Bihar deserves special status

Presently, Bihar may be recording growth rate in double digit but still far short of national average. It is also one of the most backward states of the nation. Bihar has everything except financial resources to catch up with national development. It has no dearth of meritorious students, labourious youngmen and the people. Biharis are known for their merit, hard labour, exemplary courage, honesty and integrity. They have contributed much more than anyone else in the development achieved so far in any part of the nation. In the absence of any industry, there is no employment generating avenues in the state. Biharis migrate in large numbers to Delhi, Mumbai and other parts of the nation in search of livelihood. They put in hard labour outside the state to earn and leave behind all others. Bihar has glorious history and set examples to be followed all over the nation. It has been first on many occasions. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has certainly brought turn around in the development of the state but his hands are bound in absence of financial resources. He has rightly given clarion call to the people of Bihar to take the fight to Delhi in March if their demand for the special status is not conceded. The historic Gandhi Maidan was packed to the full with the people to make demand on the Centre to give special status to Bihar. This is also the first time that the rally of the political party has been held on issue of development of the state. Biharis are not beginning but making the rightful demand of the state. More than One crore signatures of Biharis for special status have already been handed over to the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. PM also ordered to a Committee to look into the demand. The Committee has already submitted its report and reportedly rejected the demand of special status on the ground that it is only provided to the hilly states. Bihar is not hilly state but it is landlocked and underdeveloped for which even world parameter suggests special package. Since the state of Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar, all mineral resources went with it and the state was only left with only flood and draught. Without the adequate development of Bihar, the national development can not be complete. It has been the record of Bihar and Biharis to lead the campaign of the development of the nation from the front. It only needs to set-up infrastructure for industries. The industry will only come up in the state when there will be investment from outside. Investors like tax relief and it is possible only when the state would avail the facility of special status. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has mobilized the entire state that was evident in Gandhi Maidan. Kumar has also shown through this mammoth rally his political clout in the state to both his alliance partner BJP and the UPA Government at the Centre. It is correct to say that CM Nitish Kumar was minister in Atal Behari Vajpayee -led NDA government for six years and did not raise any voice for the special status of Bihar. But it does not mean that he should not demand the special status for the state at this point of time. He is mobilizing the support and all Biharis are behind him on this issue. National Development Council (NDC) must consider seriously on the rightful demand of special status to Bihar.