Very
noble ideas indeed.
People/industrialists will not rush
to Bihar just because there is a
change of government. Once they are
sure that their interests will
remain safe then only will they go
to any state.
Power to people and basic amenities
are very important too as
demonstrated by Kerala.i.e.
1] primary education [and ensuring
that teachers go to the schools they
are getting paid to go]
2] primary health care [doctors
/nurses need to go to primary health
centres or resign]
3] drivable roads
4] clean drinking water.
5] electricity
6] elected panchayat to keep an eye
on various govt projects [by making
govt officials answerable to them]
and to ensure democracy strikes deep
roots [during the last regime
panchayat elections were not held] -
Shashank Prasad - Dec. 6, 2005
All
of a sudden everyone has turned into
an expert on how to improve Bihar.
Everyone has an idea and everyone
knows better than the other. If this
attitude continues, God save Nitish
Kumar.
Why can't you self-styled experts
leave the whole thing to the CM who,
contrary to your belief, is not a
dummy by any means. Just leave the
man alone for a few months, or even
few years. Even if he doesn't do
diddlysquat, things can't go any
worse than what it was under the
Lalu-Rabri regime. Or if you are
such an expert then why are you
wasting your time on the internet?
Go to Patna, seek a meeting with our
new CM and tell him what brilliant
ideas you have to save Bihar.
I know some people will quickly jump
on me and attack me but I couldn't
care less. I am just tired of these
self-designated experts on Bihar and
wonder what in the world were they
doing for last 15 years when Bihar
was burning. - Manoj Kumar - Dec.
6, 2005
Manoj Kumar, you stole my thunder!
Your sentiment on this topic mirrors
mine. I wrote (Article titled,
"Advice galore!") in disgust late
last month on this topic. I do not
think anyone will pounce on you for
criticizing where criticism is
overdue. I am so sick of the
peddlers of snake oil that, in their
minds, cures all ills.
It reminds me of a joke I heard
about the statement that the wife of
a "used car salesman" (who wanted to
divorce him) gave to the Judge in
Divorce Court. When asked why she
wanted a divorce, she told the court
that the husband could not perform
as a man.
When asked to explain, she said,
"Your honour, this man is a
salesman. He sells used cars that,
like him, do not perform. He sits on
the edge of the bed all night and
keeps trying to convince me what a
wonderful time I am going to have.
But nothing ever happens!
She got a divorce.
Common sense has divorced this
voluntary "salaahkar samiti" that
wants to remotely control Nitish
Kumar with its armchair consultancy!
- Aarcee - Dec. 6, 2005
Dear Mr. Indra,
Nice article and suggestions to the
government. Government should take
action and follow only the path of
development. Bihar has potential in
almost all sectors, the only thing
is how to implement it with
devotion, great fervor and selfless
attitude. - Bibhuti Bikramaditya
- Dec. 6, 2005
Dear Editor Sir,
When I wrote my letter to CM, I
didn’t do that for advising him.
Interesting, I got the e-mail
address of CM from the write up of
one of those who is really sarcastic
about my suggestions. There are no
suggestions that Nitish doesn’t
know. However, the idea was only to
express the concern of a Bihari. And
I strongly advise that every one in
his ministry should have some
5-priority projects and get that
implemented fast. If the activity
starts with speed, it will give the
right message to the public too. The
news coverage of Nitish inaugurating
Expressway as main news was one
such. Prakash Jha promise to bring
in people from entertainment
industry was another. I am sorry for
those who have taken my suggestions
differently. In my life, as
commoner, I believed in deeds only.
As a senior citizen, I feel like
giving advice as per the values
build in our society. It is for the
youngsters to take the suggestions
or forget about or overlook that. If
any one is having specific query, he
is welcome to contact me on myemail
. - Indra - Dec. 6, 2005
Dear Mr. Indra,
Thank you for your nice and true
suggestion to our newly elected
government. If they really want to
restore the status of Bihar, it
should be followed by him. -
Tarkeshwar Kumar Gupta - Dec. 6, 2005
Dear Mr. Indra,
Please don't take my comment
personally. Your writing proves that
you are a man who is knowledgeable
and experienced. However, my
outburst was directed towards all
such people, including yourself, who
think that they have the 'magic
potion' to rid Bihar of all of its
ills.
