Bihar - is it really happening?

mira4bai4 · Oct 1st, 2006, 22:03

Bihar on India Inc’s radar
Tribune News Service

Patna, September 30
After completing 10 months in office, the "team Bihar", led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Sushil Modi, has finally been able to break the barrier by firmly putting the poorest state on the "business map"of the country.

The state, where even angels were said to have feared to tread till last year, has suddenly turned into a new investment hub, with National Investment Commission (NIC) chief Ratan Tata projecting it as an "upcoming investment destination".

Going by official statistics, in the past 10 months Bihar has received investment proposals worth Rs 10,000 crore as compared to the proposals amounting to Rs 700 crore received in the past 15 years.

The investment process, which began with Coimbatore-based Rajshri Sugar Mills was followed by Prakash Jha's proposal to set up a chain of shopping malls and multiplexes. Even banks like HSBC have opened their first branch in the state.

Filmstar-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha has also shown interest to set up the biggest film city of Asia in Bihar.

The British High Commissioner to India, Sir Michael Arthur, too, had expressed satisfaction over various development initiatives by the Nitish Kumar Government and promised to send a British trade and business delegation to the state to explore investment opportunities.

Tribune Artical

bihar123 · Jun 8th, 2007, 16:41

yes everyone, things will change for the better. i can feel it in my bones.

Mukesh · Nov 12th, 2007, 15:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick-H

The guy who is writing has been there once and seems to know all about it. For instance he draws the conclusion that it is not a mafia state from the fact that he saw a senior politician in a simple car without an escort.

Maybe it is true, but the level of research behind this article doesn't carrymuch weight...

Nick Its real fact,it won't get digest because you couldn't expect the same......time has changed now....everything going well there......had you ever seen the IAS result .....if u still not get it go and see it in real....

vindex · Apr 10th, 2008, 11:21

I'm an American, and I traveled pretty widely through Bihar in the early 1990s. I don't know what it's like now, but I can say that I have no problems as a foreigner then, despite the fact that I frequently read in the paper about violence between caste villages there. Perhaps people were just so surprised to see me they just freaked out and forgot to bother me!

My most memorable Bihar experience was taking the train north from Gaya to see the caves featured in "A Passage to India". Many people don't realize that Gaya is the town in that story, and that the caves are real. They are NOT the ones shown in the movie. They do echo, though. They are really out in the middle of the countryside, and if anyone is interested in finding out how to get there I can provide instructions. It involves taking a 3rd class train, no seats, just a boxcar filled with animals and people! Hooked up to a steam engine, no less.

mr_rush · Apr 10th, 2008, 12:36

Vindex. Passage to India is one of my favourite books. I'd love to know where the caves are.

machadinha · Apr 10th, 2008, 20:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by vindex

Perhaps people were just so surprised to see me they just freaked out and forgot to bother me!

...

Most plausible explanation I've heard in a while.

Thanks for the little sober write-up

RSC2 · Apr 10th, 2008, 21:00

I have recently been to Patna [after hearing horror stories about it]. I found it ok. I moved around with family though. I was given a great deal of hospitality.

I think people still take precautions about travelling after dark. Hoodlums are in every country and state I assume.

I will be taking my husband this year to an Indian wedding and he is 'white'. Sorry, it feels strange to talk about people in terms of their colour! Not sure how he will be treated by the locals. Probably well given the Indian propensity for hospitality.

Hope he won't get too many stares.

atala · Apr 10th, 2008, 21:25

I have heard two different stories recently. One person I met, a Canadian, toured Bihar on a Bullet, criss-crossing thru the state for many days. He has not seen any problems at all. Someone else, from Holland, was on a local bus from Patna to Vaishali; he witnessed extremely rough behaviour which he said he had never seen before ever in India. It was not directed towards him, but between some people in the bus. Whether accidental or typical, who knows.

vindex · Apr 11th, 2008, 07:13

This is the best info source I've seen on the Barabar Caves ("Marabar" in the book) from "Passage to India":

http://www.mapability.com/travel/p2i/barabar.html

The way I got there was to take a local train to Bela, which is a ramshackle little railside village. I persuaded a local cycle rickshaw to take me to "Barabar". It was quite a long cross-country journey (1 hour at least) on very potholed roads through sugar cane fields. Everyone I passed was shocked to see a white guy, but quite friendly. We stopped by a farm where they were grinding sugar cane juice and were offered some for free. No fee at the caves, a couple of local holy men showed me around ... they took their sweet time, but hey, they figured the caves weren't going anywhere (they didn't realize I needed to start getting back to my train or where would I sleep?). The only mistake I made was to let the rickshaw guy get a glancing peep into my wallet when I paid him -- he must have seen more money than he had ever seen in his life, and instantly raised his backsheesh demands to the stratosphere.

