I Am Tired of Watching Bihar Being Reduced to a Joke
I have lived in Bihar for more than 20 years and after visiting other states, one thing became painfully clear to me.
People don’t just discriminate against Biharis in labour jobs. It happens in universities, schools, workplaces, public spaces, almost everywhere. Sometimes directly, sometimes through jokes, sometimes through the way people look at you after hearing where you are from.
But what hurt me the most was seeing Biharis themselves hiding their identity just to escape that discrimination.
You must have heard people say,
“They are Bihari but never lived in Bihar.”
People say it casually, but think about what it actually means. Imagine becoming so ashamed of your own roots that you start distancing yourself from your identity just to feel accepted. And the saddest part is that many even start mocking other Biharis themselves because it helps them blend in better.
But at the same time, can we honestly deny the condition of Bihar today?
During lockdown I worked with an NGO and visited many villages. What I saw changed me completely. It was not just poverty. It felt like a complete collapse of the system. Families living without proper healthcare, sanitation, education or any sense of security about tomorrow. Children full of potential growing up in places where survival itself consumes everything.
Most people outside Bihar only see migrants. They never see the conditions that create migration.
And despite all this, Bihar still has one of the youngest populations in India. Think about that for a second. The same state people mock could become one of the strongest forces in the country if its youth ever get proper opportunities, education and leadership.
But instead we keep watching the same cycle for decades. Governments change. Slogans change. Faces change. But somehow the reality on the ground barely changes.
Do we really believe people spend crores in elections for salary and government houses?
The truth is painful. Corruption survives because the system protects it and because over time we also started accepting it as normal. Power gets abused everywhere by politicians, corrupt officials and sometimes even by the people who are supposed to protect ordinary citizens.
And honestly, who allowed this culture to grow for so long?
Us.
We adjusted to everything. We stayed silent. We stopped believing that things could actually change.
Bihar does not need more empty pride or political worship anymore. It needs rebuilding. It needs people who genuinely care about education, jobs, businesses, accountability and dignity. It needs youth who are willing to build instead of only dreaming about escape.
This land once gave knowledge to the world through Nalanda and produced some of the greatest minds in history. Today many people feel embarrassed just saying they are from Bihar. That should disturb every one of us.
And still, I believe Bihar can rise again. Not because politicians will suddenly become honest, but because history has always changed when ordinary people finally got tired enough to say “enough.”
Revolution is not going to come from leaders sitting on stages. It can only come from the youth.
So if you have ever felt this same pain, if you are tired of watching Bihar remain stuck while generations keep suffering, then maybe it’s time we stop only talking online and actually come together to build something real.