Bihar deserves special status

If Bihar does not have the criteria for special status, the parameter of special status needs to be urgently changed. And if it is not possible immediately, Bihar must be tagged as Backward state and provided enough financial package immediately. It is the birth right of Bihar and without its all round development, the national development will remain incomplete. Biharis are intelligent, talented, laborious, hardworking and committed to take the nation forward in all fields. Wherever in the country development is visible, the contribution of Biharis is there. It is the lack of opportunities in Bihar because of its backwardness, there has been migration of people from the state in search of livelihood in different parts of the country. Though Bihar has been developing fast for the last eight years under chief minister Nitish Kumar and it has left behind all states this financial year by recording 11.99 percent economic growth, it deserves special status to match the national development indices very quickly. It is one of the most backward states of India if all round development is taken into account. It is also the first among so-called 'Bimaru' states. That is why it must have the tag of backwardness and thereby the adequate financial package from the Centre. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has been demanding special status for Bihar. He held a mammoth meeting at Ramlila Maidan ground in Delhi on March 17 to demand special status for Bihar. Bihar may not be fulfilling the criteria for special status but undoubtedly it deserves the tag of backward state. The economic growth rate achieved by Bihar in the financial year 2012-2013 under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has been profusely praised by none other than Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P Chidambram. There may be political interest behind the praise by the PM and the FM in the given fluid political scenario where the ruling Congress-led UPA at the Centre is getting weaker and weaker day by day with its alliance partners like TMC ,DMK and some other small parties breaking away from it. Samajwadi party of Mulayam Singh Yadav supporting from outside till now is also threatening to withdraw its support anytime. In order to offset any possibility of uncertainty about the UPA at the Centre before 2014, the Congress has also swung into action by showing warmth towards Nitish Kumar as his JD(U) is in a mood to break alliance with BJP if it projected Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as prime ministerial candidate in 2014 Lok Sabha. He had already shown aversion to Narendra Modi in 2010 when he did not allow him to enter Bihar for electioneering in assembly elections for JD(U)-BJP. Nitish has also made clear that the candidate for prime minister must be of secular credentials. Modi is in no way considered to be secular and the stigma of Gujarat riot of 2002 is still on him. The rally, meeting and signature campaign for the demand of special status to Bihar has been spearheaded by JD(U) only. Its coalition partner BJP in the state has been kept aside from this campaign. Congress knows it very well that if ever BJP projected Naredra Modi as prime ministerial candidate of which there is strong possibility, JD(U) will take no time in parting ways with BJP in NDA. Having political interest in mind, the Centre will certainly grant backward tag to Bihar and thereby pump economic package to the state to keep Nitish Kumar in good humour. And on the issue of secularism, Nitish Kumar may extend his party's outside support to UPA to run its course.