Migrant’s students status of fooding in percentage in hostels

 

Chart 21State of environment of migrant’s students in hostels

 

Chart 22State of quality of education of migrant’s students in colleges

 

Chart 23State of quality of faculty members of the colleges

 

Chart 24State of behavior of staff members of the colleges

 

Chart 25State of behavior of local students in colleges

 

The students, who are studying at the various centers of India, are giving tough competitions to the students of outsides and locals. Such students are widely recognized and contributing their best as well as discharging their duties with great amount of responsibility and accountability however recent reports of violence against such migrant students are sending wrong messages to the outside. Such act of violence must be stopped and regretted.

Deterioration of economy begins with the movements of labor forces to the various cities of the country. Lack of infrastructural development and industrial development has declined the employment opportunity in this State. Parallel struggle of power between naxal outfits and general administration created an environment of fear and danger among the larger masses. Naxal movements in Bihar push the farmers to leave the occupation of agriculture in the middle Bihar. Whosoever did not consider the threats of naxal outfits; they either left their houses or massacred to loose their lives. Large scale migration of farmers occurred. This was the greatest loss to the economy of the State of Bihar. This was the phase during which large scale migration of farmers and laborers occurred at the various places of the country. This was the phase economic deterioration of economy 0f rural Bihar.

North Bihar is facing serious natural disaster of consequents flood and drought. Such regions are heavily deteriorated on the scale of economy by the impact of consequent drought and flood. Such regions are facing serious crisis of employment opportunity. Large scale rural inhabitants turned into migrants. Heavy losses to agriculture sector affected the agro based industries and allied sectors. Agro based industries are listed under sick industries. This is a huge and incomparable loss to our economy. Major sugar mills and jute mills were closed due to deficient supply of raw materials. Heavy losses were recorded, resulted into complete closure of the industrial production unit. This reduced the chances of employment opportunity in this State. The rural economy in particular experienced a heavy deterioration, because this was the period of agricultural meltdown.

It was a period of incubation in the rural economy. Large scale migration of farmers and laborers started moving to Delhi, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Karnal, Surat, Ahmedabad, Daman etc.

[F] IMPACT OF MIGRATION ON RURAL ECONOMY:

After the establishment of a new State of Jharkhand, the State of Bihar lost her control over the rich mineral resources as well as the mineral based industries. This generated a huge crisis of livelihoods among the poor rural laborers. The establishment of the State of Jharkhand has left the State of Bihar into a fertile land of regular floods and droughts.

Poor infrastructural process of development and lack of administration planning are not able to utilize and mobilize the available natural resources. The Government of the State could not employ the Central Government’s plan on poverty alleviation National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme has completely been failed in the State of Bihar to present the large scale migration of laborers.

Labor forces are contributing their role into the development of the major cities of the country. They are available at the cheapest cost, and are being exploited by the major construction houses. They heir them on cheap on cheap cost and took ten to twelve hours of work. Large scale development projects are possible due to availability of large scale migrant laborers. The Master plan of Delhi could be possible because of the presence of cheap laborers. Large dam construction, heavy bridge construction, flyover construction, huge multiplexes and hotel construction, construction of apartments and molls in cities are also possible because of the cheap availability of migrant labor forces. This is a widely accepted reality that the process of development on such a large scale in major metros and cities could be possible because of the availability of large scale labor migrants. Such migrant labor forces are playing a very significant role in strengthening the economic structure of that State where such migrant labor forces reside. But they are not being provided a healthy income. Such migrant labor forces do not earn so much money to carry forward the burden of their family members, left behind their respective ancestral places. They are being exploited by the local contractors. The contractors do not pay their laboring cost on time. Any how, they adjust to send money to their family members; this money is not too much so that the State might capitalize the economic losses of revenue by compensating the return of money to the State.

Even after so much of hard labor, their high level of literacy again stands as a barrier in advancing their quality of life. Every where such migrant laborers are not utilized in terms of their potential. Whatsoever they earn, they hardly save their income on an average 20% to 25% of the migrant labor forces, suffer from serious water borne diseases. There are the circumstances when such aforementioned labor migrants carry heavy burden of debt that pushes them to adopt some illegal occupations. There are so many instances of arrest of migrant laborers due to their involvement in criminal activities. This has continuously been alarming for the migrants. However their role in the process of economic reforms in Delhi, Mumbai, Surat, Ahmedabad, Noida, Gaziabad, Chandigarh etc. can not be denied.Due to disaster in culture of education the State of Bihar experienced a large scale migration of students. Major percentages of rural economy have been drained in allocating the income of parents to the educational institutions of outside. The State of Bihar could not develop an institution of excellence in the streams of management, engineering, law, medicines etc. This resulted into a large scale migration of students to the various cities of the country, viz Delhi, Pune, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Agra, Bangaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Varanasi, Allahabad, Kolkatta, etc.Two third incomes of the parents are being drained to accommodate the expenditure on the study to such outside institution. The State of Bihar could not develop the education as a revenue resource; the State shall have to develop a culture of education. Whenever the State will not develop a culture of education, this huge deterioration of economy will still continue. 