Now a quick, funny story from my Bihar travels. When I arrived in Gaya, I found I had run out of toilet paper (in this one way, I just couldn't adopt local custom). Everywhere else I visited in India, the local hotels usually didn't have TP, but it wasn't hard to find at the various sundry stores. In Gaya I could find the stores, but no TP, nowhere. So I went to the hotel clerk and asked him "Is there anywhere around here I can buy toilet paper?" He nodded vigorously and said "Oh yes! You can buy some in Patna!" (several hours journey by train). I was like "uh, no, I mean around HERE, today. I need some right now". Sadly, he shook his head. "Alright," I asked, "do you have a newspaper?" Not connecting the two at all, he asked me "English or Hindi?" "It doesn't matter" I replied. His face brightened: "You read Hindi?!" No, I told, him, I don't read Hindi. He looked perplexed. At this point, I wasn't going to tell him what I planned to do with his newspaper.

zoltan · Apr 11th, 2008, 09:35

> At this point, I wasn't going to tell him what I planned to do with his newspaper.
Priceless !!!

My Bihar story (not having been there personally), comes from a documentary which was broadcast on SBS (the multicultural television station here in Australia).

It was around 6 years ago and involved the burying of nuclear waste. Many farms or surrounding areas were targeted as a place in which to bury the waste material (from the reactors in India).

Many of the local farmers were getting various forms of cancer & couldn't figure out why this was the case until exposes were done.

I found this very sad on so many levels.

Cheers
Zoltan

Bigzero · Apr 11th, 2008, 09:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by vindex

"English or Hindi?" "It doesn't matter"

Thank god there was no language chauvinism involved.

brishti · Apr 11th, 2008, 12:50

coromondel express - chennai to calcutta.
it was at the time, when smoking was permitted inside trains - one could smoke sitting in their IInd sleeper bunks

[ aah them glorious days! ]

anyways - me - bottom bunk - looking intentely out of window - blowing smoke out.
one male gender sitting opposite me.
4 male genders of the remaining bunks, huddled together - glancing at me - commenting - giggling [ of course they were bengalees

]
this man sitting opposite me - after 10 minutes - asked the 4 gents not to disturb either him or me, no giggling permitted, behave

my gallahad on that journey was returning to his homestead/hovel in bihar.
yup - thousands of misconceptions about biharis

as for safety - any woman got the guts to go out walking alone in delhi after sundown???

:brishti

hey bigzero: i am liking that house muchly!

Nick-H · Apr 11th, 2008, 13:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by brishti

as for safety - any woman got the guts to go out walking alone in delhi after sundown???

Unfortunately I keep thinking, when I read the newspaper, that Bihar is indeed happening: to the rest of India

brishti · Apr 11th, 2008, 13:29

gee nick - you're posts are kinda-poetry-like nowadays

wassup?
the heat aint getting to you as yet?

:brishti

puchoo · Apr 11th, 2008, 13:34

It aint that bad..!

Quote:

Originally Posted by brishti

as for safety - any woman got the guts to go out walking alone in delhi after sundown???

Oct 1st, 2006, 22:03	#16
mira4bai4 Lost in Space Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: ND PaharGanj Permanently/Temporarily Posts: 1,158	It seams that Bihar is definitely a happening place. Bihar on India Inc’s radar Tribune News Service Patna, September 30 After completing 10 months in office, the "team Bihar", led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Sushil Modi, has finally been able to break the barrier by firmly putting the poorest state on the "business map"of the country. The state, where even angels were said to have feared to tread till last year, has suddenly turned into a new investment hub, with National Investment Commission (NIC) chief Ratan Tata projecting it as an "upcoming investment destination". Going by official statistics, in the past 10 months Bihar has received investment proposals worth Rs 10,000 crore as compared to the proposals amounting to Rs 700 crore received in the past 15 years. The investment process, which began with Coimbatore-based Rajshri Sugar Mills was followed by Prakash Jha's proposal to set up a chain of shopping malls and multiplexes. Even banks like HSBC have opened their first branch in the state. Filmstar-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha has also shown interest to set up the biggest film city of Asia in Bihar. The British High Commissioner to India, Sir Michael Arthur, too, had expressed satisfaction over various development initiatives by the Nitish Kumar Government and promised to send a British trade and business delegation to the state to explore investment opportunities. Tribune Artical

Apr 10th, 2008, 21:00	#22
RSC2 Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: UK Posts: 9	Patna I have recently been to Patna [after hearing horror stories about it]. I found it ok. I moved around with family though. I was given a great deal of hospitality. I think people still take precautions about travelling after dark. Hoodlums are in every country and state I assume. I will be taking my husband this year to an Indian wedding and he is 'white'. Sorry, it feels strange to talk about people in terms of their colour! Not sure how he will be treated by the locals. Probably well given the Indian propensity for hospitality. Hope he won't get too many stares.

