But, what rights to Biharis have to destroy the Railway's property? What rights do Biharis have to stop the movement of trains through Bihar? What rights to Biharis have to stop the vehicular traffic through different highways and interstates? What rights do Biharis have to burn the buses and trucks? What rights do Biharis have to burn the police vehicles? What rights do Biharis have to pelt stones on law enforcement personnel? What rights do Biharis have to stop the classes at different schools and colleges in Bihar?  Both as an Indian and as a Bihari, I am ashamed and miffed at the response of the fellow Biharis.

Not that I hold anything against the anger of Biharis. The pains and sufferings and tribulations of thousands of Biharis are genuine. I deeply understand what they might be going through. It is the manner in which this distress and affliction is expressed is what that makes me sad. I believe that the miseries and grieves of those directly affected in Assam massacre and Maharashtra mania are insurmountable, even with all those compensations, sympathies and apologies. But, who makes even an iota of gain by burning the properties of public or individual or that of government of India?  Two wrongs do not make a right.

In the war of states, it is the nation that bears the biggest brunt. Whatever happened in Assam made India poor, whatever happened in Maharashtra made India poorer, and whatever happened in Bihar in the aftermath made India even poorer. India is the sole looser. Janpadon ki ladai me rashtriyata dam tod deti hai. Nobody thought of India when Biharis were killed in Assam, nobody thought of India when Biharis were driven out of Maharashtra, and in the same token nobody thought of India when Bihar was burnt by Biharis. Bihar lost a lot in Assamese genocide, Bihar lost a lot in Marathi expulsion, Bihar lost a lot in Bihari retaliation, but at the end it is the India who lost the most. Most remarkably, nobody gained anything! Genocide, ethnic cleansing, and bringing the entire state to a complete standstill are not omens of a progressive country.

What I urge and beg my fellow Biharis is to be constructive in their response. It is the time of some serious thought and some true introspection. I request my fellow Biharis to be patient and poised. I wish my fellow Biharis to be strong and forceful. I expect my fellow Biharis to be calculated in their response to external provocations. I pray my fellow Biharis to keep India first in all their deeds and actions. I instigate my fellow Biharis to swear to rebuild a new Bihar:  a Bihar, where roads are nice, smooth and congestion free; a Bihar where its masses are law abiding; a Bihar, where education system is strong and state of the art; a Bihar, where judiciary is speedy and impartial; a Bihar, where media is free and fair; a Bihar, where power generation is abundant; a Bihar, where agriculture is profitable and self-sustaining; a Bihar, where disaster management is team is prompt and effective; a Bihar, where jobs and employments are plenty; and finally a Bihar, where Assamese and Marathis will throng to look for jobs. This does sound like an idealistic dream, but in my opinion, this will be the best revenge.

Pradeep Rai