Since the election results were
announced and Nitish Kumar stormed
into the Bihar Vidhan Sabha with a
thumping majority, every web site
and blogs related to Bihar is
littered with advices to our new
Chief Minister. There are just
advices and advices and suggestions
and more advices! I wonder what
makes these people think that Nitish
Kumar is not aware of these problems
and he is not already working on a
plan to put Bihar back on the track.
15 years of major misrule, scandals,
ghotalas, rape, kidnapping, dada-giri,
goondagardi, pitching one community
against other, stealing, robbing,
five-star treatment at jails etc.
etc. - do you think it is an easy
task for any Chief Minister who
means well? I seriously doubt it.
There is no magic wand or Aladdin's
lamp here. If Nitish could get even
one thing going in Bihar (education,
health, road, crime, industry,
tourism, or anything else that ails
Bihar), it would be a major
improvement over the previous
corrupt and communal government. In
all honesty, I think it will take at
least 3 Nitish terms before Bihar
could be at par with other advanced
states. That's how bad the situation
in Bihar is.
All I am saying is let this man
manage the situation in the best
possible way he knows and is able to
handle. First, I would just let him
relax (he is also human, in case
some people thought he was a robot
or an extra-terrestrial alien) for a
few weeks. Let him enjoy what he has
truly earned and achieved after
struggling against the previous
inept government for 15 years. Let
him meet with his family members,
friends, villagers, urbanites, to
appreciate their sacrifices and
their support. I am sure the man is
equally, or more, concerned about
Bihar than you and I. Soon he will
pull out all the resources he has in
his deck and rake his brain along
with his trusted officials and
experts on various issues affecting
Bihar. I am also convinced he will
invite brains from outside the
government in areas he thinks he
needs special advice and help. Who
knows it could be you? But please
give the man some break, some
breathing room. That's all I am
saying.
Nitish has not been in power even
two weeks but self-appointed
watchdogs have already sprung out of
nowhere who are busy preparing
'report cards' on the 'performance'
of Nitish government. What a joke!
All of us put up with whatshisname
and his wife and brothers-in-law for
15 years; can't we give Nitish even
two years before start judging him
on his performance?
Finally, managing a state ridden
with every social ill conceivable is
quite different than running a
corporation in a controlled
environment. Being a management guru
is not the same as being the Chief
Minister, and that too of Bihar.
There are no cut and dry solution to
any problem. You simply can't look
at each problem from management
point of view. Human factors and
community sentiments are too
overwhelming to be ignored with the
stroke of a pen, a method too common
in the business world. - Manoj
Kumar - Dec. 6, 2005
Hi Manoj, I was reading your
comments and also of Indra. It seems
you all are well read men. I have a
suggestion too. Rather then writing
email here suggestions to CM why not
start suggestion to ourselves. I
mean what as a Bihari well wisher we
can do (apart from giving
suggestions to CM) for betterment of
Bihar. - Shiv Nath - Dec. 7, 2005
Hon. Nitish Kumar - CM Bihar
Dear Mr Kumar,
Congrats on your impressive win! It
was long overdue! As you already
know what needs to be done to bring
back the past glory of Bihar, we
hope you go about it with a single
minded zeal and not be dissuaded by
self seeking, grubby politicians and
bureaucrats (the bane of India)!
In the sixties Patna was more modern
than Delhi and visiting the Bihar
capital from even from a
cosmopolitan place like Jamshedpur
was an eye opener.
There are so many things for you to
do, considering its present mess,
but I feel a principled leader like
you would leave his footprints in
history if some of these are done
successfully.