This is a very vital part of my project work; because when the master starts leaving off the schools the student will suffer at most. The serious effect of migration can be observed by studying the mentality of the family members. In 80% cases the migrant’s family is composed of the wife and children and the parents (if they alive). Therefore the family is running without the control of the earning member. When the wife is uneducated their children do not access the proper means of education. In labor class family the wife works in the field therefore she is not able to look after her children. When the wife is little bit literate, she knows the importance of education. She admits her children into a school of such standard where the income will allow. The husband sends money as par the amount of money saved after the expanse. In most of the family members the sent money does not full-fill the demand of the essential daily necessary requirement but any how they compensate the deficit through either work into the agricultural land or taking land on “Bataiya, Tihaiya, or Nagadi” for the purpose of agriculture. Any how they adjust to live in such worst conditions of life. The wives of such migrant’s pass through a phase of rigorous mental and physical depression. In most of the cases a poor labor family has an average of four children. The wife looks after the children but she herself left behind. In 5%-10% cases in villages, I observe that the wife of such migrant’s laborer who does not overcome the physical barrier decides to settle her life to other partner. In 2% to 3% cases I observe that the wife of a migrant left her children as well as home; she married to others and settled there. This is a kind of frustration developing among the women whose husbands are thousands of miles away from home. Even the migrant’s families are suffering from serious water, hygiene and sanitary disorders.

[G] IMPACTS OF MIGRATION ON MIGRANT’S FAIMLY:

Chart 26Status of diseases in the migrant’s family within last six months

 

Chart 27State of quality of life of the migrant’s family

Chart 28State of physical conditions of migrant’s wife

 

Chart 29Status of quality of education of migrant’s family

 

There are the instances when a child below 15 years of age is enforced to work as a migrant. What would be the state of mind of the family members whose children below 15 years of age migrate thousand of miles away from their parents. They suffer through an extreme mental pressure which can not be measured or experienced through words.In recent years some reports disclose prevalence of HIV positive virus in the migrant’s wife and their children after birth. Extreme physical pressures of being departed of their wives the migrants’ males in big cities establish sexual relation to prostitutes or call girls. Through this way they start suffering from deadly HIV-AIDS. When they return back to home after duration their sexual relation to their wives might contaminate them with such deadly HIV positive virus. Such wives shall also suffer from HIV AIDS and even new born child might carry the HIV positive virus. This is one of the scaring realities of the aftermath scenario of the migrant’s era. This is a very serious social issue which should countered through bringing awareness among such target groups of high prevalence of HIV virus. This has been highly alarming for the migrants’ as well as their family. National AIDS Control Society would develop a combat Programme to address with the issues of growing prevalence of HIV AIDS among the migrant’s as well as their families.

Chart 30Status of migrant’s male in using condoms during sexual contacts

 

Chart 31Status of awareness about AIDS in migrant’s male

Chart 32 Status of awareness of AIDS among migrant’s wives

Chart 33%age of migrant’s wife telling her husband for an HIV Test

Mr. Nitish Kumar lead national Democratic Alliance Government came into power in the year 2005 and in the Common Minimum Programme, major priorities have been set up. The first major challenge was to bring back the administration well on track. Second major objective was to attract investors of both foreign and Indian investors to set up industrial unit in the State of Bihar. The Government starts the process of attracting the investors through calling directly the major Industrial houses of the country to invest in the State of Bihar. Third major objective was to recall the migrants’ those have left the State of Bihar due to lack of employment opportunity. Another serious objective was to fulfill the basic infrastructural requirements, roads, power, safe drinking water, concrete homes and employment generation of unorganized sector. The State of Bihar was in the state of migrants in terms of process of development. The New Government tried to regenerate the process of infrastructural development. There has been started to a “Government to people contact” Programme. The Government tried to establish a society based on no fear of danger and ill-will. One of the major challenges is to make the police administration, “people’s friendly”. The State vigilance department has been made more pronounced to mitigate the corruption in public life, District Magistrate to a Block Development Officer, top police officials to a general police jaw an, other secretariat staffs and Government’s service holders have been arrested by the State Vigilance police in the wake of encouraging environment of corruption in general public life. With the constitution of the State Information Commission, the maintenance of transparency and accountability in public offices has been tried to establish through providing information regarding the functions of the various departments to general people of this State. The establishment of the State Information Commission is very important in disseminating current information responsibility of vital posts to a general citizen of this State. S.I.C. is very instrumental in retrieving and collecting data and information for public importance. The Government established “Speedy Trial Court” and sent a strong massage to the general people of this State that no one is higher in front of the eyes of judiciary and constitution of the country. Accelerated disposal of cases against MPs, M.L.As, M.L.Cs, naxalites, criminals and Government officials revived the faith and confidence in system. Such efforts of the Government are widely recognized by the Academicians and others responsible people of this country. The Government started to reconstruct the roads; and supervised the functioning of the company whosoever collected tenders of construction. Major emphasis has been given on the quality of material and engineering works; and will never ever compromise with the quality of construction. Large scale rural electrification Programme is being implemented.