Apr 11th, 2008, 09:35	#25
zoltan Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Australia Posts: 435	> At this point, I wasn't going to tell him what I planned to do with his newspaper. Priceless !!! My Bihar story (not having been there personally), comes from a documentary which was broadcast on SBS (the multicultural television station here in Australia). It was around 6 years ago and involved the burying of nuclear waste. Many farms or surrounding areas were targeted as a place in which to bury the waste material (from the reactors in India). Many of the local farmers were getting various forms of cancer & couldn't figure out why this was the case until exposes were done. I found this very sad on so many levels. Cheers Zoltan __________________ India (and other) photos click here

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Jun 8th, 2007, 16:41	#17
bihar123 Account Closed Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Patna Posts: 25	yes everyone, things will change for the better. i can feel it in my bones.

Apr 10th, 2008, 11:21	#19
vindex Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Hong Kong Posts: 3	I'm an American, and I traveled pretty widely through Bihar in the early 1990s. I don't know what it's like now, but I can say that I have no problems as a foreigner then, despite the fact that I frequently read in the paper about violence between caste villages there. Perhaps people were just so surprised to see me they just freaked out and forgot to bother me! My most memorable Bihar experience was taking the train north from Gaya to see the caves featured in "A Passage to India". Many people don't realize that Gaya is the town in that story, and that the caves are real. They are NOT the ones shown in the movie. They do echo, though. They are really out in the middle of the countryside, and if anyone is interested in finding out how to get there I can provide instructions. It involves taking a 3rd class train, no seats, just a boxcar filled with animals and people! Hooked up to a steam engine, no less.

Apr 10th, 2008, 12:36	#20
mr_rush Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: UK Posts: 89	Vindex. Passage to India is one of my favourite books. I'd love to know where the caves are.

Apr 10th, 2008, 21:25	#23
atala Senior Member, 8 yrs in India Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Switzerland, just back from India 2008 Posts: 691	I have heard two different stories recently. One person I met, a Canadian, toured Bihar on a Bullet, criss-crossing thru the state for many days. He has not seen any problems at all. Someone else, from Holland, was on a local bus from Patna to Vaishali; he witnessed extremely rough behaviour which he said he had never seen before ever in India. It was not directed towards him, but between some people in the bus. Whether accidental or typical, who knows.

Apr 11th, 2008, 07:13	#24
vindex Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Hong Kong Posts: 3	This is the best info source I've seen on the Barabar Caves ("Marabar" in the book) from "Passage to India": http://www.mapability.com/travel/p2i/barabar.html The way I got there was to take a local train to Bela, which is a ramshackle little railside village. I persuaded a local cycle rickshaw to take me to "Barabar". It was quite a long cross-country journey (1 hour at least) on very potholed roads through sugar cane fields. Everyone I passed was shocked to see a white guy, but quite friendly. We stopped by a farm where they were grinding sugar cane juice and were offered some for free. No fee at the caves, a couple of local holy men showed me around ... they took their sweet time, but hey, they figured the caves weren't going anywhere (they didn't realize I needed to start getting back to my train or where would I sleep?). The only mistake I made was to let the rickshaw guy get a glancing peep into my wallet when I paid him -- he must have seen more money than he had ever seen in his life, and instantly raised his backsheesh demands to the stratosphere. Now a quick, funny story from my Bihar travels. When I arrived in Gaya, I found I had run out of toilet paper (in this one way, I just couldn't adopt local custom). Everywhere else I visited in India, the local hotels usually didn't have TP, but it wasn't hard to find at the various sundry stores. In Gaya I could find the stores, but no TP, nowhere. So I went to the hotel clerk and asked him "Is there anywhere around here I can buy toilet paper?" He nodded vigorously and said "Oh yes! You can buy some in Patna!" (several hours journey by train). I was like "uh, no, I mean around HERE, today. I need some right now". Sadly, he shook his head. "Alright," I asked, "do you have a newspaper?" Not connecting the two at all, he asked me "English or Hindi?" "It doesn't matter" I replied. His face brightened: "You read Hindi?!" No, I told, him, I don't read Hindi. He looked perplexed. At this point, I wasn't going to tell him what I planned to do with his newspaper.

Apr 11th, 2008, 12:50	#27
brishti Maha Guru Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: india Posts: 1,064	coromondel express - chennai to calcutta. it was at the time, when smoking was permitted inside trains - one could smoke sitting in their IInd sleeper bunks [ aah them glorious days! ] anyways - me - bottom bunk - looking intentely out of window - blowing smoke out. one male gender sitting opposite me. 4 male genders of the remaining bunks, huddled together - glancing at me - commenting - giggling [ of course they were bengalees ] this man sitting opposite me - after 10 minutes - asked the 4 gents not to disturb either him or me, no giggling permitted, behave my gallahad on that journey was returning to his homestead/hovel in bihar. yup - thousands of misconceptions about biharis as for safety - any woman got the guts to go out walking alone in delhi after sundown??? :brishti hey bigzero: i am liking that house muchly!

Apr 11th, 2008, 13:29	#29
brishti Maha Guru Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: india Posts: 1,064	gee nick - you're posts are kinda-poetry-like nowadays wassup? the heat aint getting to you as yet? :brishti

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