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Dear
friends, I am writing this article after having
read many articles and comments from the
visitors to PD from which I have found that one
of the greatest factors contributing to the
maligning of the name of Bihar is concealment of
their Identities by the people of Bihar from the
outside world.
This is 100% true as I have had the chance of
living in South, Maharashtra, Gujarat and New
Delhi, and I have spent not less than 5 Years in
each place.
Believe me that the Bihari syndrome is most
rampant in Delhi than any other state or city
because in the year 1977 we went to Bangalore
and then in 1983 we went to Mumbai and in 1991
we went to Delhi.
It was only after I lived in Delhi did I realise
the depth of racist attitude but I did not care.
While traveling by a DTC bus I was having a chat
with some local guy and he asked me my name and
after that he asked me if I were from Bihar and
I said yes but after that he ceased his
conversation but I did not draw any conclusion,
it was only after discussion with one of my
Bihari friends (he had come from Khagaria that
year to Delhi) did I realise that it was because
of my nativity that guy did not talk to me
further.
Friends, you will appreciate that I never
concealed my identity from anyone anywhere,
today I am working in Thailand since the past 5
years and I say that I am from Bhagalpur to many
Indian friends but I have never ever received
any taunt or any different attitude from them,
the guys around here are only concerned about
the crime in Bihar and nothing else they do not
talk anything of Bihar except for the
deteriorating law and order.
Now here lies the main point , if I were to
Malign the name of my state I would say volumes
about it and try changing their opinion but I
know this will negate my individuality which I
will never let it happen.
But I am saddened to say that many Bihari
friends with whom I was acquainted with have
always tried to conceal their Bihari identity, I
have failed persuading them to drop this
attitude but was never successful , finally I
gave up as I said that the show must go on.
How many people visit PD and read about Bihar
and share their thoughts? may be 1000 or may be
1500 but I feel that the main student populace
must take cudgels and then go en masse and try
to create a Bihari Identity which would invite
praise and will lead us to escape the identity
crisis under which we are presently living in (I
am sorry by meaning "we" I am not saying that
all the people are same and please do not take
this as a personal attack).
What I want to say at the end (this may sound
like lionising myself before everybody but with
due humility and by your approval I wish to say
the following)
Having lived in India I know the following
languages:
Bhojpuri, Hindi (of course), Marathi, Gujarati,
Kannada, Tamil, Punjabi, German and now I also
know Thai, also I know my own mother tongue as
well as I can converse very well with the JAATs
of Haryana in their language.
By saying this I am not saying everyone must
know all one can know more also there is no harm
my point is that whenever I have gone I have
first tried to understand the local culture,
adapt to it and making people comfortable with
me because I have experienced that unless a
person is comfortable with you, you may be from
any place country or state, he will not develop
any association with you just on the face of it.
I am proud to say that I have always tried to
put my state ahead of any state when it came to
my own identity and have never told anything bad
about it.
My reactions to the current scene in Bihar was
my personal and with you guys only and nothing
intentional of attacking anyone or directing my
ire on someone.
Therefore I appeal to one and all who do not
write on this forum to please project your state
in a positive manner.
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Comments: |
Look
at it this way - If someone stops
talking to you after finding that
you hail from Bihar, you do not lose
anything. You just got a
confirmation that this person is not
worth talking to anyways! In fact,
you can use it as a filter to sort
out the good people with open minds
from the closed minded jerks. You
tell them you are from Bihar, if the
person is a good, he / she will not
hold it against you personally. For
those who do, they can kiss my "you
know what". - Aarcee - Jan. 25,
2006
Dear Arcee,
I do not agree with your statement
"kiss my , what" because you are in
the USA and can say that , I am in
Thailand I can say that but not all
the people from Bihar when they are
living amongst people of other
states, they have to face the
situation daily and everyone is not
so practical as to just shrug it off
but many people do face mental
turmoil and anguish by such attitude
therefore what is needed is self
restraint and also doing something
that is appreciated by one and all.
I am personally not affected by the
racist comments because I know the
level of maturity of those people
who are racist and I feel that they
are victims of their own making and
nothing else, they are mentally
deranged and have shrugged offf
sobriety in all forms.
But then just saying kiss my ....
will further aggravate the problem
and that is why I do not agree on
your last statement.
May be you may feel a bit taken back
but I sincerely say that I do not
intend to compete with you. -
Sanjay Gupta - Jan. 25,
2006
Sanjay took me totally out of
context here. I never said that you
should turn to that person who gives
you a cold shoulder (upon learning
of your Bihari origins) and tell him
to kiss your rear! I am telling you
(and the other readers who face the
same problem) to adopt that mindset
- that is, not to care about such
people, as they are useless anyways.
If someone is as undiplomatic as to
tell someone to "kiss his behind" he
will surely get a black eye and most
likely land in the hospital. You
took me literally ! Please read my
comment again, I guess you
misunderstood my drift. If I say,
don't give a rat's rear about such
people, I don't mean that you... oh
my God!!! How can I explain 'figures
of speech' ?!!! - Aarcee
- Jan. 27, 2006 |
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