[H] NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE GOVERNMENT AND THE POLICY OF MIGRATION IN BIHAR:

There has been a drastic change in the Health sector. The State Government implied the National Rural Health Mission Programme and Rajeev Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission, Total Sanitation Campaign together in collaboration of The State Public Health and Engineering Department and UNICEF. Such accumulated action of the Government helped to enhance the quality of life of rural inhabitants. Implication of rural health Programme has been widely recognized by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India and other major International Health Organizations like World Health Organization, Red Cross Society etc. This Government is trying to regain the Structure of the Rural Economy.What is important here in the State of Bihar is to create a work culture; and in developing a work culture environment, there would be a very strict policing administration that could provide a fearless environment. One of the major challenges in front of the Government is to bring dynamic changes in the policing of this State. It has not been a hidden fact that the State of Bihar could not attract the investors and big business houses to establish industrial units. Instant police reforms are an immensely needed priority of This State. The worst police administration could not be a place of heaven for investors. The slow pace of economic development retarded the growth of infrastructural development in the State of Bihar.What I have been experiencing since last three years of this N.D.A. Government there occurred some significant changes in the education sector. Lakhs of teachers were recruited at the primary, high school as well as undergraduate courses; still the second phase of the recruitment is in operation. This shows the intention of the Government to create a culture of education of education in the rural areas. The Decision of the Government to recruit teachers could be seen in this prospective of the policy requirement to the management of rural brains. Implementation of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, a 100% centrally aided Programme at the primary level has been firmly adopted. This Programme is vital in utilizing the rural resources in terms of Brain Management. Education is such a vital sector of our economy in terms of developing human resources through the generation of creative innovation of mind at the rural level. This sector is capable of providing tremendous amount of employment opportunity.

The Government intention is to develop this State into an Education Hub seems to be highly appreciable. Recently The State Government tried to revive the “ancient concept of Global Education” through the establishment of Global Nalanda University. While inaugurating the foundation of the aforementioned University our former President (Hon’ble) Dr. A.P.J. quoted “There is need to develop education as a resource to generate economy in this State”.Current Government of Bihar has established “Chanakya Law University” and “Chandragupta Institute of Management”, which would be a land mark step in developing a culture of education.But I am very much disappointed by the way The Government handled the strikes of the University Staffs. The University staffs have been striking since last August to October. Entire business of the colleges of all Universities disrupted and the Government was sleeping in between. I did not find that the Government was taking the policy of higher education seriously. Establishing new Universities can not solve the problem areas of education. The Government should take stringent action against the irregularities of college sessions.

Recent pace of infrastructural development is vital in providing greater amount of employment opportunity in organized as well as non-organized sector of economy. Implication of National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme is generating employment for laborers. This might diminish the pace of migration. But whatsoever reports of the Central Government, this Programme has not been so much successful because the State of Bihar has been black listed by the Ministry of Rural Development in the implementation of National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme.

Present Government of the State of Bihar was elected after the 15 years rule of Rashtriya Janta Dal. Previous Government had completely been failed in establishing a welfare State. The State lost her historical glories. The culture of education was completely destroyed, the peace and harmony between people was transformed into an applied Vote Bank Theory of Social Engineering. The people were divided on the line of cast and creed to establish Social Justice. But the previous Government forgot the very concept of Social Justice that Social justice could be employed through a pattern of uniform economic development. Social Justice does not mean to segregate the people of this State on the name of cast religion. Social Justice does not mean that the people of the State do not believe in the police administration. Establishment of Social Justice in a State depends on the opportunity of employment being provided to the listed categories under the Constitution of India. It was very unfortunate that the State of Bihar had been run by machinery that almost lost the control over the State. This is not a hidden fact that Development process had completely been derailed during the era of the previous regime. There are huge expectations with the present National Democratic Alliance Government. But the pace of development is still very slow and despite of a very conscious effort this Government is unable to create investment friendly environment. Whenever the process of infrastructural development will not get a tuning with the development of industry, the migration will not be reduced.