Bihar needs:
a) Law and Order and strong,
impartial governance-tough, honest
policing and a committed civil
service.
b) An expeditious, fair and
transparent judiciary.
c) Restoration of historical sites
to remind people of their proud
heritage & building facilities for
tourists-a great source of income
and a matter of pride for Bihar.
d) Provision of clean drinking water
and stoppage of affluence pouring
into the Ganga - the sacred river
needs sanctification not
desecration.
e) Removal of dirt and filth and
building of public facilities to
improve sanitation everywhere - half
the health problems will be
resolved!
f) Provision of proper health and
living facilities in rural and urban
Bihar. Introduction of inexpensive
birth control measures.
g) Improvement of educational
standards and removal of illiteracy.
h) Improvement of infrastructures -
roads, transport, electricity,
airports, hospitals etc.
i) Computerization of all records to
give widespread access to people to
check up their ownership titles,
deeds etc.
j) Ban on agricultural land uses for
housing/industrial development.
k) Silos to store and distribute
food grain efficiently without the
sizeable losses experienced
currently.
l) Establishment of single window
clearance and creation of FTZs - to
attract investments/industries.
m) Set up research centres to study
the ancient texts and manuscripts
available in Bihar and use the
findings to create new ideas and
products. Many valuable secrets in
science, medicine, metallurgy,
astronomy etc are locked up in these
texts and yet India is aping the
flawed systems of the west and
trying to reinvent the wheel!
Maybe I am naive but wouldn't it be
great if Pataliputra & Nalanda were
re-established to provide Chanakya's
wisdom to the world? Mr Kumar, even
if you succeed in a few areas, you
will be remembered fondly in years
to come.
All these cannot be done by you
without help not only from your
coalition partners but also from an
army of dedicated, honest civil
servants who would look at all round
development of Bihar as their prime
focus. - Dilip Mahanty - Dec. 7,
2005
Dear Nitishji,
Every Bihari worth his salt is
looking to you with great hope to
refurbish Bihar's ugly image and
restore to it the glory it enjoyed
in the Fifties when it was rated as
best run state in India by an
American team.
It is not very difficult, though not
very easy either. It needs
determination and a bit of common
sense which you have in abundance
fortunately. If Bihar was mutilated
beyond recognition by an individual,
another individual KJ Rao showed him
the door. You too can accomplish
such a feat and justify the trust
reposed in you.
Bihar is at the bottom of all
parameters of development. You need
to set your priorities starting with
declining law and order that has hit
the state most. Bihar is known as a
place where life sells at gross
discount and killing at a huge
premium. Such a sickening feeling
must change in six months otherwise
people will lose faith in you and
the tyrant may get back in his lost
seat.
A peaceful and business meaning
Bihar will attract investors
domestic and foreign as it has
enough potential for growth in
agro-industries and
water-management. Bihar's soil is
fertile. River dams can make the
state power surplus and farming a
goldmine. The environment matters
most.
If people of Bihar can do wonders
here in America they can repeat the
same in their own state provided
their life is safe and investment
secured. It will be a case of
paradise gained and not lost.
Nitishji, lose no time. Posterity
will owe you a lot. Thanks.
Your well-wisher,
Ayodhya Sharma
New York, USA
Dec. 9, 2005
Dear Nitish Ji
We have high hopes for Bihar now….…
an educated person is doing the most
important job in Bihar so we have
our expectation accordingly. Hope
you take a very well balanced and
educated action to this Narendra
Singh issue. We all are waiting with
hope.
Well Wisher of Bihar
USA
Dec. 9, 2005
I
just read a statement given by Mr.
Nitish Kumar in Expressindia.com
that he is planning to attract NRIs
to invest in Bihar. This is a very
good idea and hope the day will come
in Bihar where things will move
based on quality i.e. rational
approach which is being practiced in
all developed civilized societies. I
would like to remind Mr. Nitish
Kumar that if he throws one stone at
the time of bidding of Government
Projects in Bihar, it will hit
minimum 2 criminals / unsocial
elements which is well known to us.
Please stop these things which will
at least save Govt. fund. Does he
know what is happening with PM Fund
for Road In Bihar? Please, please,
dear our CM, You are an Engineer and
an educated person and you saw the
realities of life in Bihar, do
something and bring Bihar to the
survival level. NRI investment is
not a big issue. I can assure you
for unexpected investment because I
know people intend to invest in our
State. To culture fish in a pond,
pond must be cleaned from unwanted /
unproductive fishes to get better
harvest. - Md. Arshad Hussain,
AL-Khobar - Dec. 11, 2005 |