However the Present Government has made her presence through creating an environment of work in all sector of the economy. Even the Government is successfully generating the opportunity of employment in all sectors of economy.

The Development of a State depends upon the better accessibility and potential to harness the natural resources. This requires an advanced well-equipped scientific tools as well as a better adaptable brain. Value addition has been a significant aspect of rural development. Department of Rural Development is engaged in bringing about a rapid and sustainable development and socio-economic transformation in rural Bihar. During the last three years, foremost priority has been accorded to development in rural areas. Number of initiatives have been taken by this Ministry in the form of launch of new programmes, restructuring to earlier programme to make them more effective and promotion of participation of people in development process have been affected.

To watch with economic liberalization and structural adjustments and to provide for safety net, especially for rural poor, top priority has been accorded to Rural Development in terms of progressively increasing the allocation of resources for the implementation of poverty alleviation programmes.

For the development to be in consonance with the people’s wishes and aspirations, the emphasis has also been shifted towards participation of people in development process through Self-Help Groups and Panchayati Raj Institutions. Gram Sabha has been assigned important responsibilities to make it a vibrant forum of self-governance. Two main schemes one providing wage employment and the other for providing self-employment to rural inhabitants are under implementation to face the biggest challenge of unemployment in the rural areas of the country.

With the objectives to provide additional gainful employment in the rural areas as food security, alongside creation of durable community, social and economic infrastructure in the rural areas, the Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojna was launched. Such programmes are self targeting in nature with special emphasis to provide wage employment to women, scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and parents of children withdrawn from hazardous occupations.

[I]Conclusion

The State Disaster Management Authority in Collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority and other Non Governmental Organizations as well as International Organizations, like United Nations Development Programme, Catholic Relief Services, Red Cross Society, World Health Organization etc. should focus on water conservation, drought proofing, and land development and flood management and control.Ensuring rural connectivity is an important and integral part of overall development strategy of the Development of villages. Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna, a 100% centrally sponsored scheme was launched on Dec 2000. The main aim of this project is to provide connectivity to all unconnected habitations in rural areas having population of more than 500 persons, through good all weather roads by the end of the 10th plan period. The State of Bihar is also constructing large network of roads under the Mukhya Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna.Housing is one of the basic needs of mankind in terms of safety, security, self esteem, social status, cultural identity, satisfaction and achievement. To provide houses to the poor shelter less and quickly cover and rural housing shortage, the Ministry has its flagship programme Indira Awas Yojna.One of the major problems in this State of Bihar is the non implication of proper Land Reforms Act. The Government is also committed to have greater access of landless rural poor to land through various initiatives pertaining to land reforms. In order to play an effective coordinating and advisory role for the implementation of land reforms, the Government of the State of Bihar has set up Bandhopadhayai Committee for the better implementation of Land Reforms Act.

For the development of Bihar, special emphasis would be given to a better co-ordination and co-operation between the Centre and the State Government. The State should be given wider recognition in the subject regarding natural disaster. The process of decentralization should be implemented with greater accountability and transparency.There would be given prior attention to implicate the plan regarding the infrastructural development so that there could be wider scope of employment generation. This will lead to reduction in the level of migration.My very objective is to promote Environmental Education amongst the rural and remote rural habitations of the State of Bihar. Environmental Education is a vital instrument to ignite the rural minds of the masses living under extreme adverse physical conditions. They are facing severe problems of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene. Eighty percent of the diseases probably occurred due to intake of impure water. However, Government of India is very conscious to provide pure and safe drinking water to our rural people through Rajeev Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission. The State Government’s Public Health Engineering Department in collaboration with UNICEF started to analyze the quality of water. Reports were highly alarming. There have been reports of Arsenic contamination in water. Severe amount of Arsenic is found in the underground water particularly in the Gangetic Belt of Bihar. There were reports of acute Arsenic poisoning in the ten districts of the State of Bihar residing on the Gangetic plain. In those regions, the State Government adopted large scale sampling and analyzing the quality of water of the hand pumps. The Government adopted some indicatory measures to prevent the people from acute arsinocosis. The hand pump with arsenic contamination in water is colored “Red plus Marked” and without having contamination is colored “Green plus Marked”. The “Green plus Marked” indicator is widely opened for drinking purpose. Even Iron contamination in water has been reported from various places of this State. The major question is whether the people within those rural habitations are in a position to respond the Government’s approach? Are they aware of the impact of arsenic and iron contamination in the water? Is it sufficient to adopt coloring indicator technique to prohibit the intake of arsenic contaminated water? Whosoever the authority would provide a resource based knowledge to the affected rural people? Does the plan of the Government transform completely into its implementation? What will be the long term objective to eliminate arsenic from the water? These all questions can easily be handled by accommodating an accessible quality environmental education at formal as well as non-formal level. The broad transcription of all treatment measures needs an accountable and responsible of the implementation of the plan. Modern techniques of Education should be adopted into actions in terms of video films of the impact of arsenic and iron poisoning on the health of life. Hundred percent transformations of such programmes are dependent on the community cooperation. There should be more and more community push up is required. The Government should invest maximum expanse to analyze the quality of water by enhancing the coverage areas. More and more water samples should be taken for the quality treatment.

Sanitation is another major issue of our rural habitations. However the Government of India has already launched a very ambitious programme of “Total Sanitation Campaign” comprising the rural sanitation as well as school sanitation. Sanitation is a state subject. Sanitation is linked with the dignity and secrecy of women as well as the quality of life. UNICEF is launching a “Nirmal Gram Puraskar” to promote the efforts of Gram Panchayat and Non Governmental Organizations in providing better sanitation. This is strictly a people’s subject. Here the major factor is bringing more and more people with such programmes. Social involvement through bringing proper awareness about the hygiene and immunity by adopting better sanitation would be able to help the Government in implementing the programme on the ground.The problem of “Hygiene and Malnutrition” very much exists in our rural heartlands. People residing Below Poverty Line as well as Above Poverty Line are all suffering from malnutrition and hygiene problems. This is very unfortunate and disturbing for the largest democratic country of the world that the people are still dyeing due to extreme hunger. Unemployment is a major problem among the masses. Low land holdings and increasing prices on seeds, fertilizers, and irrigations have pushed the farmers of the State of Bihar towards the worst conditions of life. They are unable to provide even the minimum energy requirements to themselves. Consequently, extreme malnutrition is reported among the women of the family. This results into a poor growth of their children. Iron deficiency among the women and children are very common. Even the children after birth are found ‘anemic’ in most of the cases. Vulnerability to consequent flood and droughts pushes their lives towards extreme depression. Large scale labor migration to major cities of the country is an unsound story of this state. Lack of industrial unit, poor infrastructural development, lesser employment opportunity, and extreme cast based society, the Government’s inefficiency to utilize and mobilize the existing resources also accelerate the process of migration. Recent cases of violence and killings of the laborers of Bihar in the different parts of the country raise the question of safety and security of the poor laborers of this state. This is highly alarming to the sovereignty of this country. The State Government should work on employment generation that could generate economic resources. River water management should be the prime objective of the state. This would reduce the vulnerability of regular droughts and floods. Consequently the per capita out-put of agriculture would be enhanced and a time will come, when more and more investment would be occurred that could resolve the problem of unemployment on large scale.

I completed my education in the shadow of the rural culture. I believe that the proper Environmental education is the strongest tool to deliver maximum out-put in a very minimum expanse. I could not get a proper platform where I could prove myself. Start from beginning, I devoted myself on education, later on understanding the scope of Environmental education; I put my maximum on promoting this subject. Man and Environment relation is an inborn connection that develops even within the mother’s body as well as after birth. Once in a seminar, I asked a question to a four years old child, “What could you get from a plant?” some of my friends told me, “What are you asking to this child?” The child said “I get fruit, I get flower, and I get shadow.” I told my friends, “look and see here the tree of Environmental education starts growing. Who says that these children are aware of the Environmental education? My dear friend this four years child is a master in Environmental education. No one needs to teach Environmental education. We expert should only upgrade the knowledge of environment relation to man.

“Water, Sanitation and Hygiene” are the central theme to our Environmental education. Even your subject of research fellowship is related to the aforementioned issues. These resource based research would explore new ways to our rural developments. Research on “Sanitation and Hygiene” should be based on the efforts to ignite the brains of the masses and to bring social responsibilities through community participation. There should create a cordial environment so that the people could understand that these efforts of the Government are meant for their uprising of the quality of life. Aforementioned approach is essential to deal with the issues related to Mass Migration. To mitigate the problem of migration, special focus would be given on utilization and mobilization of natural resources of the State.

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